Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Stolnica Sv. Nikolaja)
Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Stolnica Sv. Nikolaja)
Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Stolnica Sv. Nikolaja)
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- dori_lukeySingapore, Singapore653 contributionsMain Cathedral of LjubljanaThe main cathedral of Ljubljana. Not as grand as other cathedrals around Europe but still worth a visit as they're the main one. Good to check the opening timing before you visit because they're not always open and they charge an entrance fee to the interior. The interior structure is really nice and inspiring, and they have seats for you to reflect and take in the atmosphere. I would say that they're not as tourist friendly as they still use the church for worship, so do take note and be courteous when you're inside.Visited December 2019Written January 15, 2020
- Steven SMinneapolis, Minnesota1,010 contributionsBeuatiful!!A very beautiful baroque style church in the old town. It is truly breathtakingly beautiful.See the pictures. A must see!! also you can buy a vial of holy water for 50 cents at the mini gift shop which I thought was cool!!Visited January 2020Written August 15, 2020
- Gary BVancouver, Canada484 contributionsCheck out the bronze doors and then go in for a cool rest from your tourI am not fan of most cathedrals since we've visited a lot of them, and sorry to say this one while beautiful inside is well, the same as many others. But the bronze doors on the side (where you enter) and end of the cathedral are worth investigating, and we were lucky enough to arrive during a baptism and were allowed to sit and watch. And yes, it costs 2 Euros but really that's a few dollars, so stop complaining and have one less coffee that day.Visited May 2022Written June 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Christian M
Copenhagen, Denmark3,810 contributions
Aug 2021
If mrs. god is everywhere you don’t have to pay the €2 entrance fee to meet her in the somewhat posh cathedral of Ljubljana. A short glimpse inside revealed lots of gold and religious bling-bling.
The entrance door, however, is a fine peace of art.
The entrance door, however, is a fine peace of art.
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ginges_revenge
Brisbane, Australia4,678 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
We had walked around this and past it while looking at the other things in the old town area before visiting the cathedral.
We weren't quite sure how to get in or if it was open as we weren't exactly sure of the entrance. I tried the most likely door and found it was the entrance to an exceptionally beautiful church. It had a shiny part on the door where a lot of use had polished the handle.
The church is a stunning example of the baroque style that had been in its current existence since the 18th century with a church being on the site from the 13th century.
We were getting a bit churched out from all the churches seen in the previous 25 days but this was one of the better ones.
A lady from the little shop was kind enough to give me some details about the church and tell me about the patron saint of the church as well which was nice.
Well worth a visit. I loved the brass doors as they had lovely reliefs on them.
We weren't quite sure how to get in or if it was open as we weren't exactly sure of the entrance. I tried the most likely door and found it was the entrance to an exceptionally beautiful church. It had a shiny part on the door where a lot of use had polished the handle.
The church is a stunning example of the baroque style that had been in its current existence since the 18th century with a church being on the site from the 13th century.
We were getting a bit churched out from all the churches seen in the previous 25 days but this was one of the better ones.
A lady from the little shop was kind enough to give me some details about the church and tell me about the patron saint of the church as well which was nice.
Well worth a visit. I loved the brass doors as they had lovely reliefs on them.
Written September 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason S
Melbourne, Australia1,670 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Nice cathedral to visit in the heart of Ljubljana, from outside architecture is eye catching, but Cathedral has many striking features from the bronze doors when you first enter.
Once in design of cathedral is unique, smaller compared to larger cities but you would expect that.
Overall nice cathedral to visit in the heart of the city.
Once in design of cathedral is unique, smaller compared to larger cities but you would expect that.
Overall nice cathedral to visit in the heart of the city.
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StuartM1982
Starachowice, Poland83 contributions
Feb 2023
Lovely both outside and inside. Plenty to see of the beautiful decor in every single part of the cathedral - the decoration on the ceilings, the altar, the amazing organ and so on. Pleasant and friendly staff in the ticket office, and a visit well worth the small entrance charge of 2 Euros.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK179,494 contributions
Apr 2023
A church has been at this site since the 13th century, although the present Baroque building was only consecrated in the 18th century. In true Baroque fashion, the exterior is lavishly decorated. Niches around the building contain statues of saints, bishops and a Gothic Pieta. Several of the entrances have bronze plated doors and embellished with scenes in high relief. One of which features a scene of six bishops, lamenting over the wrapped body of Jesus.
