Gostilna Sokol

The surroundings of Ljubljana City Hall are spatially very significant. Nearby is the Fountain of the Three Slovenian Rivers of Robba, the Ljubljana Cathedral and the building of the first hotel in the city, the Wild Man, from 1731. This is also the building that has been home to the Sokol Inn since 1870. It was named after its founder Jakob Mehle, who came from the Grosuplje area. In addition to this inn, he had other properties, which were inherited by his third wife after his death. After their death, their daughter inherited the entire estate as the sole heiress. As early as 1879, Jakob Alešovec mentioned in his notes in the book Ljubljanske Slike that Sokol was run by an innkeeper of the better kind, that the inn was located in a good place where many people passed by, where uncontaminated wine was served, the tables were laid, the dishes were tasty and the portions were large. In 1870, the Ljubljana Fire Brigade Association was founded in the Sokol Inn. Later, various artists gathered there, such as actor Josip Nolli and writers and poets Juš Kozak, Pavel Golia, Oton Zupančič and others. In 1998, the current owners took over the inn. They took on the task of cultivating traditional Slovenian cuisine, which they did well. The Sokol inn developed into a tourist attraction.