The Buildings Around Prešeren Square
The square is a short course in Ljubljana’s architecture. One side is 17th-century baroque; most of the rest is Vienna Secession built after the 1895 earthquake; and the bridge axis was reworked by Jože Plečnik in the 1930s. This page names each building and tells you what to look for.
Church and the square’s buildings
The Church of the Annunciation, known as the Franciscan Church, stands on the north side of the square. Slovenia’s heritage record describes its early-Baroque structure, six side chapels and interior works associated with Francesco Robba, Matevž Langus, Matej Sternen and Jože Plečnik. It remains a place of worship; check current visiting arrangements.
The Urbanc department store, designed by Fredrich Sigmundt and completed in 1903, represents the Secession-era commercial architecture around the square. Across the Ljubljanica, the Triple Bridge incorporates the 1842 bridge and two pedestrian bridges designed by Jože Plečnik in 1931–1932.
University of Ljubljana Press senior consultant Matevž Rudolf recommended this open book in his email of 6 November 2026. Edited by Katja Mahnič (2024), it grew from a University of Ljubljana art-history museology project on presenting the Church of the Annunciation. The recommendation is not a review or endorsement of this independent site.
- Franciscan Church
- 1646–1660, early baroque, the square’s oldest anchor
- Urbanc House
- 1903, Vienna Secession corner building
- Hauptman House
- 1873, Neo-Renaissance, Wolfova corner
- North & east sides
- Rebuilt in Secession style after 1895
- Triple Bridge
- Jože Plečnik, 1929–1932
- Monument
- Bronze by Ivan Zajec, 1905
The pink church stands to the north
The Franciscan Church of the Annunciation (1646–1660) is the square’s oldest and most dominant building. Its unusual pink (really a faded terracotta-and-lime) baroque façade makes it the easiest landmark to find from anywhere nearby.
Step inside and you leave the square’s noise entirely — a working monastery church, which is why church bells still mix with the tourist chatter outside.
The Secession ring
Look at the north and east sides of the square and you are looking at post-1895 construction. After the Easter 1895 earthquake, the damaged buildings were rebuilt in the Vienna Secession style: curved lines, floral ornament, tall windows and rounded corners.
This is why the square reads as “fin de siècle Central Europe” rather than medieval — almost everything you photograph here, except the church, is less than 130 years old.
Urbanc House (the corner gem)
On the corner with Čopova Street, Urbanc House (1903) is the square’s richest Secession façade, with allegorical statues and a famous café at street level. It is the best single example of how Ljubljana absorbed Viennese modern style.
Hauptman House
The Neo-Renaissance building on the Wolfova corner (1873) predates the earthquake rebuild and shows the earlier historicist taste — heavier, more symmetrical, less floral than its Secession neighbours. Compare the two styles side by side across the square.
The bridge axis is architecture too
The Triple Bridge is not just a crossing: Plečnik turned a single bridge into three, with low balustrades and lamps, so the square flows onto the left bank. Read it together with the square — they are one composition.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Franciscan church pink?
The façade is painted in a terracotta-and-lime baroque scheme that has faded to the pink tone visitors notice today. It dates from the church’s 1646–1660 construction.
What architectural style surrounds the square?
Most buildings are Vienna Secession (Art Nouveau) rebuilt after the 1895 earthquake, with the 17th-century baroque Franciscan church as the oldest element and Plečnik’s 1930s Triple Bridge as the modern axis.
Who was Jože Plečnik?
Jože Plečnik (1872–1957) was the Slovenian architect who shaped much of modern Ljubljana, including the Triple Bridge, the market colonnades and the cathedral’s bronze doors. His work is visible within a few minutes of the square.
Sources: Visit Ljubljana heritage pages, City of Ljubljana. Facts checked October 2026.