Im not exactly sure what it was that made me instantly like Ljubljana. I had no previous knowledge about the city before jumping on the bus, I hadn’t heard any opinions on it, had no idea how big/small or what kind of city it was. Maybe it was because I was a bit drunk…
I soon found out it is a small city with only a population of 300,000 and has a big student population. Because there are so many students there is a great nightlife, live music scene, plenty of street art and a couple of really amazing unique areas that have been specifically taken over by the students.
The most popular and well know area is called Metelkova City (Avtonomni kulturni center Metelkova mesto). This area is about the size of a few city blocks and used to be the former Yugoslav National Army headquaters. For the last 20 years however it has been squatted by students, artists and musicians who have turned the area into a youth and culture hub for the city. It even has some of its own laws (such as being allowed to smoke inside the bars).
The whole area is covered head to toe in street art, sculptures, communal gardens, bars, housing, art spaces, art galleries, art studio spaces and music venues. There is even an old army prison that has been converted into a Hostel.
The past two days here I have been hanging out at a shack/bar which seems to always be open, serving cheap beer and good tunes. Its an awesome place to just sit back and watch local artists add their masterpieces to the already spectacular scenery and meet some locals. It is freaking fantastic. If you don’t visit this place on a trip to Ljubljana then you are insane.
