My Experience in Ljubljana, Slovenia - by Laura

What's it like living in Ljubljana? Would you recommend it?

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, a small country in the centre of Europe which isn't very well-known. Ljubljana has 300, 000 inhabitants not including students, which increases the figure considerably. Ljubljana is a perfect city to live in, since its transport system is great, and its taxis are cheap (if you travel with four people, then it's cheaper to get a taxi than to get the bus! ). It's a very small European city if you compare it with other ones, but it has a beautiful city centre. There's not much traffic and lots of people travel around by bike, meaning that there are bike stands all around the city. Ljubljana is surrounded by mountains, with several nearby ski resorts, although I have to admit that the weather is quite cold there. It's hot in the summertime, but this only lasts for two months, and afterwards the clouds, fog, rain and snow begin (you'll get used to it). It's a city which totally captivated me, and I had no problems during the time I spent living there.

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What's the student life like in Ljubljana?

The student life in Ljubljana is great. The university is renowned on a European and non-European level, and it's the best university in the country. Many students come to Ljubljana just because of its good atmosphere. The faculties are scattered around the city, and aren't concentrated on a campus. There are student halls of residences (where there are always parties going on) and the month of May is student month, since as well as parties, there are also sports competitions, concerts, etc... If you're a student and are thinking of doing an Erasmus exchange, Ljubljana is a great option, since there are lots of Erasmus places and the city itself is brimming with cultural variety.

How expensive is life in Ljubljana?

Ljubljana is a pretty inexpensive city. I never spent over 500 euros per month and still managed to pay my rent, for my food, going out, and everything else. If you compare this with the rest of Europe, I think it's a very very affordable city.

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Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Ljubljana? Do you have any tips for flat-hunting?

Finding somewhere to live in Ljubljana isn't hard. If you're an Erasmus student you can choose to live in cheap student hall, which would cost between 80 to 100 euros per month. If that's not your thing, you could rent a flat or a room for anything between 100 to 300 euros per month. There are various websites where you can find rooms and flats on offer, so it's good to start looking early on. One good website is http://www.nepremicnine.net, and another is http://www.bolha.com/nepremicnine.

What's the food like in Ljubljana? What are your favourite dishes?

The food in Slovenia is actually really good. There are large supermarkets similar to Carrefour and Mercadona (in terms of size, not products) and smaller ones too. There's also an open-air market where you can buy fresh produce from the vegetable gardens. The food here is mostly meat-based, as fish is quite expensive. A typical dish is Jota, similar to Asturian bean and pork stew but with more vegetables. There are some very tasty sausages called Kranjska klobasa, they're a bit spicy and I love them! I was also fascinated by their donuts, called kroft. You can't even begin to compare them with ours since there are so many different varieties, such as jam, cream, dark chocolate, white chocolate, kinder... to get an idea of what I mean, you'll have to go there yourself and try them.

What places do you recommend visiting in Ljubljana?

Ljubljana has various places that are worth visiting, one of them being the castle on top of the mountain in the city centre. Another is the Tivoli Park, which has large open green spaces, a variety of flora and fauna and which is the perfect place to have a picnic or go for a walk. The Ljubljanica River runs through the centre of Ljubljana, and there are various bridges leading across it, such as the Dragon Bridge or the Three Bridges next to the main square, Preseren Trg (dedicated to the famous Slovenian author of the same name). It's also worth visiting the Metelkova neighbourhood, a former military prison which has been refurbished and now houses a collection of contemporary art.

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What about eating out in Ljubljana? What are your favourite places?

If you enjoy student status and the famous 'student coupons', you can go out to eat between 8am and 8pm for very low prices (between 2 and 4 euros) and get a main meal, soup, salad and a dessert. The typical Slovenian restaurants are called Gostilna, and you can find traditional Slovenian dishes here. I really love these restaurants. The food in the Cantina Mexicana is also very tasty, in Foculus (the best pizzeria in the city), and also in an oriental restaurant in the city centre whose name I can't remember right now.

What are the best places for partying in Ljubljana?

There are several options for places to go out partying in Ljubljana depending on what type of music you're into. For chart music, the best places are Cirkus, KMS, Companieros and TOP. There are bars such as Parlament which turn into pubs at night, and then there's Metelkova, which is a completely lawless place... every time I've been there the police have made an appearance, but the people are cool and nobody makes too much trouble. It has several different buildings in which they play different kinds of music, but never popular stuff.

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Do you have any advice for future students coming to Ljubljana?

Enjoy the unique experience of living here, travel, travel, and then travel some more to discover new places, even more importantly new people, and above all new cultures, as you'll learn a lot from international people. You can meet all the Spaniards you like in Spain (everyone has a group of Spanish friends, alright, but try and get to know people from other countries too).