Walk along the tree-lined Jakopi? Promenade to Tivoli Mansion, a grandiose Baroque-style villa built by the Jesuits in the 17th century, and the current home of the International Centre of Graphic Arts. From here, wander north to the Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, and then south to visit the Ljubljana Zoo.
Explore Tivoli Park as part of a walking tour focusing on Slovenia’s socialist past or its vibrant subcultures. Or join a guided cycling tour and pedal alongside the Ljubljanica River and over its picturesque bridges to unique landmarks such as Metelkova, an autonomous cultural center.
Tivoli Park and Mansion are about eight blocks west of the Ljubljanica River and the historic center, accessible by walking or cycling from the city’s main attractions. Take practically any bus line to the Tivolska stop located outside the park’s main entrance. If driving, park at Hala Tivoli, a large sports complex adjacent to Tivoli Mansion.
Tivoli Park is open everyday and offers a bucolic respite from urban life. Come to the park in the summer when the swimming pool is open, and an open-air library offers workshops on recycling books and other printed matter. Tivoli Mansion’s International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) hosts a wide range of exhibitions throughout the year, and is open every day except Mondays.
Numerous striking sculptures by notable artists grace the park. Among them are the four cast iron dogs (mysteriously lacking tongues) guarding Tivoli Mansion, created by Austrian sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn; Zdenko Kalin’s bronze “Boy with a Whistle,” one of the finest examples of Slovene 1960s figurative art; and Coexistence, a 300-year-old oak tree transformed into a bronze sculpture by Slobodan Peji? from Bosnia, which nature has covered in moss and lichen.