Unfortunately, the church has limited access for visitors, so I only got a glimpse inside.
Unfortunately, the church has limited access for visitors, so I only got a glimpse inside.
Written May 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ronald L
Denver, CO2,942 contributions
Oct 2022
Visited Cathedral of St Nickolas and took several photos inside this beautiful church. Painting in all the alcoves and on the ceiling. Really very impressive. Both exterior doors are works of art.
Written October 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deborah T
Chicago, IL1,126 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
Let me start by saying that this cathedral is absolutely beautiful. I am a lover of history so here's a short bit about the history of Stolnica Sv Nikolaja or as it is often called. Ljubljana Cathedral.
History shows that the site of the current cathedral was originally occupied by a Romanesque church, the oldest mention of which dates from 1262. An extensive fire in 1361 saw it refurbished in the Gothic style. It underwent alterations in 1461 when the church became a cathedral. However, in 1469 it was burnt down again. This time, it was suspected to be arson, presumably by the Turks.
In the early 18th century, the Cathedral was replaced by a Baroque building. The construction took place between 1701 and 1706. Much of the original Baroque decor remains such as the frescoes painted between 1703–1706 and later 1721–1723 including the exquisite ceiling and the altar angels on the right part of the nave (1711) and on the left (1745–1750). Originally, a fake dome was painted on the arch above the center until the cathedral's real dome was constructed in 1841.
The entrances have bronze sculptured doors from 1996, created at the 1250s anniversary of Christianity in the Slovenian territory and the visit of Pope John Paul II. The front door, now named the Slovene Door, bears a relief with a depiction of Slovene history to commemorate the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia. The side door, now named the Ljubljana Door, was redesigned with portraits of the 20th-century bishops of Ljubljana.
History shows that the site of the current cathedral was originally occupied by a Romanesque church, the oldest mention of which dates from 1262. An extensive fire in 1361 saw it refurbished in the Gothic style. It underwent alterations in 1461 when the church became a cathedral. However, in 1469 it was burnt down again. This time, it was suspected to be arson, presumably by the Turks.
In the early 18th century, the Cathedral was replaced by a Baroque building. The construction took place between 1701 and 1706. Much of the original Baroque decor remains such as the frescoes painted between 1703–1706 and later 1721–1723 including the exquisite ceiling and the altar angels on the right part of the nave (1711) and on the left (1745–1750). Originally, a fake dome was painted on the arch above the center until the cathedral's real dome was constructed in 1841.
The entrances have bronze sculptured doors from 1996, created at the 1250s anniversary of Christianity in the Slovenian territory and the visit of Pope John Paul II. The front door, now named the Slovene Door, bears a relief with a depiction of Slovene history to commemorate the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia. The side door, now named the Ljubljana Door, was redesigned with portraits of the 20th-century bishops of Ljubljana.
Written November 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
periandro
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg7,804 contributions
Aug 2019
The Ljubljana Cathedral is an impressive baroque edifice built in the early eighteenth century under the capuchin friar Florentianus Ponnensis's design. On the site where now the Cathedral stands there was a romanesque church which unfortunately got burnt in the sixties of the fourteenth century. The temple was reconstructed in gothic style but again it was destroyed by blazes about one century later than the fire having caught the previous romanesque church.
The Cathedral is an undeniable landmark of the city mainly due to its green dome and its twin towers somewhat reminding those of the Salzburg Cathedral. It stands at Ciril-Metodov trg, by the Ljubljana Central Market and the Town Hall. The mentioned dome is octagonal shaped and located just above the church Latin crossing. It has a cupola at its center whose colours and shape are like those of the dome. On the top thereof there is a gilded cross. The whole ensemble is really beautiful. The church towers are square shaped up tu the belfry stories, those ones being octagonal and on the top of them there are also green little cupolas ornamented with gilded apples. The sight of the dome and the towers form an aesthetically pleasing pattern which, beheld from above, for example, from the castle, constitutes a fantastic view. The façades of the church are ornamented with niches containing frescoes and other interesting elements. Worth seeing is the brightly decorated gothic pietà in the western part of the building, which consists in a copy of one which used to be in the erstwhile gothic cathedral.
