Prešeren Square

Landmark

Landmark · Ljubljana, Slovenia 46.0514°N 14.5060°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Prešeren Square

Time needed

15 minutesLonger with the church

Best time

Sunset, after darkChurch and statue floodlit

Cost

FreeChurch free in its hours

Season

Christmas lightsSwitched on late November

Who made the statue

Who made the Prešeren statue in Ljubljana?

Architect Maks Fabiani and sculptor Ivan Zajc made the monument to France Prešeren, and it was unveiled in autumn 1905. The square around it, Prešernov trg, is named after the poet.

Is it free

Is Prešeren Square free to visit?

Yes. Prešeren Square is a public space open to all, with no ticket and no gate. The Franciscan church on its north side is also free to enter during its opening hours.

Church hours

What are the Franciscan Church opening hours in Ljubljana?

As of October 2026, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation is open to visitors on weekdays from 10.45 to 15.45 and 16.45 to 18.00, on Saturdays from 10.45 to 18.00, and on Sundays from 12.30 to 15.30 and 17.00 to 18.00.

Mass times

What time is Mass at the Franciscan Church in Ljubljana?

As of October 2026, weekday Masses are at 7.30, 9.00, 10.00, 16.00 and 19.00. Saturday Masses are at 7.30, 9.00, 10.00 and 19.00, and Sunday Masses at 7.30, 9.00, 10.00, 11.15, 19.00 and 21.00. All fall outside the church's visiting hours.

Christmas lights

When are the Christmas lights switched on in Ljubljana?

In 2026 the festive lights in Ljubljana are switched on on Friday 27 November, at a short event on Prešeren Square that runs from 17.00 to 17.30.

Stand under Prešeren's statue and look where he looks: on a facade in Wolfova ulica, across the square, is Julija Primic, the woman he loved.

What makes it special

France Prešeren stands at the centre of the square with the muse of poetry above him. She holds a sprig of laurel over the poet's head.

The muse is topless, and when the monument was unveiled that caused a minor uproar. A full-grown tree was planted at the front left of the church to block the view of the statue.

The salmon-pink Franciscan Church of the Annunciation fills the north side, a Baroque building crowned by a copper statue of Mary. Inside are a monumental main altar by Francesco Robba and frescoes by Matevž Langus.

The Central Pharmacy and Mayer Palace are Secessionist buildings by the architect Ciril Metod Koch. Hauptman House, on the corner of Čopova Street, has a colourful Art Nouveau face with ornate gables.

Visiting

Prešeren's monument is the city's main meeting place, so start the walk at its foot. Take in the poet from below, then cross to the Franciscan church.

Step inside for Robba's altar and the painted interior, which a few minutes cover. Back outside, walk a slow circuit of the edge: the Central Pharmacy, then Mayer Palace, then Hauptman House.

Finish at the river side of the square. The Triple Bridge leads from there over the Ljubljanica to the old town bank.

Tips

On a busy day a single walking-tour group here can be large enough to split in three. Give a group a minute to move off before you try for a clear view of the statue. At the end of the year a huge pine tree stands on the square, fully decked in lights.