| WHY GO |
| It has a medieval fortress and a dragon, but Slovenia's capital is a safe, sophisticated place in which to relax. Compared with the other capitals of the 10 countries that acceded to the EU in May, Ljubljana seems oblivious and indifferent to its potential as a tourist destination. There are no boutique hotels as there are in Poland and the Baltic States and nothing to which the term 'design' might apply. But, nevertheless, Ljubljana is improbably pretty, with its candy-coloured baroque and dizzyingly ornate Secessionist architecture. There are decorative footbridges over the willow-shaded river, a romantic hilltop castle and cobbled piazzas filled with café tables. It is not unlike Prague, but its austere, northern geometry has been tempered by sunny, southern frivolity. |
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