Congress Square, Ljubljana

This elongated public square in central Ljubljana was laid out in the early nineteenth century to mark a congress of European monarchs. A landscaped garden at its centre, known locally as the Star for its radiating paths, provides a green heart framed by important buildings including the university headquarters and a Baroque church. The square has been a stage for major national events, including celebrations of Slovenian independence. Broad, calm, and lined with cultural institutions, it links the old town with the parkland to the west.