Surprising Slovenia: Stunning Street Art in Ljubljana
I’ll admit, when I first arrived in Ljubljana, exhausted from a long week and a weekend of traveling around Croatia, I had relatively low expectations of Slovenia’s capital city. I was tired, a little crabby, and Slovenia wasn’t exactly on my list of “must see places” in Europe. However, within instants of arriving, my opinion was immediately changed, and Ljubljana, Slovenia now surprises me as one of the most underrated places I’ve visited.
Behind Bars: A Night in Hostel Celica
For starters, I stayed in one of the coolest hostels I’ve ever been to. What makes Hostel Celica unique? The building served as a prison for over 100 years before it was abandoned and finally became a part of Ljubljana’s alternative art community, Metelkova. The hostel’s history as a military prison and relationship with the art community is evident in the building’s colorful exterior as well as its interior.
My room was cell 118, the artist’s concept was to create a cell ” that among all resembles best the old prison life, containing original beds from the Yugoslav era. There are writings on the wall enclosed in frame as a reminder of prisoners’ thoughts back in the days. “
Though each room has bars for doors, just as a jail cell does, from the threshold on every room is unique. Decorated by different artists, the rooms range from funky (one has a circular shaped like an eye) to whimsical (think a gorgeous blue mural) to creepy (mine was decorated just as an old prison was, with white walls, stark beds, and a green linoleum floor). You can check out the hostel, concept behind each room, and learn a bit more about the prison’s history here. Looks like I can officially say I’ve spent the night behind bars!
Metelkova: Ljubljana’s Alternative Art Hub
Just outside of the hostel lies Metelkova, or the “Metelkova City Autonomous Cultural Center.” This area, is a former military barracks built over 100 years ago, but is hardly recognizable as such today.
Not a bad view. This section of building could be spotted from the inside of my hostel.
The barracks, by then abandoned, were first overtaken by squatters in 1993, when the City of Ljubljana threatened to turn the area into a car park. Protesters set up camp, and this alternative (anti) cultural center was born. (Reminiscent of Costa Mesa’s anti-mall, The LAB, for you Californians out there.)
Despite initial opposition from the city, Metelkova was finally recognized by the political community and began growing into the funky art space it is today.
Metelkova is now a thriving artistic and cultural area, filled with art galleries and studios, bars (and even clubs), and is the home of a flourishing music community as well.
Unfortunately I visited during Easter weekend, so this usually bustling area was relatively quiet, but that didn’t stop me from marveling at the colorful buildings I encountered there.
I spent a delightful hour wandering around my backyard (for the day at least) admiring the many artistic details and flourishes that surrounded me. From the kooky, to the surreal, beautiful, and even downright creepy, every inch of this space was drenched in creative flair.
I was particularly drawn in by the wide variety of materials used to create this outdoor art oasis. From the traditional media such as paints and sculpture to the use of old bikes, broken dishes, household items, and other recycled materials, there was something new to discover around every corner.
For an art lover like me, Ljubljana’s alternative art scene sucked me in, enchanted and amazed me, as did the rest of the city (more posts to come!). Have you encountered any cool or crazy art scenes in your travels?
