Kranj is the largest town of the Gorenjska region and the fourth largest in Slovenia, yet it nevertheless keeps a pleasant, manageable character. Its pride is the picturesque old town centre, which rises steeply like a rocky spur above the confluence of the rivers Kokra and Sava. It was precisely because of this strategic position that Kranj was already an important trading and craft centre in history, and it keeps that lively pulse to this day.
The houses of the old town centre are arranged around an elongated central square with a well, the town hall and the parish church of St Cantianus with its rich Gothic heritage. Beneath the streets lie extensive underground tunnels, which during the Second World War served as shelters and which visitors explore today on guided tours. Kranj is inseparably linked with the greatest Slovenian poet France Prešeren, who spent the last years of his life in the town and is buried in Prešeren Grove. His former house holds the Prešeren Memorial Museum, while in the grove there also stand the monument to the poet Simon Jenko, the mausoleum of the Majdič family and the first monument to the victims of Basovizza.
History lovers will enjoy the Upper Carniola Museum, where rich archaeological finds from the Old Slavic period and collections of folk art from all over Upper Carniola are on display. The town has a range of other sights: the preserved medieval town walls with defensive towers, the picturesque Pungert with its round tower and chapel at the end of the old centre, Khislstein Castle, which hosts events in summer, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Prešeren Theatre and the Layer House, today a gallery and café. The architect Jože Plečnik also left his mark on the town, his work being the famous Plečnik Staircase.
In the 20th century Kranj became famous as an industrial town, home to the electronics and rubber industries, which strongly marked its growth and its appearance. Today this heritage is interwoven with a lively student and cultural pulse, for the town is an important economic and educational centre of Upper Carniola. It proudly calls itself Prešeren's town: every year at the cultural holiday memories of the poet come alive, while in summer the old centre, with costumes, crafts and music at the lively Prešeren Fair, carries visitors back into the 19th century.
Kranj is not only a town of stone and history. Right beside the old centre the wild canyon of the river Kokra cuts in, a rare example of an urban canyon and a green breakthrough in the middle of the town, which invites you to a walk and a rest by the water. Along the Sava stretches the Zarica recreation area, suitable for walking, bathing and cycling, while the nearby hills of Šmarjetna gora and Sveti Jošt are a popular starting point for hiking with views of the town and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. The local cuisine preserves Upper Carniolan flavours, among which the well-known Carniolan sausage also bears the name of the region.
Thanks to its central position, Kranj is a convenient base for exploring Upper Carniola. In a good half hour you can reach the Krvavec ski resort with a view over the whole basin; also close by are the Brdo pri Kranju state estate with its landscaped park and the mountain Jezersko, and just a stone's throw away is Bled, Kranjska Gora and the capital Ljubljana. The city is also known for its lively calendar of events, which bring the old centre to life with stalls, music and a catering offering in which local flavours interweave with modern cooking.
Kranj combines a medieval centre, Prešeren's heritage and paths along the Kokra and the Sava. Browse the accommodation, visit the restaurants in the old centre and discover activities in Kranj and its surroundings.
