
I visited this WHS in 2022. I parked my car in the really convenient indoor Center Parking just next to the famous Dragon Bridge after having visited the three locations which are away from the historic city centre, namely the Church of St Michael, the Zale Cemetery and the Church of St Francis. Hubert provided detailed information especially for these three buildings outside the city centre and overall I agree with his doubts about Otto Wagner's buildings in Vienna not specifically included on the WH list.
The four locations inside the historic city centre are easily covered on foot as a pleasant loop which I started from the Dragon Bridge and covered Market Hall, walking along the Promenade along the Embankments and Bridges of the Ljubljanica River. Most probably the most unique and iconic bridge is the Triple Bridge with the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in the background. There are a number of interesting and beautiful Art Nouveau buildings which are not part of the WHS but worth viewing such as the coral red Cooperative Bank building, the People's Loan Bank, the Grand Hotel Union, the Galerija Emporium building, the Hauptmann House and the Municipal Savings Bank, to name but a few. Next I covered the Vegova Street and the National Library, one of Plecnik's iconic buildings, as well as the Trnovo Bridge.
In 14 AD the Romans founded a permanent civilian settlement along a picturesque river in the shadow of the Alps called Emona. Perhaps the most impressive of all the Emona monuments are the former city walls, which can be found along Mirje just south of the city centre. Originally surrounding the town, the walls were nearly 2.5 metres thick and reached heights of between 6 and 8 metres, with four main gates. In a period of rapid urban expansion following World War I, the Ljubljana City Council made the decision to tear down the last remaining section of the walls so they could sell off the land for development and alleviate traffic congestion. However, thanks largely to the efforts of the then head of the city's monuments office, France Stelé, there was a public outcry against the proposal, leading the council to reverse its decision and restore the walls. The design of the restoration works was awarded to Jože Plečnik in 1926, and although his blending of modern and classical elements are now considered one of the Ljubljana's top attractions, at the time it proved quite controversial and the project was not completed until 1934. If truth be told, upon exploring the wall's passageways, pillars and pyramid on a sunny day I wasn't impressed especially since there is little or no buffer space between the Roman remains and the modern corporate and residential buildings.
I must say I really enjoyed the Ljubljanica River Lock Gate or Barrier. Plecnik reshaped Ljubljana with his urban planning not only on land but also on water. The lock gate is still used today to regulate the flow of the river in the city centre. Plecnik designed the river lock gate as a monument, with a triumphal arch dedicated to water, symbolically marking the point where the river leaves the city. Due to its specific construction, neither the mechanism for raising and lowering the barrier nor any other technical elements are visible. The Barrier consists of three towers, one next to each river bank and one in the middle of the river. Covered in stone, the towers are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian temple architecture. Their tops are enhanced by decorative garlands. On one side, the towers are decorated with Doric columns and Etruscan-looking vessels with carved dragon heads, and on the other with low Ionic towers with stylized human heads supporting a footbridge across the river.
Most probably Plecnik's most important building would have been the Unrealized "Cathedral of Freedom" which can be found on the Euro cents too or else as Matejicek mentioned in his review the church in Prague. Plecnik's tomb is perhaps the most simple one in the Zale Cemetery but it was a fitting way to finish off my visit of the peculiar WHS. Apart from adding a WHS tick, I'm glad I visited Ljubljana as it is a pleasant city which I had skipped before inscription.
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