Admire the architectural talent of Jože Plečnik at this library, which houses a collection of over 1 million books, manuscripts and visual and multimedia artifacts.

Visit the National and University Library of Slovenia (Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica)to marvel at one of the finest achievements of the acclaimed Slovene architect Jože Plečnik. Built between 1936 and 1941, this imposing landmark covers almost an entire city block. It mimics the former Ducal Mansion, which stood on the same spot until an earthquake destroyed it toward the end of the 19th century. The National and University Library of Slovenia itself dates back to 1774.

Walk around the perimeter of the building to get a sense of its enormity. Note its rectangle shape, the balustrades, pilasters and open brickwork and embedded stone. A key artistic feature is the use of protruding windows, which are said to represent open books.

At the side entrance on the building’s eastern side, see a statue of Moses by locally born sculptor Lojze Dolinar. In front of the western side is a small courtyard decorated with statues of Slovene composers and linguists. Nearby see a bust of the national poet Simon Gregorčič.

Step inside the main entrance to see a dark staircase encased in black marble. Climb the steps to a magnificent colonnade bathed in daylight that floods through the windows. This represents a journey from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.

The library’s main reading rooms are accessible only to library members and via limited guided tours. Reserve a spot on the scheduled monthly tour and check out the exhibition room to browse temporary expositions on topics such as Slovene history and fine art.

Located in Ljubljana’s city center, the library is just a 5-minute walk from Congress Square. Public buses stop nearby and parking is available, for a fee, on the surrounding streets.

The National and University Library of Slovenia is open from Monday to Saturday, except for select national holidays. Admission is free. Visit the library’s official website to find an exhibition schedule and information about monthly guided tours in English.

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Apartments Katrca Ljubljana

Ljubljana City Centre

per person

22 Sept - 27 Sept

just found

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Dublin (DUB) to Ljubljana (LJU)

2/10 (1 review)

Hotel Katrca 1905

per person

22 Sept - 27 Sept

just found

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Dublin (DUB) to Ljubljana (LJU)

8.2/10 Very Good! (42 reviews)

We stayed for five nights. Our arrival was miserable. We drove from Split. Our intention was to arrive by 8pm, but due to some delays, we arrived at 9:30pm. The reception had left at 9pm. The front door was locked. There was a note: call a local number to gain entry. Being from Canada, we tried to avoid costly cellular roaming fees and were travelling with data only (eSIM). So we couldn’t call the number. After trying to contact the property via Expedia (which failed), we finally enabled roaming (expensive), and were able to speak to the property and they talked us into locating keys in a lock box. The room we got was room 7…one of three attic rooms. We had to lug our suitcases way up to an attic level…the stairs were not lighted…and we finally, using the phone’s flashlight, were able to enter the room. This room was built between roof trusses and beams. To get into the beds required climbing over wooden beams while avoiding hitting one’s head on a slanted wall/ceiling. Accessing one bed required climbing under a steel rod while climbing over a wooden beam. Quite dangerous and not acceptable in terms of safety. We stayed in this room for the first night but insisted that we receive a better room. We moved into room 2, not an attic room, for the last four nights. Note…the photos of the attic room skillfully manage to conceal the hazards. The lower level room was much better. It was nice, but there weren’t enough places to stash belongings/towels, but it was clean & tidy

Reviewed on 3 Jun 2024

Hotel Vila Katrca

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22 Sept - 27 Sept

just found

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Dublin (DUB) to Ljubljana (LJU)

7.8/10 Good! (78 reviews)

Charming , quiet hotel. The room didn’t have bath towels and the shower drain was clogged . Bathroom light was not functioning . Breakfast was inadequate. Overall I was happy for a one night stay.

Reviewed on 18 Jun 2025

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Woop! Glow golf: Ljubljana Btc City

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