The entrance bronze sculptured doors from 1996 are spectacular. On the front door a relief by Tone Denšar can be observed. It depicts some scenes calling up a few events concerning Slovenian History. On the side door, designed by Mirsad Begić some effigies of several twentieth century Ljubljana bishops are cast.
The interior is stunning. It's a single nave temple with several side chapels. The nave is a large one. Upon entering the church through the front door one is certainly charmed at the splendid view appearing before his eyes. The rich decoration of the entire inner space is unique. On each side of the temple just before the chapels next to the chancel there are small side organs on their respective platforms the balustrades of which are of dark wood decorated with much taste with gilded ornaments. Under that on the left hand side looking at the high altar there is the pulpit also made of dark wood bearing the same type of decoration as the balustrades. The whole is very attractive.
All the paintings in the church reveal a great delicacy in their execution. Much of the original baroque decor remains. It includes some frescoes by Giulio Quaglio. The frescoes on the cupola by Matevž Langus may be deemed as a marvel among such a kind of paintings. The depiction there refers to the Holy Spirit and some angels while the frescoes on the walls of the dome depict the coronation of the Virgin and St. Nicholas surrounded by angels and saints. All the sculptures in the Cathedral are beautiful and were carried out with a perfect command of the art, especially a pietà which is over one of the side altars. That sculpture, apart from the Virgin and the dead body of Christ, portrays also a little angel kissing one of the latter's hands, act which is attentively observed by Mary.
The great beauty of the white marble statues of angels on the altars situated on each side of the transept is outstanding. That on the right part of the nave is a work of the brothers Paolo and Giuseppe Gropelli, and those on the left were made by Francesco Robba. Between the latters there is a very nice shrine behind which there is a beautiful painting depicting the Adoration of the Magic Kings.
The chancel is extraordinary. Apart from the high altar, the splendidly ornamented chair stalls and the fantastic chandelier hanging from the dome, the painting behind the central chair and the frame thereof are likewise elements of a great value and beauty woth being observed.
In many side chapels there are busts of the present Pope. This was so at least on the day I visited the church, August 18th 2019. Because of their particular location they disturb somehow the contemplation of some masterpieces housed in that church. The bad taste deriving from the fact of having placed the mentioned busts in such a way is unquestionable. If the busts concerned haven't yet been removed put away it would be rather wise to do so.
The Ljubljana Cathedral is a monumental building which cannot but be admired by all sensible people. It should therefore be visited by everyone going to the capital city of Slovenia and much attention should be paid to every single detail of both the outer and the inner parts of that building.
The Cathedral is an undeniable landmark of the city mainly due to its green dome and its twin towers somewhat reminding those of the Salzburg Cathedral. It stands at Ciril-Metodov trg, by the Ljubljana Central Market and the Town Hall. The mentioned dome is octagonal shaped and located just above the church Latin crossing. It has a cupola at its center whose colours and shape are like those of the dome. On the top thereof there is a gilded cross. The whole ensemble is really beautiful. The church towers are square shaped up tu the belfry stories, those ones being octagonal and on the top of them there are also green little cupolas ornamented with gilded apples. The sight of the dome and the towers form an aesthetically pleasing pattern which, beheld from above, for example, from the castle, constitutes a fantastic view. The façades of the church are ornamented with niches containing frescoes and other interesting elements. Worth seeing is the brightly decorated gothic pietà in the western part of the building, which consists in a copy of one which used to be in the erstwhile gothic cathedral.
The entrance bronze sculptured doors from 1996 are spectacular. On the front door a relief by Tone Denšar can be observed. It depicts some scenes calling up a few events concerning Slovenian History. On the side door, designed by Mirsad Begić some effigies of several twentieth century Ljubljana bishops are cast.
The interior is stunning. It's a single nave temple with several side chapels. The nave is a large one. Upon entering the church through the front door one is certainly charmed at the splendid view appearing before his eyes. The rich decoration of the entire inner space is unique. On each side of the temple just before the chapels next to the chancel there are small side organs on their respective platforms the balustrades of which are of dark wood decorated with much taste with gilded ornaments. Under that on the left hand side looking at the high altar there is the pulpit also made of dark wood bearing the same type of decoration as the balustrades. The whole is very attractive.
