What’s on at Ljubljana Castle in Summer 2018.
Part One: Guided tours of Ljubljana Castle
From photographic exhibitions and outdoor cinema in the castle courtyard to numerous excellent tours and castle experience. Check why castle in the Slovenian Capital Ljubljana must be on your list.
Time Machine
Six time stations, six costumed characters, a Castle guide — more than just a classic guided tour of the Ljubljana Castle.
The “Time Machine” will lead visitors on a guided tour through six decisive periods that have marked the history of the Ljubljana Castle and the development of our city. At each of the “time stations”, visitors will be met by a figure who will present his or her period.
After an introductory welcome from a Roman soldier or a priestess at the place where an observation tower stood during the time of Roman Emona, events shift to in front of the castle entrance. There St George will tell his story, the brave knight who, in the early Middle Ages, defeated the terrifying dragon and saved the citizens of Ljubljana from that dreadful menace. Who, in the late Middle Ages, can take the greatest credit for the fact that a powerful fortress grew on the hill above the city? You can learn the answer to this question in the courtyard, where you will meet the emperor himself — Frederick III of the Habsburgs — or his wife Eleanor Helena of Portugal. The time of the Illyrian Provinces can be best described by the Napoleonic soldier or the nurse-nun whom you will meet in front of the Pentagonal Tower. The 19th century was a dark period for the Ljubljana Castle, as you will discover when you visit the penitentiary, where a member of the Italian Carbonari and an “ordinary woman prisoner” will, amongst other things, reveal the menu that castle prisoners encountered during their internment. Finally, you will be greeted in the courtyard by the man who can take credit for the fact that the castle is today owned by the city — Mayor Ivan Hribar purchased the castle from the state authorities of the time in 1905.
The castle has changed through the centuries, as has its role, but there is no doubt that it has remained a symbol of the city. Discover the roles of the Castle Hill and the Ljubljana Castle throughout the castle’s rich history in a little over an hour in what is more than just a classic guided tour. The costumed representatives of each of the periods mentioned above will create a genuinely special atmosphere, which will be both instructive and entertaining. The castle “Time Machine” awaits you!
Costumes: Andreja Stržinar
Behind Bars
Take a peek behind castle bars and discover a dark but mystical side of the castle’s turbulent past.
When discussing castles, we cannot avoid touching upon dungeons and punishment. Ljubljana Castle is no exception. For ages its dungeons and cells housed prisoners and reformers, soldiers and civilians, the rich and the poor, freethinkers and the politically problematic … This is how it always was, but the same cannot be said for forms of punishment, which were diverse and determined mostly by the severity of the crime and social class of the offender. Authorities also regularly adapted punishments to current social norms of individual periods.
At an immersive guided tour “Behind Bars”, we delve into the past in the company of a guide and costumed characters. Short scenes are acted out, presenting difficulties faced by the ones who served their sentences at Ljubljana Castle, demonstrating diversity and development of punishment from the Middle Ages onwards. We start in the 19th century and get to know the fate of a prisoner, who served his sentence for manslaughter in the castle penitentiary. After that, we march half a century back into history and feel the shame of a woman from Ljubljana, whose adultery earned her public shaming in the Wolves’ Hole, where she was taken by a monk. Inside the open-air prison, a shaken Anica reveals what she went through since she had been accused of witchcraft, her eyes brimming with desperation, while the executioner Hans waits impatiently by her side to take her to the stake. The cunning knight Erazem is just about to enter the secret exit and escape the castle, where he was locked-up by the emperor’s will for the murder of a commander of the imperial army, but he pauses to tell us his reasons for the act committed. An Italian revolutionary is also soon to leave the castle, as his several-year imprisonment comes to an end … inside the Castle Chapel, he tells us of all that has befallen him in his time here. At the end, we meet a Slovene writer Ivan Cankar, who rebelliously explains to his visitor Milena all of what he has said against the imperial rule.
Audioguide
Set out on your own independent exploration of Ljubljana Castle and, with the help of the audioguide, learn about the castle’s rich history.
The audio-guide system through the Ljubljana Castle enables individuals and groups to enjoy an independent tour of the late medieval fortress. With the help of the audio guide, you can learn about the castle’s history and become familiar with the numerous stories and individuals that had a decisive influence on the development of this symbol of the Slovenian capital. The audio-guide is designed with multiple levels. At individual points of interest, in addition to a description of the chronological development of the Ljubljana Castle, you can listen to a detailed explanation of architectural features and archaeological findings, as well as learning about the legends that were woven around the castle in past centuries.
The audioguide can also accompany you at the Permanent Exhibition of Slovenian History, the Permanent Exhibition in the Museum of Puppetry, and the Virtual Castle.
The audioguide is available in Slovenian, English, Hungarian, Croatian, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. You can obtain the audioguide from the Info Centre at the Ljubljana Castle, where it can also be returned after use.
In addition to the classic audio guide to the Ljubljana Castle, the mobile application Nexto is also available. Check more information here.
Classic Guided Tour
Only with a castle guide can you view the exterior well and the oldest preserved system for drawing water with a walking wheel, dating from the beginning of the 19th century.
Also on view are the Estates Hall, the Palatium, Erasmus’s Dungeon, Frederick’s Tower with the mistress’s room from the 15th century, as well as two new halls devoted to weddings. The Pentagonal Tower, which today serves as an exhibition space, and the castle’s St George Chapel, with its unique baroque paintings of coats-of-arms, both have their own stories to tell.
The guided tour includes a tour of the castle’s spaces and attractions, as well as a visit to the Virtual Castle, the Viewing Tower and the Penitentiary.
