Ljubljana Castle

The Ljubljana Castle has been owned by the city since 1905, when the then mayor Ivan Hribar purchased it from state authorities.

In late December of 2010, at the beginning of the Mayor Zoran Janković’s second term, the City Municipality of Ljubljana established the independent public institute Ljubljana Castle.

The institute organizes and conducts cultural, artistic, touristic and other events with the purpose of developing a comprehensive cultural and tourist offer. Here, the treasures of cultural heritage preservation intertwine with eclectic contemporary art by Slovenian and foreign artists. Within the framework of youth programmes, the institute conducts pedagogic and adult education projects related to the castle and its surroundings. The Ljubljana Castle institute preserves and promotes the castle’s material and intangible heritage. The permanent museum exhibitions at the Ljubljana Castle are the Virtual Castle, Slovenian History, the Museum of Puppetry, Penitentiary and iLjubljana.

The institute plans, designs and markets a comprehensive tourist offer in the area of the Ljubljana Castle and the Castle Hill. Through the tourist information centre, the institute informs visitors on all events taking place in the area. The Ljubljana Castle operates a tramway ascending the hill into the castle, in this manner connecting the city core with the Castle Hill. The institute’s programme brings together various public cultural institutions, tourist associations and other operators of cultural and tourist events in the public interest.