Hotel Park Ljubljana is a part of urban beat in the heart of Ljubljana as well as being a part of nature – it is situated in the park in the pedestrian area. It is well known for its warmth and hospitality, committed to sustainable development, encouraging respect for the environment and connecting with local communities. Since we support many cultural events and host different artists in the hotel, it’s also known as a cultural ambassador.

Because of its placement in the green environment of parks as well as its name Hotel Park represents remarkable regional parks, pearls of Slovenia. Each of the floors in the hotel presents one of the parks. And since Ljubljana is the European Green Capital 2016, special attention was paid to regional parks in its vicinity which every visitor becomes acquainted with.

The fountain from picture three seen at ground level.

We were the first to arrive for breakfast at 6.30 which we enjoyed sitting outside in early morning warmth before our 7.25 transfer to Ljubljana. After breakfast we collected our bags from the room and went to check out of the hotel. As we did so Damjan arrived early and we were whisked away immediately to another hotel to pick up a couple who were being transferred to the airport at the end of their holiday.

The journey ran smoothly and we arrived at the hotel Park at 8.30 which was too early for check in. We left our suitcases in the left luggage room and set off to explore Ljubljana. Our first stop was the tourist information office where we purchased tickets for a guided walk as recommend by Damjan when he dropped us off at the hotel. Near to the tourist information office is the town hall where the guided walk started, we rounded the corner and noticed a couple of girls posing, selfie stick in hand with their back to the town hall and the fountain that stands in front of it. The selfie stick was the same type as we had seen being touted for sale in Trieste.

The handbag I had intended to use in Ljubljana had started to disintegrate whilst we were in Piran. The plastic started peeling and leaving a fine dust over everything so I left it in the waste bin at the Hotel Tartini. As luck would have it, there was just the right handbag to replace it in one of the shops we passed as we were exploring Ljubljana. After the brief exploration of the city we returned to the hotel and were able to check in and retrieve our cases. The room was on the 11th floor so we had quite a view of the city, looking towards the castle.

We did not unpack our cases but returned to town for lunch for which I had a Tuna Ciabatta pocket. After lunch we sat for a while before making our way to the starting point of the guided walk. The tour was interesting if a little quirky, it included food samples and a short ride down the river Ljubljanica along with descriptions of the bridges and buildings of interest. One of the interesting points mentioned is that two major earthquakes that happened in the city both occurred on an Easter Sunday…

After the tour we went back to the hotel, unpacked and got ready for dinner which meant another walk into the city. We chose a place at the side of the river that served traditional Slovenian cuisine. As we were eating it started to rain and the table had to be moved several times in order for us both to keep dry. The rain looked like it had set in for the evening so after we had finished eating we made our way straight back to the hotel. Luckily I had my umbrella with me and my new bag came in handy. I was able to keep me, my bag and camera dry. Mr C however, got drenched as he had opted not to bring a coat! Back at the hotel we were unexpectedly provided with a complimentary drink in the bar by a friendly waiter.