The Old Market, known as "Stari trg", embodies the baroque charm of Ljubljana's historic centre. Its winding streets, reminiscent of the Middle Ages, and 19th-century shop fronts create a picturesque picture. The later Habsburg period is evidenced by grandiose historicist buildings that preceded the city's transition to the Vienna Secession after the 1895 earthquake.
Right next to the town hall, the sophisticated Thalnitscher family home, also known as the Dolničar House, opens a series of baroque residences, some lavish, some modest; among them, at number 4, is the presumed birthplace of the polymath Johann Weichard von Valvasor, built in 1637. The facade of the Schweiger House (No. 11a), completed in 1748–49 to designs by the Trieste architect Candido Zulliani, is particularly rich in detail. Finally, a row of typical Baroque houses line the Old Market and lead to Levstik Square, in the centre of which is a replica of the 17th-century Hercules Fountain by Francesco Robba.