Guided Tour of the Museum of Puppetry
The puppets are presenting themselves. Get to know them on a guided tour of the Museum of Puppetry.
At the Museum of Puppetry at the Ljubljana Castle, it is possible to view the milestones in the more than century-long tradition of puppetry in the Slovenian territories and to become familiar with various puppetry techniques. After viewing the exhibition, you can try out your own puppetry skills.
Ljubljana Castle for You — a Private Castle Experience
A unique castle experience just for you!
The private castle experience is for everyone who, in addition to diverse experiences, wants something more, something exclusively for you — a personal approach and a personal experience.
A personal castle assistant will take care of you throughout your visit, ensuring your wellbeing and overseeing your private tour of the castle content. The assistant will guide you through the history of the Ljubljana Castle and reveal its hidden corners to you.
The castle experience starts at the foot of the Castle Hill with a view of Ljubljana and the surrounding peaks as well as the first impression of the Ljubljana Castle. The continuation of the tour and the discovery of the castle content will enrich this unique view — in good weather, a third of Slovenia can be seen from the castle’s Viewing Tower. Few urban centres can boast a green oasis of this kind in the midst of the city bustle.
You will begin your discovery of the castle content with a private screening in the Virtual Castle, where you will learn about the history of the Ljubljana Castle, its architectural development and archaeological findings in a twelve-minute summary that conveys you right up to the image of the castle as we know it today.
We will conjure up a unique experience of the castle history for you with a private “Time Machine” tour with costumed characters, giving you an opportunity to relive the six crucial periods that strongly marked the history of the Ljubljana Castle and the development of the city of Ljubljana.
Full of fresh experiences and historical impressions, we will invite you to a delicious lunch. At the castle restaurant, you will be spoiled by top chefs, whose culinary masterpieces will be complemented by the ambience of the restaurant itself, with its authenticity and timelessness. An intertwining of history, culture and architecture.
After lunch, your personal castle assistant will take you for a relaxing walk along the Castle Hill to the Castle Vineyard, where yet another new castle experience awaits you …
We can create the final part of your private castle experience together, or, if you prefer, you are welcome view certain content alone. May your memories of the Ljubljana Castle be unforgettable!
Guided Tour of the Permanent Exhibition of Slovenian History
For Slovenian history enthusiasts, we organise guided tours of the Permanent Exhibition of Slovenian History.
With its contemporary design, the exhibition allows visitors to become thoroughly familiar with former times, with the aid of photographs and objects that can be handled. Due to the small size of the exhibition space, we recommend groups of 15–20 persons for the classic guided tour. Further information about the exhibition is available here.
Guided Tour with Sparkling Wine
Conclude your explorations of the castle, its spaces, and its rich history, stories and legends in a romantic way — on the Viewing Tower with a glass of sparkling wine or another refreshment.
Only with a castle guide can you view the artesian well and the oldest preserved system for pumping water with a large walking wheel dating from the beginning of the 19th century.
You can also view the Estates Hall and the Palatium, as well as Erasmus’ Prison and Frederick’s Tower with the castle lady’s room from the 15th century. The Pentagonal Tower, which today serves as an exhibition space, has a story of its own, as does the Castle Chapel of St George with its unique Baroque paintings of coats-of-arms.
The guided tour includes a tour of the castle’s spaces and attractions, a visit to the Virtual Castle and the Viewing Tower, as well as a glass of sparkling wine or another refreshing beverage on the Viewing Tower. You can also independently view the Permanent Exhibition of Slovenian History and the Museum of Puppetry.
On the Trail of Fleischmann’s Parsnip
Guided tour of the nature trail from the University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana to the Ljubljana Castle
In the year that the Slovenian capital bore the title Ljubljana, European Green Capital 2016, effective cooperation between the Botanical Garden of the University of Ljubljana and the Ljubljana Castle Public Institute resulted in the creation of a new nature trail, which we called “On the Trail of Fleischmann’s Parsnip”. In addition to their fascinating flora, both institutions are also linked by the endemic plant Fleischmann’s Parsnip, which is unfortunately no longer found in the natural environment. It was discovered on the Castle Hill by Andrej Fleischmann (1804–1867), after whom the plant was named. He introduced the plant to the Ljubljana Botanical Garden, where it remains a highly prized special feature of the garden. In all of the botanical professional and scientific literature, the University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana is stated as the only habitat of Fleischmann’s Parsnip.
During the guided tour On the Trail of Fleischmann’s Parsnip, a group led by a guide from the University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana will learn about the diversity of the plant species in the Botanical Garden and in various habitats of the Castle Hill, where a view opens up of the seasonal colour of the plant world. The trail leads all the way to the Ljubljana Castle, to the place where Fleischmann’s Parsnip has been replanted. From there, the group will be taken over by a guide from the Ljubljana Castle and led through the colourful and fascinating past of this late mediaeval fortress, a symbol of the Slovenian capital.
Guided Tour for the Physically Disabled
This route systematically presents the location of the Castle Hill and the position of the fortress, while the continuation covers the historical development of the building complex and the archaeological context from the past to the present.
The organised guided tour of the castle is suitable for groups of up to 8 persons in invalid wheelchairs.
Tour route: funicular railway (or main castle entrance) — sentinel path — passage (the exterior of the Pentagonal Tower) — grape vine with the open-air prison — Castle Courtyard — model of the castle — St George Chapel (the level of the choir loft) — Pentagonal Tower.
After the tour, you can individually visit the permanent exhibition of Slovenian history (upper level) and Museum of Puppetry.
