National Gallery of Slovenia

One of the most important art museums in Slovenia, the museum houses an extensive collection of Slovenian and European artworks from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Founded in 1918, the gallery is located in a historic neoclassical building, later expanded with a modern glass façade. It is a must-visit for anyone seeking to understand Slovenian art history. The museum also holds the original Robba Fountain, one of Ljubljana’s iconic landmarks—now displayed in front of City Hall as a replica.

The National Gallery in Ljubljana is about a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, situated near Tivoli Park. Housed in a historic building with a modern interior, it offers a pleasant and accessible environment for visitors. The permanent exhibition showcases Slovenian art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, providing a clear and well-organized journey through the country’s artistic evolution. Information is available in both Slovenian and English, making it easy to navigate and understand. During our visit, we explored two temporary exhibitions: Baroque in Slovenia: Featuring over 170 artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries, this exhibition offers insight into the Baroque period’s influence on Slovenian art, highlighting the blend of Central European and Mediterranean artistic expressions. While the Baroque style isn‘t our favorite, the exhibition was well set-up. From Shadow into Light: The Sketchbooks of Ivana Kobilca: This exhibition delves into the sketchbooks of Ivana Kobilca, Slovenia’s most prominent female painter, providing a unique glimpse into her creative process and the development of her artworks. We really liked her work, and spent most of our time in this temporary exhibition. Tickets were purchased on-site without any issues. The gallery also includes a small shop and a café, perfect for a short break. We spent approximately 1.5 hours exploring the exhibitions, which felt sufficient to appreciate the collections without feeling rushed. Overall, the National Gallery is a recommended stop for those interested in art and its historical development in Slovenia.

The National Gallery is a wonderful fine art museum in Ljubljana. It features many classic paintings and has a lovely atmosphere. When I visited two weeks ago, some areas were closed to the public, but it was still definitely worth the visit.

Love, love, loved it! There was an exhibition of classical religious works on loan from Croatia which was worth checking out. I love museums like this because you get a cross section in Slovenian artists which aren’t as common in western galleries. I was super impressed by the impressionist and post impressionistic art. Overall, this was a quaint but lovely gallery

Aside from seeing Slovenia’s National Gallery, I was really itching to see more Slovenian impressionism. On this front, I was not disappointed! A third of this museum is closed for renovation and ticket price is discounted to reflect that. After giving the medieval religious artwork, it’s time on the ground floor, I proceeded to take the elevator to the top of the museum, where they keep all of the best goodies! And there was Ivan Grohar nestled amongst the likes of Rihard Jakopic and Matija Jama. Fantastic artwork here, and even better if you like Impressionistic works of art.

Well designed and gorgeous art museum in Ljubljana. The tickets for temporary and permanent exhibitions costs only 9 euro for students. There are toilets and also baggage storage cabinets. The temporary exhibition was fine but that many in quantities. However, the permanent exhibition was a huge thing here! They were displayed in a magnificent hall and include statutes and artworks. Especially, there is a room where you can sit and quietly watch the painting of a few cows with comfortable music, what an enjoyment! In the back side of the museum, where the cafe is, has a spacious location that is more modernized design and wow! Overall, recommend spending 1 to 2 hours here!

A beautiful gallery after modernization that combines a modern spirit with historical preservation. Helpful and friendly staff. I think it's better to have at least 1.5–2 hours to explore all the halls and spend time with the works you like the most, because we only had 45 minutes and skipped about half of the museum. And I'm so happy to have discovered Ivana Kobilca for myself—her portraits are something else.

I really enjoyed visiting the Slovenian National Gallery. The chronology of Slovenian art is well arranged, the art well chosen, and the current Baroque survey exhibition illuminating. If your interested in art, don't miss the SNG. My only complaint: orientating yourself around the Gallery can be tricky. The closed doors 🚪 you need to open to get from one section to another threw me initially.