Kranj, Prešeren's town on the edge of the Kokra canyon

What to see in Kranj, a town on a rock

The setting is the first thing you notice. Kranj’s centre sits on a rock above the 30 m deep Kokra canyon, and from its edge you can see Triglav, Stol and Grintovec, the highest peaks of Slovenia’s three Alpine ranges. The old town is a protected cultural monument ringed by 870 m of walls and three defence towers. On its other side runs the Sava, a good river for fishing, fly fishing included.

The tourist board speaks of 6,000 years of continuous settlement on the site. What you see today is mostly medieval and later. St Cantianus Church, from the early 15th century, defines the skyline, with the ossuary beside it. Khislstein Castle, which takes its name from the Khisl family, its owners from the second half of the 16th century, houses the Gorenjska Museum and, in summer, an open-air theatre, concerts under the old lime tree and a cinema.

The tunnels under the old town

This, for me, is the reason to stop. Beneath the old town run 1,300 m of tunnels that sheltered the townspeople during the Second World War. They’re visited with a guide, and the tourist board says the tour covers their cave-like features and wildlife and includes a simulated air raid. The tunnels also host exhibitions and events, from a St Martin’s wine route to a children’s Halloween programme.

Prešeren, Plečnik and the table

France Prešeren, the poet behind the anthem, is everywhere in Kranj, and a themed route links the places that remember him. Architecture fans also get buildings by Jože Plečnik and Edvard Ravnikar. The town claims a food trio that carries its name, which are Carniolan sausage, Kranj beer and Kranj štruklji, whose recipe Magdalena Pleiweis published in a cookbook in 1868. For the sausage in context, see Carniolan sausage. There’s a farmers’ market in the centre on Thursdays and Saturdays.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kranj on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Half a day more around town

On the outskirts lies Brdo pri Kranju, the almost 500-hectare estate where the Slovenian state receives official visitors, with its Renaissance castle and a park open to the public that I cover under Brdo Castle. Above town you can walk up hills such as St Jošt or Šmarjetna gora for views and lunch. Lake Trboje on the Sava is a birding spot. The church of Saints Primus and Felician at Jamnik, with the mountains behind, is one of the most photographed views in the area. And Krvavec ski resort is in the next municipality, by the airport.

Getting there and when to go

Kranj is about 30 km from Ljubljana and the tourist board suggests taking the train. In town there’s a bike-share scheme, KrSKolesom, and an electric shuttle round the old centre, the Kranvaj. The town has something on year-round, with concerts at the Khislstein summer theatre, exhibitions and fairs. It holds the Slovenia Green platinum label and was a European Destination of Excellence finalist.

Evenings are livelier than you might expect. The tourist board points to the Layer House and the Khislstein summer theatre for concerts, to KluBar, Bazen and Kavka for a club night and to Trainstation SubArt for alternative culture. And if the mountains are calling, Kranj is home to Marija and Andrej Štremfelj, the first married couple to stand on Everest, who now guide climbs on walls, frozen waterfalls and ridges of the Slovenian Alps.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Kranj and pick one that fits your day.

Kranj, on the way to Bled

I wouldn’t sleep here on a short first trip unless you land late at the airport. But I would put it on the Ljubljana to Bled route as a half-day stop. With a full day, add Brdo in the afternoon. And if you’re skiing Krvavec in winter, Kranj makes a comfortable base with more life than a resort village. It also slots in nicely on your last day, on the way back to the airport. From here two small municipalities few people bother with are close at hand, Naklo, with the Udin boršt forest, and Šenčur, right by the airport.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kranj on Booking.com and filter by area before price.