9am: caffeine fix

For the perfect kick-start to your day, grab a cup of locally roasted coffee. Hidden in one of the narrow streets in the Old Town, Bi-Ko-Fe (Židovska steza 2) is a hub for hipsters, musicians, designers and students.

10:30am: sweet temptation

Make a pit stop for a slice of potica. This pastry of sweet dough rolled with nuts, tarragon or poppy seeds was originally up to a metre wide. These days, sizes are smaller at bakery le Potica (Mestni trg 13).

1pm: ’tis the season

Enjoy a tasty bargain lunch at Gostilna Dela (Poljanska cesta 7), a restaurant helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds get into the workforce. For $10, you’ll get three courses of seasonal specials like cucumber soup, asparagus risotto, veal lasagnette or elderflower panna cotta.

3pm: word on the street

Every Friday in the warmer months (April to November) locals flock to Odprta Kuhna (Open Kitchen, Pogacarjev trg 1). This bustling market features food from more than 100 restaurants from across Slovenia. Specialties on offer include zlikrofi (potato dumplings) and klobasa sausages along with international offerings and on-trend treats like raw cakes and vegan sliders. Wash it all down with local craft beers and wines.

5pm: turn water into wine

Have a well-earned rest at riverside bar Slovenska Hiša (Cankarjevo Nabrežje 13). While you watch the world go by, sample some Slovenian wines like the dry and delicate white, rebula, from the Goriška Brda region (between Italy and Slovenia), or take your time over a full red teran from the Karst region. Order a plate of specialty cheeses, salami and prosciutto for the full experience.

8pm: a royal feast

It’s not every day you can dine in a castle, but at Restaurant Strelec (Grajska Planota 1) it’s possible to step back in time. At the helm is Igor Jagodic, one of Slovenia’s top chefs, who worked with food ethnographers to reawaken elements of the castle’s medieval past with his elegant menu. Try an evening degustation with highlights like venison on salt-roasted beets with buckwheat gnocchi.

11pm: rooms with a view

Once a ’30s Art Deco apartment block, Hotel Cubo (Slovenska cesta 15) has been given a modern fit-out, making it one of the best-looking places to stay in Ljubljana. The good looks don’t stop at the interiors – this place also has views of Ljubljana Castle.