Ljubljana

Ljubljana's old center is largely closed to cars, and the banks of the Ljubljanica river are lined with café terraces that stay busy well into the evening. Architect Jože Plečnik shaped much of what you walk through, from the two pedestrian spans he added to the Triple Bridge to the Central Market, where a morning of local cheese, honey and produce sets up the day. A funicular climbs to the castle for the view, and the city was European Green Capital for 2016. It is a capital, but a small one that never feels like hard work.