During our Austrian ski week, we decided to take a day trip to Ljubljana. Ironically, it was actually faster and easier to get to Slovenia than several of the other Austrian towns we were contemplating visiting. I guess a small little thing call the Alps can get in the way on occasion.

The entire time we were enjoying Ljubljana, we kept asking each other: Did you ever think you would be in Ljubljana? How do little kids learn how to spell Ljubljana? Did you ever even learn anything about Slovenia in school? Our collective answers: no, I have no idea, and no.

In the off chance that someone asks you about this town during idle lunch-hour chat, you can now be armed with the following information:

The symbol of the city is the Ljubljana Dragon. According to Greek legend, the town is said to be founded by the hero Jason, who had fled from King Aetes across the Black Sea. On their way to the Adriatic Sea, Jason and his compatriots found the Ljubljana Marshes, where a dragon dwelled. Jason fought and killed the dragon and it became a symbol of their strength.

The Dragon Bridge is one of many bridges in Ljubljana and has its own set of legends and nicknames. Supposedly, when a virgin crosses the bridge, each of the four dragon statues wag their respective tails. The bridge is also called “mother-in-law” because of its fiery nature.

One of the dragon statues. I though he deserved a little creative enhancement!

We were able to tour the Ljubljana Castle, even with little Liv. Apparently the Slovenians don’t care about dirty dogs tramping around their landmarks!

That is the castle floating above our heads.

Inside the castle is a museum about Slovenian history. Considering that the country is only 21 years old, it covers a lot of other important historical periods. Yes, only 21 years old! Younger than you and me. After WWII, Ljubljana became the capitol of Slovenia, which was at that time one of the six republics that made up socialist Yugoslavia. In 1990, the people voted for an independent state and on Jun 25, 1991 Slovenia became its own country. And I thought the United States was young!