Ljubljana

What do you do with old barracks in a fine urban location? Tear them down is what the city of Ljubljana thought in the early 1990s. They wanted something new and chic on metelkova ulica next to the railway station – the reflexes of local politicians are apparently the same everywhere. But, something else happened in Ljubljana. The buildings were occupied by squatters and an extensive, alternative cultural centre arose that retained some of its original “wild” character.

It was saved from the wrecking ball by the fact that it became a tourist attraction, and not just for a handful of freaks. A group of artists managed to open the door just a tad to commerce; just enough as was necessary to create a beacon that even official Ljubljana can show off. The prison in which the victims of three dictators (Mussolini, Hitler and Tito) were caged was converted. State subsidies were even provided for it, Tanja Lipovec, the project manager of the hostel explains to me.

Today, guests can sleep in the former cells; each of them is a tiny, exclusive work of art furnished by a renowned artist or architect. The prison was turned into the “hippest hostel,” as the Lonely Planet pronounces. “Hip” means money. The house with 90 beds has better capacity figures than any hotel in Ljubljana, says Lipovec, and it is by no means purely a “youth hostel.”

Even 50, 60 and 70-year olds like to lay their heads down behind original prison bars that contrast starkly with the appealing designer furnishings. How does this all fit in with the rest of the cultural centre where intellectuals and artists work by day and that mutates to a big party by night? I will find out more about it next week.