The Celica Hostel or ex military prison in the heart of Ljubljana in Metelkova mesto was transformed into a small hostel which was designed by local artists. The prison and military barracks were emptied during 1991 when JNA left Slovenia. Even though it was a prison, this place is historically more than that. The barracks were built in far 1882, as a Belgium barracks for Austro-Hungarian military. People who were guilty for many crimes lived inside the prison cells, whose stories have lived within the walls for decades and still live today.
There are many unusual paintings on the walls of the cells, objects, there are also prison benches, preserved to this day, so that the interior of the prison has not changed much even today. This is a five-star prison (hostel) today, a place where young and old equally choose accommodation. And the outside of the prison (hostel) is so beautifully painted, that it looks like a real work of art, which it is.
Author of the article:
Bojana Pantić - our correspondent for the city of Ljubljana
