Kongresni Trg — Attraction in Upravna Enota Ljubljana

Update Jan 2024: Ljubljana centre has become a disappointment. Tourist taxes are ridiculously low and bring tourist masses in such numbers that the poor little city old town cannot handle. You barely meet a non-tourist person at all, have to squirm through the tourist infested areas like a sardine in a can. During certain months in the year, this is not Slovenia anymore at all, it becomes Italy or China or Japan. Prices for everything but the supermarkets have become insane. You cannot get a table to sit at bars and restaurants. The narco community has become overwhelming and omnipresent everywhere and they behave publicly like animals, unsanctioned of course. Rich people buy entire buildings and turn them into hostles (because its far cheaper to make than a hotel). Everything is subdued to the interests of bar and restaurant owners. You can't get a parking to get to the opera or museum. So, all in all, the centre has become a very bad place to be. Could even call it hostile many times. And with the current, already too long sitting people at the top of the municipality, I really don't see a light at the end of this tunnel anymore. As an inhabitant of the centre, I'm very sorry for what Ljubljana has become, despite the betterments and old buildings restorations in the last 10 years. Yes, those are great and fancy, but the place itself, for the small person, has become a disgrace to live in.

Old review from the past, becoming irrelevant today, which had 4 stars: Have to say that now after they removed the dusty roads and replaced them with a great alternative, it became a much nicer place to be. No dust in your eyes anymore. After some good rainy days, also the grass will clear out the long years of dust piling and this place will become one of the best places to chill out. One star less just because still you can get bothered by tramps that look like they might do something... and no police around to make you feel...

The square was built in 1821 at the site of the ruins of a medieval Capuchin monastery, which had been abolished during the reign of Habsburg Emperor Joseph II. The square was used for ceremonial purposes during the Congress of Ljubljana, after which it was named. After the congress, a park was laid out in the center of the square, which soon acquired the name Star Park (Slovene: Park Zvezda, German: Sternallee) due to its layout. During the communist period it was renamed Revolution Square (Slovene: Trg revolucije) and a few years later Liberation Square (Slovene: Trg osvoboditve), but the local population continued to use the old name. In 1990, it regained its original name.

The square has had a highly symbolic role in modern Slovenian history. On October 29, 1918, independence from Austrian-Hungarianrule and the establishment of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was proclaimed during a mass demonstration on the square. In May 1945, the Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito first visited Slovenia after World War II and held a speech on the balcony of the University of Ljubljana, which faces the square.

On June 22, 1988, the first free mass demonstration was held on the square demanding the release of four Slovene journalists imprisoned by the Yugoslav army. The demonstration marked the beginning of the Slovenian spring which culminated in the declaration of Slovenia's independence on June 25, 1991. Independence was first demanded in the May Declaration, written by the Slovenian democratic opposition and signed by numerous civil society movements; the declaration was first publicly read by the poet Tone Pavček in a demonstration on Congress Square on May 8, 1989. In 1999 Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to visit Slovenia. On June 21, he publicly addressed the crowd gathered on Congress Square, quoting the opening verses of the Slovenian...

My recent visit to Kongresni Trg in Ljubljana left me disheartened. Instead of the envisioned park for relaxation and enjoyment, the reality was quite different.

The presence of drunk individuals, homeless people, and junkies throughout the area created an uncomfortable atmosphere. Benches and the ground were often occupied, and this detracted significantly from the intended purpose of the space.

The stark contrast between the park’s intended use and its current state is concerning for the city of Ljubljana. It raises valid concerns about the overall experience and safety of visitors.

As it stands, Kongresni Trg falls short as a place for relaxation or enjoyment. I sincerely hope the city takes swift steps to address these issues and restore the intended purpose of this...