All the paintings in the church reveal a great delicacy in their execution. Much of the original baroque decor remains. It includes some frescoes by Giulio Quaglio. The frescoes on the cupola by Matevž Langus may be deemed as a marvel among such a kind of paintings. The depiction there refers to the Holy Spirit and some angels while the frescoes on the walls of the dome depict the coronation of the Virgin and St. Nicholas surrounded by angels and saints. All the sculptures in the Cathedral are beautiful and were carried out with a perfect command of the art, especially a pietà which is over one of the side altars. That sculpture, apart from the Virgin and the dead body of Christ, portrays also a little angel kissing one of the latter's hands, act which is attentively observed by Mary.
The great beauty of the white marble statues of angels on the altars situated on each side of the transept is outstanding. That on the right part of the nave is a work of the brothers Paolo and Giuseppe Gropelli, and those on the left were made by Francesco Robba. Between the latters there is a very nice shrine behind which there is a beautiful painting depicting the Adoration of the Magic Kings.
The chancel is extraordinary. Apart from the high altar, the splendidly ornamented chair stalls and the fantastic chandelier hanging from the dome, the painting behind the central chair and the frame thereof are likewise elements of a great value and beauty woth being observed.
In many side chapels there are busts of the present Pope. This was so at least on the day I visited the church, August 18th 2019. Because of their particular location they disturb somehow the contemplation of some masterpieces housed in that church. The bad taste deriving from the fact of having placed the mentioned busts in such a way is unquestionable. If the busts concerned haven't yet been removed put away it would be rather wise to do so.
The Ljubljana Cathedral is a monumental building which cannot but be admired by all sensible people. It should therefore be visited by everyone going to the capital city of Slovenia and much attention should be paid to every single detail of both the outer and the inner parts of that building.
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela C
London, UK547 contributions
Feb 2017 • Solo
From the outside, with its green dome and twin towers, which can be seen all over the city, you might think this cathedral is not that impressive, but go inside and wow! The interior is lavish Baroque, with artwork covering just about every inch of the place. There are paintings, gold leaf just about everywhere, beautiful frescoes and a magnificent pipe organ. Make sure you look at the carved choir stalls and the angels on the altar.
At the entrance, there are two amazing bronze-sculptured doors celebrating the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1996. The front door shows 1250 years of Slovenian Christianity and the side door, the recent bishops in Ljubljana.
Entrance is free and they allow photography too inside which is a bonus. However, plan your visit carefully, as it is only open 10am-12 noon, then closed until reopening from 3pm-6pm.
At the entrance, there are two amazing bronze-sculptured doors celebrating the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1996. The front door shows 1250 years of Slovenian Christianity and the side door, the recent bishops in Ljubljana.
Entrance is free and they allow photography too inside which is a bonus. However, plan your visit carefully, as it is only open 10am-12 noon, then closed until reopening from 3pm-6pm.
Written March 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nyk
nyk546 contributions
Feb 2015 • Solo
The cathedral is close to the town square/old town area. The Slovenia architecture is nice. The cathedral is beautiful inside and outside.
Written February 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ALICIA M
Madrid, Spain162 contributions
Hola José ¿sabrias decirme qué horario tiene la Catedral? no lo encuentro por ninguna parte. Y, de paso si lo sabes, el horario del Castillo. Me voy el 28 de Junio para Eslovenia. Un saludo y gracias.
Alicia
potosino2014
San Luis Potosi, Mexico62 contributions
Hola Alicia soy Armando de México la Iglesia está abierta desde las 10am a 6 pm y el castillo de 9am a 9 pm. Saludos
Floey1207
Flensburg, Germany1,060 contributions
Hallo zusammen.
Wie sind denn die Öffnungszeiten in dieser Kirche?
Grüße!
Floey1207
Flensburg, Germany1,060 contributions
Hallo zusammen.
Wie sind denn die Öffnungszeiten in dieser Kirche?
Grüße!
Cato1111
Sheffield, UK256 contributions
is there a viewing tower? thanks!
Anettens
170 contributions
I don't think so. I visited the church during service so we had to stand behind a glass wall. When the church is not in use for service I guess you can move around inside. Take a look at the fantastic, metal door. The nose of one of the people has been rubbed so much that it shines. Rubbing is meant to bring happiness.
Josephine C
Island of Malta, Malta85 contributions
Does anyone know to whom these frescos are dedicated? To St. Nicholas? Thank you.
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