If you’re looking for a business getaway in a small, beautiful, well-equipped and walkable city that’s got a fascinating history, is full of great architecture and offers restaurants and cafés galore to unwind in, then Ljubljana is a great choice. The centre is small enough to know well in a few days, and while there are enough pleasures and distractions to be found it’s not crammed with an overwhelming number of must-see sights or full of fancy stores and eateries that’d blow your budget.
But where you should you stay in Ljubljana?
The best part of town for visitors is the Old Town, the centuries old streets you’ll want to have stayed in if you opt for a big box outside the pedestrianised zone and end up, as you will, walking by one of the inviting restaurants and charming small hotels in the area. The first of these to open was Hotel Galleria, back in 2003, quickly gaining a name as four-star boutique hotel in a building that’s a listed national monument.
Photo: JL Flanner
Now run by the Lah family - represented by the brothers Martin and Aleš, seen above in the reception - the hotel was fully renovated earlier this year and, with the addition of a conference room, is now marketing itself as a destination for both tourist and business travellers.
Stay here you’ll get to see inside one of the fascinating old buildings in this street – and not just a front room or two, as in a café or store, but a taste of the whole layout. Here you’ll find a small maze of corridors and 16 unique rooms, with vaulted ceilings and other features that will take you back in time and closer to the story of this part of the city. Go deeper in the building and you’ll come across one of its secrets – a large garden out the back, a world away from bustle of the street and a chance to enjoy the kind of property that few people have access to.
The Hotel Galleria has a focus on art and wine, and while you can enjoy those inside in peace and quiet most guests will spend more time outside, exploring. Here the location is key. Not only are you just one street over from the river and a short walk to all the main sites downtown, but you just need to turn right out the front door and head up Gornji trg to find one of the less used and more picturesque paths to the Castle, passing a number of good places to eat and drink on the way.
In short, the Hotel Galleria offers the perfect base for all travellers who’d rather spend time seeing the place they came to see than getting to it, and you can find out more about how to stay there here.
