Thursday's Child: Markets of Ljubljana

In some ways, Ljubljana is the most perfect little European city we’ve visited.  The capital of Slovenia possesses the glistening canals of Venice, the red roofs of Prague and the pedestrian areas of Istanbul.  But all of this beauty came with virtually no crowds. 

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, enjoyed the weekend flea market and outdoor musical performances, and marveled that so few others had found this perfect fairy tale town.  Our hotel was in the centre of the city, literally a minute from the pedestrian-only area of bridges, restaurants and stylish buildings.

The following day we visited the town marketplace.  The market, open on weekdays and Saturdays, seemed to cater primarily to residents rather than tourists.  It bustled with crafty locals carefully choosing fruit and vegetables – and a few hearty travelers carefully practicing their few memorized Slovenian phrases.

In the covered stalls, a few small shops sell cheese, meat and household goods.  The market sits a few feet from the glorious Ljubljanica river and its lovely pedestrian bridges.

Of course, there were a few touristy stalls in the marketplace, and the occasional tourist felt the need to pose by them: