Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, has long been symbolized by a dragon, which symbolizes power, courage and greatness. The dragon is depicted on the top of the tower of the Ljubljana Castle, in the Ljubljana coat-of-arms and on the Dragon Bridge. There are several explanations on the origin of the Ljubljana Dragon. According to the celebrated Greek myth, the Argonauts on their return home after having taken the Golden Fleece found a large lake surrounded by a marsh between the present-day cities of Vrknika and Ljubljana. It is there that Jason struck down a monster. This monster has become the dragon that today is present on the city’s coat of arms and flag.

Ljubljana’s historic center remains intact and is a lovely mix of Baroque and Art Nouveau styles. After the 1511 earthquake, Ljubljana was rebuilt in a Baroque style and after the 1895 quake, which severely damaged the city, it was once again rebuilt, this time in an Art Nouveau style.Prešeren Square is the central square in Ljubljana. A statue of the Slovene national poet France Prešeren with a muse stands in the center of the square and faces the window where Prešeren’s “muse” used to live. The Baroque style Franciscan Church of the Annunciation stands on the north end of the square and was built between 1646 and 1660. Next to the church there is a Franciscan Monastery dating from the 13th century. The monastery is famous for its library, containing more than 70,000 books, including many incunabulae and Medieval manuscripts. On the south side, the Ljubljanica River passes under and is traversed by the city’s best-known bridge, Triple Bridge, designed in 1929 by Jože Plečnik. (A model of the Triple Bridge is displayed at Mini Europe.)

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