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It says a lot about Slovenia’s mountains and outdoor destinations that cities and towns are often completely overlooked. Take Celje, Slovenia’s third-largest city, which, despite its size, international visitors often overlook while touring Slovenia.
Surrounded by green countryside and home to a pretty old town, Celje has its fair share of things to see. To show you why even one day in Celje is worth it, here’s what you can see in Celje if you give it a chance.
Getting to Celje
The nice thing about Celje is that you have several options for how you want to visit.
One way is to visit as a day trip from Ljubljana, since it’s a little under 2 hours by bus and a bit over one hour by train. Rent a car, and you can even get there within an hour from the capital.
Maribor is even closer by train, so if you plan on visiting more of Slovenia’s cities and towns, that may work too.
I’d love to recommend a tour for you, but I couldn’t find any. But make your own way there and ask at the tourist information center, as they may be able to help with that.
Where to stay in Celje
While a day trip makes sense, you can also choose to stay one or several nights and use Celje as a base.
Visiting Celje with family, we chose to stay the weekend there, and it made a great base for getting around Slovenia. For our weekend in Celje, we stayed up near Grmada at the Hotel Celjska Koča.
This hillside mountain lodge was nice and comfortable, offering beautiful views and a restaurant with Slovenian cuisine. You will need a car to reach it all the way up the hill, but it’s still close enough to town.
Because of its modest size, there aren’t many other places to stay in Celje, but there are some apartments and hotels to choose from.
Some of the best-rated options include:
Things to do in Celje
Celje isn’t a huge city, but it still has a nice amount to do for a relaxed day trip. I think it’s perfect if you want to escape the crowds around Bled and enjoy Slovenia’s slower pace.
The following are the main things to see in Celje, but I do want to also mention the nearby town of Lasko. That little spa town is home to the Laško Brewery, a beer label you’ll find across the country.
The Old Town of Celje
When you visit Celje, the natural starting point is its Old Town.
While much of Celje is modern these days, its Old Town still holds a kernel of history. Small even compared with Ljubljana’s historical centre, it nonetheless has character. We visited in summer, and it was just so nice buying an ice cream and strolling about its undisturbed streets.
Much of Celje’s architecture wasn’t mind-blowing, but it still had the sense of grandeur you find in central Europe.
Walking through the main streets, you’ll see subtle dignity in buildings like the Old Town Hall above. One building that really makes an impression is the Art Nouveau Celjski Dom, aka the German House. Sadly, I didn’t get a good photo of it, but you can see it here.
Elsewhere in Celje you’ll come across plenty of smaller sights. The town features several churches and statues, not to mention fragments of its old town walls. While I’m not certain, it seems a solid guess that these stone houses also show where the town walls once ran.
Savinja River
Travel around Slovenia long enough, and you’ll come to realize that rivers play a major role in most cities
Ljubljana has the Ljubljanica River, Maribor has the Drava and Celje has the Savinja. Contrasted against green riverbanks and forest, the Savinja River is a truly beautiful sight.
The Town Park runs along the riverbank on the city side, making it a really pleasant place for a stroll. It’s also here that you can get a nice view of Celje Castle, which we’ll get to soon.
The Old Counts Mansion
One of the main sights in the centre of Celje is the town’s Regional Museum.
Housed inside the Old Counts Mansion and the neighbouring Princely Palace, the Celje Regional Museum is a major local landmark. It has ties to the famed Counts of Celje, who shaped Slovenia during the late Middle Ages.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore its local history exhibits. We were happy to admire the pretty portico arcades along the exterior of the Old Counts Mansion, seen above.
I actually first noticed the regional museum while walking through the Town Park. That’s because on the other side of the building you’re met with this beautiful image of ivy crawling up around its windows. I’m always fascinated by scenes of nature trying to reclaim man-made structures, and this kind of image is why.
It looks like the perfect setting for a period drama, right?
Old Celje Castle
Now it’s time to talk about Old Celje Castle, the highlight of a visit to the town, at least for me.
Known in Slovenian as Stari Grad Celje or Celjski Grad, this castle ruin watches over the town from its hilltop perch. Dating from the 12th century and abandoned in the 18th century, we’re all lucky it’s still standing today.
My opinion on castles is firmly established, and this one easily rivals the others I’ve seen in Slovenia.
The old hilltop castle owes its size and importance to the aforementioned Counts of Celje. They enhanced its fortifications and turned it into a fitting residence.
Visiting the castle, you’ll learn its history and hear legends surrounding its residents and buried riches. You also get to explore the grounds, courtyards, walls and towers to see every nook and cranny.
During the warmer months, the Eastern Inner Ward hosts a “Living History” program with archery, fencing, and more. The castle also hosts a medieval festival each August in the central courtyard, as well as concerts.
Something you can enjoy year-round, though, are the phenomenal views of the city. Those views alone are worth the trip if you ask me.
To visit without your own car, it’s either a trip on the #11 bus, or a fair hike from the river.
Grmada
It wouldn’t be a destination in Slovenia without a great place for outdoor activities in nature.
For Celje, that area is the small mountain of Grmada within the hillside south of the city. The peak of Grmada reaches 718 metres, making it a manageable climb up from town.
Throughout the hillside, you’ll find hiking trails and some sealed roads suitable for road-bike cycling. Where you see hiking routes in summer, lie the popular local ski slopes come winter.
Have you ever heard of or wanted to visit Celje before? If you’ve visited the town, what would you add to this Celje travel blog post? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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