Slovenian Railway Museum in Ljubljana

Related post: Visit to Ljubljana Old Town.

The header photograph shows a German-made freight locomotive that arrived in Yugoslavia during World War II. The locomotive was renumbered post-war to JŽ 36-013.

Our Visit to The Slovenian Railway Museum

My wife and I recently visited the Slovenian Railway Museum in Ljubljana. This was a much-anticipated visit, and it proved to be one of many highlights during our stay in the city.

Just outside the roundhouse is the turntable. During our visit, museum staff were busy moving locomotives in preparation for an event scheduled the next day.

Locomotives In The Roundhouse

To view a photo in full size, click or tap on the image (not the caption) in the galleries below. This allows you to cycle through the gallery.

Photo Gallery No. 1

Outside the roundhouse is the turntable. On the day we visited, the museum staff were moving locomotives for an event scheduled for the next day.

History Section of The Slovenian Railway Museum

Photo Gallery No. 2

Click or tap directly on any image (above the description) in the gallery to open the full-sized photo and browse the gallery.

Walking Around The Museum Grounds

Photo Gallery No. 3

To see a full-sized photo, click or tap on the image itself (above the description) in the gallery. You can then browse the entire gallery.

Final Thoughts About The Slovenian Railway Museum

As you can see, the weather was very cloudy when we visited. Despite this, we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the museum, which boasts a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor. The semi-circular locomotive shed features a vast array of locomotives, each with a detailed English-language historical description. If I remember correctly, there were also descriptions in German, Italian, and Slovenian. The lighting in the locomotive shed was generally sufficient for taking photographs without a flash.

The museum’s main attractions are its static locomotives and wagons, which was the case during our visit. However, according to the Visit Ljubljana website, there is sometimes more to see:

In spring and summer, the Railway Museum hosts occasional meetings of train enthusiasts. On such occasions, old steam locomotives are taken out of hangars and their furnaces are fired up as part of the museum’s efforts to keep all the artefacts in operational condition. Source: Visit Ljubljana website.

There was, however, an exception to the typical static experience. As mentioned earlier, the lively shunting work outside on the turntable was in full swing. Multiple locomotives were being moved in and out of the locomotive shed to prepare for a special event. All this shunting was done by a tractor adapted for railway work, known as a road-rail vehicle.

Walking Around The Slovenian Railway Museum Complex – Outside

Walking around outside among the numerous locomotives and wagons was exciting, especially since there were no restrictions on where you could go. This aspect is highlighted in Photo Gallery No. 3 above.

The Museum is Located Fairly Near Ljubljana Old Town

Our hotel was located on Miklošičeva cesta, just a two-minute walk from Ljubljana’s old town. From our hotel, a leisurely stroll to the Slovenian Railway Museum took around 20 minutes, making it a convenient visit during our stay.

Have you visited this museum? I would love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment below.

Internal Link

Post about our visit to Ljubljana Old Town.

External Links

Slovenian Railways Museum website (In Slovenian).  In English via Google Translate.

Facebook Page and Instagram account.

Museum Location on Google Maps.

Related articles in Railways and Tramways. View all in Railways and Tramways.