Ljubljana - The city of dragons – Marusciac Angela Mihaela
During our mobility trip we visited several astounding towns and cities, one of which is Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. In Slovene the word “Ljubljana” and “beloved” almost sound the same, and for the people who really do know Ljubljana, those words have the exact same meaning. The capital of the country with the word “love” in its name is the junction of Slovenia’s diversities. It was evidently clear to us that this place was a friendly location full of young spirit and welcoming faces. As we were taking a stroll around the streets of Ljubljana, we even stumbled upon a couple taking photos for their wedding, with the beautiful bride in her pearly white dress, and witnessing their love that connected each other, simply just left me with a peaceful and happy memory. Furthermore, upon connecting with the inhabitants of Ljubljana, I quickly came to the conclusion that not only were they eager to voice their love for the city, but they wanted to make sure that we would visit the most significant and beautiful places in their city, such as the Ljubljana castle.
The heart of the city, Plečnik's market, is protected by tame dragons on a 19th century bridge, and bridge with modern sculptures characterised by love-locks. Museums and art galleries, pubs along the river and city squares, theatres, and concert halls, are all lined up near the Plečnik’s Triple Bridge. The city's symbol is the Ljubljana Dragon. It is depicted on the top of the tower of Ljubljana Castle in the Ljubljana coat of arms. It represents power, courage, and greatness. It is historically more believable that the dragon was adopted from Saint George, the patron of the Ljubljana Castle chapel built in the 15th century. In the legend of Saint George, the dragon represents the old ancestral paganism overcome by Christianity. According to another explanation, the dragon was at first only a decoration above the city coat of arms. In the Baroque, it became part of the coat of arms.
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