The legend that stands behind the origin of Ljubljana

The dragon is a symbol of Ljubljana, which proudly reigns in the city coat of arms and on the Dragon Bridge. Here’s why Ljubljana is the city of dragons, and its fellow citizens are called zmajčeki!

Zmajček, Photo: Nea Culpa, Mankica Kranjec, www.slovenia.info

Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by the mythological Greek hero Jason, who stole the golden fleece from King Aites, and then escaped with his fellow Argonauts on the ship Argo across the Black Sea to the Danube and Sava all the way to Ljubljanica. There, the Argonauts dismantled the ship, took it to the Adriatic Sea, where they reassembled it and returned it to Greece.

On the way to the sea, at the source of the Ljubljanica River, they stopped by a large lake and a swamp where a dragon lived. Jason tackled the dragon, defeated and killed it.

Ljubljana, Dragon Bridge, Photo: Aleš Fevžer, www.slovenia.info

The symbolism of the dragon has therefore been present in Ljubljana since ancient times. In the medieval city coat of arms, was present as a decoration above the coat of arms, and later it took the central place. The symbolism of the dragon gradually changed from a monster to a protector of the city, personifying strength, courage, and wisdom.