For our first episode, we thought we’d bring you a one-stop overview of some of my favorite things in Ljubljana. It’s based on an article I wrote for The Guardian newspaper, part of their Local’s Guide series. This is an expat’s guide to Ljubljana. It’s just scratching the surface, but it’s a good place to start.

How many times can a city be called a ‘hidden gem’ and still remain hidden? This is the question for Ljubljana, and the country of which it is the capital, Slovenia. It feels as though it is constantly being discovered by the more worldly and knowledgeable tourists, even when its praises have been sung in just about every magazine and broadsheet with a travel section. And yet this city of some 300,000 (a quarter of which are students) still feels like a delight that is beyond the standard tourist route, perhaps because it surprises with its charms, its worldliness, its accessibility, its idyllic, well, everything. Ljubljana means ‘beloved’ and there’s a reason why. Though it sounds like hyperbole, I’ve yet to meet a tourist who did not love Ljubljana. I was one of them, once. While still a student, I undertook a Eurailing trip, as American college students are wont to do, and stopped in Ljubljana for an overnight. Of all the stops, from London to Budapest, this was the city that felt the most immediately liveable, and the biggest surprise, because I arrived with no expectations. It feels more like Switzerland than its former Yugoslavian neighbours, and Ljubljana has always been the most economic and culturally advanced of ex-Yugoslavia, drawing influence from nearby Venice and Vienna. It is also both one of the greenest cities in the world and one of the safest. English is spoken everywhere, at a very high level. Its welcome feel, its accessibility, its reasonable prices but affluent feel, all make it an ideal weekend getaway. Or, like me, you might just up and move here. I’ve become Slovenia’s most vocal ‘cheerleader’ in anglophone media (including past articles in The Guardian), and I even wrote a book called Slovenology: Living and Traveling in the World’s Best Country which, again, sounds like hyperbole, but my argument that Slovenia, and its capital, have the highest quality of life for the most reasonable cost of living is a researched hypothesis. Many a foreigner writes to me with a request for recommendations, and I’m always delighted to help others discover the facets of this ‘hidden gem’.

Yugo-Nostalgia

Perhaps the best way to begin is with what first fascinates foreigners—the aspects of Ljubljana that recall its Yugoslav heritage. These days such locations are considered ‘retro’ and are hipster hangouts, and they feel most exotic to guests. The Museum of Contemporary History will satisfy the curious traveler with exhibits on Yugoslavia, the most positive and user-friendly attempt at socialism. I like to summit Nebotičnik, the first ‘skyscraper’ in Yugoslavia, which is miniature by today’s standards, but has a beautiful Secessionist-style lobby and a fine café at its top, with gorgeous views over the city and to the Alps in the north. Enjoy a glass of wine at the top—Slovenian wines are among the highest-rated in the world, and I particularly recommend the indigenous white wine, Rebula (I’m partial to those produced by Edi Simčič and Marjan Simčič, two unrelated vintners with the same surname, and the sparkling versions from Medot vineyard). The Sunday antiques market along the wonderfully-walkable Ljubljanica River is a time warp, as are dips into various bric-a-brac shops, like Antikvariat Trubarjeva, where you can pick up true relics of Yugo-nostalgia (a real term used frequently in these parts). Don’t forget to grab a pizza a Parma, the first pizzeria in Yugoslavia. In style it bears little resemblance to the gourmet Neapolitan pies en vogue today, but it’s delicious nonetheless, and sits beneath Cankarjev Dom, the national cultural centre, which is itself an architectural masterpiece recently featured in the MOMA exhibition on Concrete Architecture in Yugoslavia. 

A Foodie Paradise

There was a time, not long ago, when I felt that I’d tried every restaurant of interest in Ljubljana, but no more. Top-level eateries sprout faster than I can sample them, but there are some tried-and-true classics. The best high-end establishment is JB, a restaurant perennial listed among the best in the world. It’s eponymous chef, Janez Bratovž, was the first chef to introduce nouvelle cuisine to the region, back in the early 90s, and is considered the godfather of fine dining. He also has one of the most reasonably-priced menus among Michelin-star-level restaurants I can imagine. A stroll through Tržnice, the central market, provides a smorgasbord of farm-fresh ingredients. Be sure to stand in the long line for the sauerkraut seller, a dynamic, smiling blonde named Marjetka, whose family is among the last in the country to cultivate an indigenous cabbage that, it is said, makes the best sauerkraut. On fine weather Fridays, the market explodes into a huge outdoor food fair called Odprta Kuhna, which is the best way to sample a wide variety of delicacies. Foreigners inevitably gravitate towards čevapčiči, the burger of the Balkans, best described as oblong meatballs, eaten with fluffy lepinje pitta bread and kajmak cheese. This is not Slovenian, but pan-Balkan, but it is the preferred fast food option here, utterly delicious and appealing to all non-vegetarian palates, and it is the most frequent food ‘discovery’ for visitors. I like to take guests on a čevapčiči crawl, to taste the dish at a series of establishments in a row and determine your favourite. I’m partial to Ajda, Dubočica, Sarajevo ’84 and Saraj, but most locals recommend Čad, a white tablecloth experience in a park on the edge of the city centre. For a more Slovene-specific snack, try Klobasarna, behind the cathedral, which offers only Kranjska klobasa, a geographically-protected local sausage that is worth a journey, served simply, with just a pot of mustard and a warm roll. For those exploring a bit beyond the centre, a full line-up of traditional fare can be found at Pri Vodniku in the Šiška neighbourhood, in the former home of Valentin Vodnik, 18th century author of the first Slovenian cookbook. 

Central Market

A stroll through Tržnice, the central market, provides a smorgasbord of farm-fresh ingredients. Be sure to sample some sauerkraut from the ever-smiling Marjetka, whose family is among the last in the country to cultivate indigenous Ljubljana Cabbage that, it is said, makes the best sauerkraut (that she’s the only sauerkraut seller with a queue confirms this thesis). Stock up on what’s local, like pumpkinseed oil, made from the only one of the 825 varieties of pumpkins around the world that is suitable for making pumpkin seed oil. It happens to be native to Slovenia, and the nutty, green-ink oil is an eye-opener atop salads and even vanilla ice cream. You might take home a souvenir jewel-coloured grave candle, which is sold from vending machines—I bought a bunch to decorate my first apartment, not realizing that they were grave candles, and thankfully not scaring off my future wife, when she came over for a romantic evening.

Street Food

On fine weather Fridays, the central market explodes into a huge outdoor food fair called Odprta Kuhna. Founded by Israeli expat Lior Kochavy, it is the best way to sample a wide variety of specialties, as dozens of restaurants, from fancy to down-home, set up stands and offer food truck-style dishes (this is where you can try JB’s take on a burger, made of dry-aged brisket). While most visitors will encounter ubiquitous čevapčiči, oblong grilled meatballs served with fluffy lepinje pitta bread and buttery kajmak cheese, this ‘burger of the Balkans’ is found throughout former Yugoslavia. For the most Slovenian of snacks, try Klobasarna, behind the cathedral, which offers only Kranjska klobasa, a geographically-protected local sausage served simply, with just a pot of mustard and a warm roll. 

Coffee and Cakes

After your main meal, you’ll be up for dessert, and the best cakes I’ve ever had can be found at Zvezda, a sweet shop with several locations, where locals go to see and be seen, and to consum