This fall we took our kiddos to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and found it to be a lovely family friendly city. Jasper was 3-years-old and Freya was a year old on this trip. The following are our favorites activities from our short two day stay that I feel could be fit into a single perfect day with a toddler(s)!

Walk Around Historic Downtown

Ljubljana was first mentioned on a parchment in the 12th century, so as you can imagine, the historic downtown area of the city is full of ancient history, including Roman ruins. The old town area runs along either side of the Ljubljanica River (once part of a major trade route) making for a very picturesque setting to take a stroll. Even better - most of this historic area is closed to vehicles, making it a safer and easier place to take a toddler for a walk. Stay in one of the beautiful historic hotels in the old town area is possible and start your day with a stroll through the historic downtown. Jasper and Freya loved trotting around taking in the sights from vendors roasting chestnuts on the streets to boats motoring by on the river. The manhole covers scattered around the beautiful cobblestone streets are engraved with images of dragons as a dragon is part of the city’s coat of arms, and Jasper loved looking for them. There are also many different bridges, each with their own unique style (street lamps, dragon sculptures, lovers padlocks etc), crisscrossing the river and both kids loved running back and forth across these bridges. At one point we found a sculpture of the city in miniature that Jasper was absolutely fascinated with. At another point we found a cool sculpture designed for play right on the river with holes the kids could crawl through and polished area that served as slides. That was the highlight of our downtown walk for them!

Good to know: You can find the cool play sculpture downtown by turning right (facing Ljubljana Castle) immediately after crossing the Cobbler’s Bridge and walking along the waterfront for a few blocks. You’ll run directly into it.

*Strolling charming cobblestone streets downtown*

*The cool play sculpture along the Ljubljanica River*

Visit a Children’s Boutique

While you’re strolling around the historic downtown area, make a stop at one of the many adorable children’s boutiques and toy stores. We didn’t have the luggage space to get anything, but it was fun to browse a few and would make for a unique souvenir from your trip or great places to get gifts for someone special with children. If you’re looking for unique toys and games (especially beautiful wooden toys), TojeTo was fabulous.

*I went into Petit Bateau and it was absolutely adorable and made for fun window shopping*

*Another of the cute children’s boutiques we walked by downtown*

Visit Ljubljana Castle

After strolling around downtown, head up the hill to Ljubljana Castle. Ljubljana Castle sits on a hill just a 15 minute walk (0.5 miles) above the historic downtown area along the river (or an even shorter funicular ride), making it extremely accessible and the perfect activity if you have just a single day in Ljubljana. This is a great activity to add onto an exploration of the historic downtown area. The castle was most likely built in the 11th century, but is also full of modern architectural twists and even boasts a Michelin star restaurant in the archer’s tower, making for an interesting visit for both toddlers and their parents. We decided to walk from our hotel in the historic district instead of taking the funicular as we always like to get some exercise and see some extra sites. Justin pushed Freya in the stroller and Jasper (age 3) walked. We started by walking through a pedestrian only area on cobble stone roads between red roofed buildings - really enchanting. Eventually, we made a left turn and started up a pretty steep street towards the castle. There were plenty of signs so we knew we were headed the right away. The road was definitely steep but doable with a stroller and a piggy back ride part way up for Jasper. About 3/4 of the way to the top the road suddenly branched three ways, all with signs showing they were routes to the castle. We had no idea which route would be easiest with the stroller, so took the middle route per maps. Unfortunately, it ended in a pretty long flight of stairs we had to carry the stroller up, but we made it! On the way down, we took the longer route down a road called Cesta Slovenskih Kmečkih Uporov that didn’t involve any stairs.

We purchased tickets to the castle to be able to explore every nook and cranny, but in retrospect, I don’t think that we would as we felt that the only attraction that was worth the ticket with a toddler in tow was the clock/bell/lookout tower. If climbing that tower is a must for you, go ahead and get a ticket, but otherwise skip it and you can still explore the courtyard, basement level with cistern and escape well, viewing area on one of the walls, art gallery, restaurants and cafe. While many people mention the puppet museum within the castle as being a great activity with kids (accessed when you purchase a ticket), it was really small and we thought the puppets on a whole were too creepy for small children to enjoy. Jasper’s favorite part of the castle was exploring the basement area with all the steps, cool lights, cistern, and passageways. We stayed for almost 3 hours, but you could see everything that’s accessible without a ticket in as little as an hour.

