Ljubljana... This miniature city, whose name seems difficult to pronounce and you may not have heard of before, is the capital of Slovenia, a country that declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and stands as a green haven nation in the heart of Europe.
It is possible to reach Ljubljana, the capital city between Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary, with a flight approximately 2 1/2 hours from Istanbul.
This small capital, established at the foot of the Alps, received the "European Green Capital" award in 2016. It can impress you with its lush nature, fun, safe streets and friendly people.
Like many European cities, Ljubljana has a river running through the city. A wide pedestrian street runs along both sides of the river. As every venue and cafe on each side invites you inside. let me tell you that the warm tunes played by the street musicians may force you to dance with every step you take.
Although Ljubljana is a city closer to Western Europe, it does not reject its separation from Yugoslavia and still has a Balkan warmth.
Like in many European countries, Ljubljana is adorned with bridges. There are numerous such structures connecting the old city and the new city along the Ljubljanica river, which takes its name after the city.
One of them is "The Butcher's Bridge," connecting the Ljubljana Central Market and the Petkovsek Embankment.
When you hear the name and see the colorful locks on it, you may wonder how it got the name – Butcher's. Although I have seen many love bridges where couples' love is immortalized with colorful locks in numerous cities across Europe, this bridge certainly remains in my mind the most due to its irrelevance to its name.
This bridge, which was built on the spot where butchers used to be, is decorated with interesting yet terrifying small and large statues depicting forms of creatures from Greek mythology, created by the Bosnian Slovenian sculptor Jakov Brdar.
The fact that the bridge stands on the spot where butchers used to reside, the large statue said to belong to Prometheus, and the figures representing butchers on their way to trade, which rest on the side rails, all seem to refer to the history of the bridge.
The irrelevance between Brdar's creepy and interesting figures and the locks attached to the bridge's railing may be the unique detail that will stick in your mind about this city.
Another bridge that connects the old and the new town is "The Dragon Bridge." The bridge has two imposing dragon statues at both ends, one on the right and one on the left, and also has a legend attached to itself. In fact, you can hear different or more detailed legends about this bridge in many places.
According to a Greek myth in its shortest form, the hero Jason, the leader of the Argonauts a band of heroes, wants to return home after finding the Golden Fleece. However, instead of returning to the Aegean Sea, he travels north on the Danube and reaches the source of the Ljubljanica River.
Here, the hero Jason encounters a dragon.
Fighting the dragon heroically, Jason defeats it and becomes the first human to settle here.
The dragon, which has been the representative of strength and courage since then, has become the symbol of the city and the country.
It is possible to see the dragon symbol everywhere in this city, even on the flag representing Ljubljana.
When you take the Ljubljana castle, one of the city's most important structures, behind you and go toward the Preseren Square, named after the famous poet of Slovenes, France Preseren, you come across the "Tromostovje," or "The Triple Bridge."
This bridge, or rather a group of three bridges across the Ljubljanica River hence the name, once used to be open to both vehicles and pedestrians. Today, it belongs only to the pedestrians, taking them across to the city's biggest square, Preseren Square.
Another bridge in the city is "The Cobbler's Bridge." It is known as the oldest bridge in Ljubljana, connecting two major areas of the medieval town. It is named so because, in olden times, cobblers would display their shoes on this bridge. If you see figures of shoes hanging in the air near the bridge, you are in the right place.
According to a rumor, students who come to this beautiful capital to study at university write their names and countries on the bottom of their shoes and hang them on wires when they graduate. No wonder they want to leave a part of themselves in this beautiful city. Likewise, when I left Ljubljana, I felt that I had left my heart there.
In fact, I was very sure that I would feel longing when I looked back again at every beautiful photo frame I captured in Ljubljana, this city that fascinated me with its lush nature.
I will remember this city with good memories until the day I open my eyes there again, in the Balkans, in a capital where the crime rate is almost non-existent, the music never ends in its streets, and every color of green gives you a nature feast.
If you happen to be in this miniature city one day, you can sip your drink on the banks of the Ljubljanica River one evening, admire the elegance of Ljubljana's bridges that stretch like a necklace around your neck, and return to your home having left your heart behind in this beautiful city.
