Sleep In A Cell At The Most Artistic Hotel In The World

Enhance your experience in Ljubljana by staying at the most artistic hostel in the world. Hostel Celica is conveniently located within walking distance of downtown and provides more than just the basic amenities. You can spend a night in an artistically transformed prison cell, meet new people in three different cafés, and enjoy art exhibitions at the in-house art gallery. Next time you visit Slovenia’s capital, make sure to spend a night behind the prison bars in Hostel Celica.

This former military prison in the middle of Ljubljana was constructed in 1882 in the Metelkova area and was part of the Austro-Hungarian Army’s barracks. When the Yugoslav Army took over the barracks after WWII, they maintained the original purpose. It was only after Slovenia gained independence in 1991 that the Metelkova barracks were emptied and a group of artists presented a plan to convert the buildings into a multicultural art center. With little understanding or support from local authorities, the artists and supporting activists squatted at Metelkova and began transforming the area on their own. They turned the buildings into works of art and started hosting galleries, small concert and artist’s studios. When the idea to build a hostel in one of the army buildings was approved in 2001, more than 80 artists took part in the reconstruction.

An artistic facade on an old army barack

Twenty of the old prison cells were transformed into cozy, creative rooms suitable for guests. Each was designed and decorated by a different artist and can stand alone as a piece of art, but all of the rooms still have bars on the windows and doors, which connects the present with the past. Hostel Celica, from its inception, was intended to be more than just a place for visitors to spend the night. An art gallery was added to the common area to enhance the artistic experience and to provide a space for young, local, and international artists to exhibit their work. The Museum of Confinement, where the actual solitary cells from the original prison can still be seen, presents another tool that connects present with the past. Perhaps one of the most interesting additions to the hostel is the Point of Peace. This quiet room in the common area allows travelers to take a moment for themselves and a break from the world. There are six niches in the room, five present main world religions, and the sixth is left empty to accommodate any other religion or personal belief.

With unique sleeping accommodations and well thought out common areas, the Hostel Celica indeed achieved the goal of being more than a hostel. Since opening, it has become a vibrant part of the local community and a place that connects people from around the world.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.