Kranj

A vacation in Kranj, known in German as Krainburg, takes you to the capital of Upper Carniola, set on a rocky terrace above the Sava River. This is where national poet France Prešeren lived and died, old tunnels run beneath the Old Town, and the Alps feel close enough to touch.

Location and City

Kranj lies about 25 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of Ljubljana, at the confluence of the Kokra and Sava rivers. The compact Old Town sits on a rocky ridge between the two rivers, and the Kokra has carved a deep, green gorge through which a walking path leads right through the middle of the city. Behind the city rise the Kamnik–Savinja Alps and the Karavanke range. Kranj is an industrial city with electronics and tire manufacturing, and also a university and shopping hub. Ljubljana's international airport is only a few kilometers away at Brnik.

Sights in Kranj

France Prešeren, the poet whose verses became the Slovenian national anthem, spent his last years in Kranj and died here in 1849. His house is now a museum, his grave lies in Prešeren Grove, and the Prešeren Theatre bears his name. On February 8, the anniversary of his death and Slovenia's national cultural holiday, readings and celebrations are held. Beneath the Old Town run the Kranj tunnels, built as air-raid shelters during World War II, which you can visit on guided tours. Khislstein Castle and the Church of St. Canzian with its Gothic vaulting shape the city center. On the outskirts lies Brdo Castle, a Renaissance castle with a large park, now the state's protocol center and a venue for international summits.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

The inns of Upper Carniola serve Carniolan sausage, štruklji, buckwheat dishes, and cheese from the mountain pastures. Kranj is about 20 minutes from Ljubljana by highway, and trains run regularly toward Jesenice. The best time to visit is from April to October; in summer, concerts and festivals take place in the Old Town, and Bled is only half an hour away. Hikers can set out from Kranj for the local hill Šmarjetna Gora or for Storžič, which towers over the city to the north.