Slovenian Railway Museum

Beautifully restored 19th century train inside the museum. mankica (Atlas Obscura User)

You can get up close and personal with a part of Balkan history at this abandoned railway facility in Ljubljana. The complex, which dates back to the turn of the 20th century, has been preserved as a cultural monument. It now houses a small museum dedicated to the history of steam locomotives in Slovenia.

The Šiška Railway Vehicle Workshop once housed bustling repair, maintenance, and production workshops. Now some of them are passive, timeworn witnesses that have survived the Austro-Hungarian Empire, two World Wars, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

This is the oldest semi-preserved railway facility in Slovenia, and urban explorers can freely examine the premises. Climb on top of the rusty locomotives, wagons, and platforms that are scattered around the actual railway museum. Embrace the history, but know that you do so at your own risk. The Slovenian Railway Museum is located in the workshop, standing as a testimony to the end of the steam locomotive era. It is located in what was once the main boiler room of the facility. The idea for the museum came in the 1960s, and was gradually developed into a small but comprehensive facility that opened its doors in 1981.

Today, it has beautifully restored locomotives on display. It is thanks to the railroad workers from Slovenia, who supported the thought of a railway museum in 1960, such as the official Yugoslavian railway museum in Beograd, that this museum came into being.

Know Before You Go

The facility is located in Šiška, close to the city center of Ljubljana. You can leave your car at the railway museum's paid parking lot. However, if you prefer to explore this gem on foot, I can reassure you that the walk from the city center is doable. A small entry fee applies if you want to enter the museum itself.

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