424

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp446–7 and pp448–9

SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

The green expanses of Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park

Tivoli Park 6
Park Tivoli

Celovska cesta. Map C1 & C2.

Nov–Mar: 8am–3pm Mon–Sat;

Apr–Oct: 8am–5pm Mon–Sat.
International Graphic Arts Centre
Tivolski grad. Tel (01) 241 3800.

11am–6pm Wed–Sun. &

http://www.mglc-lj.si. National Museum
of Contemporary History
Celovška cesta 23. Tel (01) 300

9610. 
      

      10am–6pm daily.

      
      

      & http://www.muzej-nz.si. Cankar
      Memorial Room Cankarjev vrh 1.
      Tel (01) 241 2506. # Apr–Oct:
      11am–6pm Sat & Sun. ¢ Nov–
      Mar. &

      
      

To the west of the National
Gallery (see p423) stretches
Tivoli Park, a well-tended
expanse of lawns and trees
much loved by locals and visi-
tors alike. The park’s main ave-
nue, Jakopičevo sprehajališče,
is lined with display stands
that regularly show art and
photo graphy exhibitions. At
the end of the avenue stands
Tivoli Castle (Tivolski grad),
an 18th-cen tury villa that
now houses the excellent
International Graphic Arts
Centre (Mednarodni grafični
likovni centre). As well as
organizing the Ljubljana
Biennale of Graphic Arts, held
in autumn every odd-num-
bered year, the centre also
hosts exhibitions of posters,
prints and drawings.
On the northern edge of the
park is the stately Baroque
Sequin Castle (Cekinov grad),
housing the National Museum
of Contemporary History

National Museum 8

Narodni muzej

Prešernova 3. Map D2.

# 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. &

= http://www.narmuz-lj.si

The National Museum actually

comprises two museums: a

small but spectacular archaeo-

logical collection in one wing

and a natural history collec tion

in the other. Housed since

1888 in the grand Rudolfinum

build ing, the museum fea tures

an impres sive staircase over-

looked by beautiful frescoes

of cavorting muses.

The ground floor contains

an extensive collection of

expressively carved funerary

monuments from the Roman

settlement of Emona, together

with a gilded bronze statue of

a young male aristocrat.

Ancient Egypt is represented

by an intriguing 6th-century

BC coffin of the priest Isahta,

decorated with brightly

painted hieroglyphs.

The upstairs galleries

display Stone Age pottery,

Copper Age vessels and

imple ments from the Ljubljana

marshes, along with Celtic

weaponry and jewel lery. The

most valued item on display

(Muzej novejše zgodovine

Slovenije). The museum chro -

nicles the history of 20th-cen-

tury Slovenia in multi media

form, using film foot age to

bring each period to life.

Rising above the western

end of the park is a series

of wooded hills, including

the 391-m (1,283-ft) high

Rožnik Hill, a pop ular des-

tination for hikers. Reached

by a network of well-sign-

posted tracks, the hill is

topped by the Church of St

Mary’s Visitation. Down hill

from the church is the Pri

Matiji Inn, once the home

of famous novelist Ivan

Cankar (1876–1918). The

nearby Cankar Memorial

Room (Spominska soba

Ivana Cankarja) displays

his writing desk and perso-

nal possessions.

Modern Gallery 7

Moderna galerija

Tomšičeva 14. Map D2. Tel (01) 241

6800. 
      

      10am–6pm Tue–Sun.

      
      

      http://www.mg-lj.si

      
      

The interesting Modern

Gallery contains the national

collection of 20th-century

art, along with paintings

and sculptures from several

other former Yugoslav

republics. Slovenia was at

the forefront of modernism

in the years following World

War I and the movement

is represented here by the

Constructivist works of artist

Avgust Černigoj and his poet

collaborator Srečko Kosovel.

More fascinating still is the

work of the contemporary

group Irwin, who mix

avant-garde art and extreme

political symbolism to

create a series of ironic

statements on the nature

of national identity.

Magnificent staircase decorated

with sculptures, National Museum