Good to know: If you walk to Ljubljana Castle with a stroller, try taking Cesta Slovenskih Kmečkih Uporov road to avoid navigating stairs. Buy a ticket if you think climbing the bell/clocktower is a must, but consider skipping it otherwise as the other attractions accessed with a ticket aren’t very toddler friendly, in our opinion, and you can still explore a lot of the castle without a ticket. Wondering if the Museum of Puppetry (located in the castle) is worth getting the ticket for? Sounds like a fun activity with kids and we read on many sites that it’s a great place to take kiddos, but we didn’t agree after visiting. It was really small and a lot of the puppets were actually really creepy from the perspective of a small child. Allow yourself 1-3 hours to explore the castle depending on whether you purchase tickets. Read our full review of Ljubljana Castle with a toddler for more details and loads of photos (including the Museum of Puppetry!).

*Piggyback ride on the steep walk up to Ljubljana castle from downtown*

*Climbing the beautiful spiral staircase up to the top of the clocktower*

*Views of the castle from the top of the tower*

*Model of the castle in the courtyard - a highlight for Jasper since he brought a toy car*

*Keyhole window in one of the exterior walls*

*Sample of the menu from the castle cafe*

Get Some Gelato

Gelato is always a winner with a toddler no matter the weather, so we stopped at DiMatteo Gelateria on our way back from Ljubljana Castle. DiMatteo makes their gelato fresh each day in a variety of unique flavors, including vegan options. We tried white chocolate pistachio, hazelnut, and nutella gelatos and they were creamy, rich, and delicious. Not the best gelato we’ve ever had (that would be in Rome!), but still very good. I was going to order a scoop of dark chocolate orange for the kiddos, but the staff let me know that it was actually rather bitter and suggested something they thought the kids would enjoy more, which I thought was helpful. Check out Anne Travel Foodie’s post on the best ice cream in Ljubljana for more ideas.

*Nothing like a gelato break after a busy day of hiking around*

*Enjoying that white chocolate pistachio gelato*

*The cold weather didn’t reduce the enjoyment*

Visit A Playground

Finish off your afternoon by letting your little one(s) burn off their post gelato energy at a playground to they’ll be nice and ready for bed! Ljubljana has a number of playgrounds located near downtown, the most popular of which are probably the playgrounds in Tivoli Park, the largest green space in Ljubljana. Tivoli Park also boasts beautiful tree lined trails, fountains, ponds, sculptures, and some historic buildings, making it an interesting place for parents to explore too. You could definitely spend an entire afternoon there on a nice summer’s day from what I’ve seen. We we headed there to check to explore when we stumbled across a playground called Otroško Igrišče. The setting wasn’t very pretty (surrounded by drab high rise building) but the playground was large and suited to various ages. It also had a lot of climbing walls ranging from easy to fairly difficult and Jasper and Freya immediately began to climb and play so we decided to stay instead of continuing to Tivoli Park. Unfortunately, we were on our way to catch the train to Croatia, so didn’t have time to visit Tivoli as well, but the kids had a blast and burned off a lot of energy. Jasper especially loved the deep gravel that was super fun to dig in. If you have the time to visit Tivoli Park, I think I’d recommend going there instead, but if you want to go to a playground closer to the historic downtown area, Otroško Igrišče has plenty to keep your toddler occupied.

Good to know: If you only have time to visit one playground, head to Tivoli Park so you can take in Ljubljana’s largest and most beautiful green space at the same time.

*Jasper having a blast at* Otroško Igrišče playground

Still Have Time to Burn? Try These Activities!

Make a loop around the city on the Urban electric train, which stops at various sites you might want to visit anyways, like Ljubljana Castle. We would have absolutely done this with Jasper if we had discovered it sooner. We didn’t learn about it though until we were already headed to the actual train station on our way to Croatia.
Take a boat tour on the Ljubljanica River. A great activity with toddlers as it allows you to see more of city without having to do as much walking. Plus, what toddler doesn’t want to ride on a boat?
Visit the University Botanic Gardens to give your toddler another chance to run around and burn off energy. Entrance is free and it can be reached via an approximately 10-15 minute walk from the historic downtown area.

Have you been to Ljubljana with a toddler or young children? What were your favorite activities? We and our readers would love to know. Leave us a comment!

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