To the average Ljubljana resident, the central Ljubljana market may seem nothing special, but this is far from the case. When visiting Ljubljana, many tourists pointed out the beautiful market place, which offers the range of products for every taste in a relatively small space.
The history of Ljubljana’s markets dates back to the Middle Ages, when the former inhabitants of the city gathered at the foot of the castle hill and traded among each other. At the end of the 19th century the market place moved in front of the town hall, in the year 1901 on the nearby “Pogačarjev trg”. Due to population growth, in 1903, the market found its place on “Vodnikov trg”. The current image of the market was given by the architect Jože Plečnik, the construction took place from 1940 to 1944, and the market is located between “Kresija” and the Dragon Bridge by the river Ljubljanica.
The market offers seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh flowers, various clothes, fashion accessories … throughout the year, and the covered market offers meat products (fresh meat, dried meats) and other home-grown products (flour, eggs, pasta, dry fruits, nuts …). The market also boasts with a well-stocked fish market, where fresh fish is offered daily to all seafood lovers.
Visiting the Ljubljana market on Saturdays, especially when the weather is fine, is almost a ritual act for the elderly citizens of Ljubljana. It’s not just about buying groceries and homemade crafts, but also about hanging out with friends over coffee and chatting.
Ljubljana has also been offering the culinary event “Odprta kuhna” (open kitchen) for several years, The event is organised on Fridays (except for the winter months) and visitors can try the culinary delicacies of local and world cuisine. That’s when the market turns into an anthill for avid food connoisseurs and the inattentive eater may easily consume too much food at the end of the day.
When visiting the market, tourists can also buy a variety of souvenirs made by local craftsmen, and some of these products are already well established on a global scale (e.g. Idrija lace, pottery and wooden products, etc.). It sometimes happens that many of these products end up in the home of a genuine Ljubljana resident, who simply could not resist buying them.
