Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Ljubljana

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Buses

LPP city buses take dogs free of charge, but only outside the weekday peaks of 6.30 to 9.30 and 13.00 to 17.00. The dog must be on a lead, muzzled, clean, and you should carry proof of rabies vaccination. A single fare for you is EUR 1.50 for 90 minutes on an Urbana card. Assistance dogs travel at any time without a muzzle.

The castle and the funicular

Dogs ride the funicular and walk the castle courtyard on a lead and in a muzzle. They aren't allowed in the indoor areas or the event spaces. The funicular is EUR 3.30 one way and EUR 6 return. The walking trails up Castle Hill from the Old Town are open to dogs and take about fifteen minutes.

Trains

Slovenian Railways carries small dogs on your lap or in a carrier for free. A dog over 30 cm at the shoulder needs a muzzle and a short lead, sits on the floor, and pays half a second-class fare. Large dogs are not allowed on the ICS fast trains at all, or in the buffet car, and no dogs are carried on replacement buses.

Dogs at breakfast

AS Boutique is the one: dogs at breakfast, lunch, dinner and in the bars. Yes at AS Boutique Hotel, where dogs eat with you at Jazz by Anna Rose. A clear no in the InterContinental's restaurant and bar, which admit guide dogs only, a no in the Occidental's restaurant and a no in CUBO's dining room. The other hotels don't publish a rule on breakfast, so ask by name.

Weight limits

The Occidental takes one dog up to 5 kg. AS Boutique takes one dog up to 10 kg. The InterContinental caps at 12 kg and asks you to contact them about heavier dogs. Zlata Ladjica takes dogs up to 15 kg and considers bigger ones case by case. One66 goes to 25 kg, the highest in the city. CUBO, Hotel Nox and Vander Urbani don't publish a limit, so ask.

Fees and deposits

EUR 20 a night at One66 and Hotel Nox, EUR 30 at Vander Urbani, EUR 35 at AS Boutique, CUBO and the Occidental, and EUR 40 at Zlata Ladjica. AS Boutique adds a EUR 100 refundable deposit and Zlata Ladjica a EUR 500 one. EUR 55 per stay at the InterContinental, whatever the length. Most hotels put dogs in designated rooms, so say you are bringing one when you book rather than at the desk.

Day trips to Bled and Bohinj

Bled Castle lets dogs into every outdoor area on a lead, including the courtyards and terraces, but not the museum, the print shop or the chapel. Vintgar Gorge takes dogs on a lead. The Vogel cable car above Lake Bohinj takes dogs muzzled or in a carrier for a fee. The bus to Bled is at the driver's discretion and muzzled, and it's crowded at weekends, so a taxi back at around EUR 56 is money well spent.

Vets

The Small Animal Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cesta v Mestni log 47 runs a 24-hour on-call service for dogs and cats. Reception is +386 1 4779 277 in working hours and the emergency mobile is +386 30 716 190, free from any mobile network.

Best walks

The Ljubljanica quays from the Triple Bridge down past the Cobbler's Bridge and back, the stepped forest trail up Castle Hill from the Old Town with a callisthenics gym on the way, the castle ramparts and courtyard once you're up there, and Tivoli Park on the far side of the railway for long straight avenues and lawns, with the woods of Rožnik and Šišenski hrib running on behind it. Šmarna gora to the north is the city's favourite walking hill, a short drive from Hotel Nox. Out of town, the lakeside path around Lake Bled and the walkways of Vintgar Gorge both take dogs on a lead.

When to go

May, June and September for the terraces and the river without the summer heat. July and August run hot in the Ljubljana basin, so walk the castle hill early and keep to the shaded quays in the afternoon. October is good for the trails. Winter is cold with fog, the funicular and the castle run year round, and the Christmas market fills the Old Town in December, which is a lot of feet for a small dog.