The Boyfriend had arranged a weekend visiting his uncle in Ljubljana, and we were glad to see him in arrivals after our typically delayed and uncomfortable Ryanair flight from Stansted. We dropped our bags at Uncle Dave’s apartment and got straight to the serious business of appraising Ljubljana’s nightlife.

Ljubljana’s small and charming historic centre is a wonderful place to browse around, or to find a great café and people-watch. It has rich layers of history from the Argonauts to Napoleon, and pretty architecture that’s a mix of Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau. It also has a huge variety of eateries and watering-holes for such a compact town.

Wanting to try something genuinely Slovenian, we sought out a cosy restaurant with red flock wallpaper, polka dancing and a gigantic menu of regional specialities, few of which we could identify but all of which had a distinct local flavour.

It was a little too much cabbage and buckwheat for me, however, so a quick polka later we strolled along the river and found an underground crypt bar complete with talking skeletons, false doors in bookcases and a large part of Ljubljana’s punk and goth scene – a fairly typical Eastern European experience! Despite the language barrier, these were possibly Europe’s friendliest Goths, and the bartender had a generous pour, so we stayed all night in the crypt.

The next night, after a day at beautiful Lake Bled (of which more later!), Uncle Dave was away on business. We moved to Ljubljana’s converted prison, the Hostel Celica, in which each cell was refurbished by a different Slovenian designer. Each cell is totally unique, and ours was reminiscent of a Scandinavian spa.

The quirky Celica is a busy, artsy hub for travellers passing through Slovenia, and has a funky Moroccan-inspired coffee shop and its own gallery showcasing local art. Outside, an open bar and barbecue had been set up and was jumping with the local biker contingent and a number of students there for the food. The Boyfriend and I chose the more tranquil Lebanese bar above the square and lounged on cushions snacking on mezze instead.

Diverse Ljubljana is located at a crossroads in Europe, between east and west and between northern and southern Europe and, while it is tiny, it is proudly cosmopolitan. Unlike much of Eastern Europe, it is also clean, safe and free of stag parties.

It’s a refreshing change for your next weekend away!