Before you head down to the riverside for a stroll, take a moment to meet Ivan Hribar, probably the most iconic mayor Ljubljana has ever had. He led the city from 1896 to 1910, right after the devastating earthquake, and he was largely responsible for giving the capital its modern face. A true visionary, he doubled the size of Ljubljana in just fourteen years and launched its very first urban development plan. Under his leadership the city gained new bridges, grand Secession-style buildings, schools, hospitals, public baths, an electric tram network, and even a power plant that brought light to its streets. He also created new green spaces, because in his view every city needed its “lungs.” Thanks to his energy and forward thinking, Ljubljana grew from a provincial town into an ambitious capital. This statue, installed in 2010 to mark the centenary of the end of his mandate, was created by sculptor Mirsad Begić. It captures the decisive moment when Hribar secured the emperor’s approval to rebuild Ljubljana after the earthquake. And with that introduction, you now know the man who reshaped the city.