From the apartment, rather than heading straight along the main road into the city, on Gorazd's advice, just down the road I took a turn up behind the oldest church in Ljubljana (dated 14th Century - first recorded mention 1370, and still the original building!) and into Park Tivoli (Tivoli Park to you and me), which is a wonderful large green area with sporting grounds and facilities right on the edge of the city centre. The largest park in Ljubljana, Tivoli Park was laid out upon the plans by the engineer Jean Blanchard in 1813; Tivoli Mansion, built in the 17th Century, sits at the top of Jakopič Promenade.
On a cultural note, there are some lovely bronze sculptures dotted through the park.
To bring you up-to-speed on France Preseren, after whom the square is named; now, he wasn't a general or a politician, but a 19th Century poet - that tells you something about how seriously the Slovenians take their culture. His poetry is so beloved that one of them is now the National Anthem - and it's basically a drinking song "A Toast", in which the parties toast the wine and the harvest, the beauty of Slovenian women, the strength of Slovenian men, and the hope for brotherhood between all nations - nice sentiments indeed, but still, it's a drinking song!
One significant reason why Preseren (and poetry in general) is so beloved in Slovenia, is that as a people, the Slovenian language is all that they had for many years - until 1991, they didn't have a country, having been part of Yugoslavia before that, and prior to that, a part of either Austria, Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, or Italy, and for much of that time, the language was repressed - so language is very important to them.
Which reminds me of something that our tour-guide mentioned today; amongst other reasons for the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, she quoted an author (I can't remember who), who spoke of the Slavic peoples and said that "We are brothers in blood, we are cousins in language, but we are foreigners in culture."
I have tried to get a decent shot of the Triple Bridge to be able to show you what it's like, and how it fans out from one side of the river to the other. However, other than either hiring an aircraft or knocking on doors and asking to use their high-level windows, it just isn't possible, so I got these from the internet:
Next it was up the aptly-named Castle Hill (a bit of a hike) to Lubljanic Grad (Ljubljana Castle). The current structure dates to the 15th Century, with additions in the 16th and 17th Centuries, and has had various uses, including as a hospital, army barracks, and penitentiary. Today, it is a fantastic cultural centre, housing galleries, eating areas, a chapel (there was a wedding there today), and a Slovenian history museum. However, as I needed to get back down to the city for a walking tour, I just checked it out briefly, intending to return in the afternoon.
The walking tour went from 11am until just after 1pm, and as we were on the move and listening to the talk, I didn't take any photos (I can hear the collective sighs of relief from here).
After the walk I did indeed head back up to the castle (there is only 1) for a wander around, and took in a very well presented "Virtual Castle" which in 15 minutes (with an English head-set) goes through some 5,000 years of history of the area and the castle, which proved very interesting, and worthwhile. Then up to the Viewing Tower for great views over not only Ljubljana but on a clear day like today was, up to one third of the whole of Slovenia!
"Why is the dragon the symbol of Ljubljana?" I hear you ask. Stick with me, and I'll try to give you at least one explanation.
Jason was an ancient Greek mythological hero who was famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos, and was married to he sorceress Medea.
"And what has an ancient Greek got to do with modern Slovenia?" I hear; again, bear with me for just a little while longer if you will.
The story, according to some scholars, is that the part where Jason takes on and beats a dragon happened in the marsh-lands in the area that is now Ljubljana; and so, the dragon has passed into local folk-lore and is the symbol of the city, which is why it is prominent around the city, and on the city's flag, as well as four bronze versions sitting on the corners of the Dragon Bridge.
That wraps up today - a good day discovering the beauty of central Ljubljana.