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Celje
How did Alma see her hometown of Celje? Let’s stop by her statue and take a look around! Let’s enter the Tourist Information Centre and get to know Alma interactively, while seeing her in illustrations at the MCC (the Celje Youth Centre). Let’s travel with her at the Regional Museum in the exhibition “The Paths of Alma M. Karlin”.
The railway station and the statue of Alma Karlin
Krekov trg
Get on and off the train where Alma Karlin’s paths began and ended. Walk in lockstep with her at her statue. Alma is holding a suitcase with her typewriter. The statue, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of her birth, is the work of Vasko Četkovič.
Hint: Take a photo with Alma and post it on social media with the tags @visit.celje and @lasko_slovenia
Celjski dom
Krekov trg 3
Alma never set foot in the former Nemška hiša (German House), built in Neo-Gothic style between 1905 and 1907, due to the nationalist tensions in the city and between the Slovenian and German branches of her own family. However, as a young girl eager for company, she wished that she too would be allowed to come here for dances.
Hint: In the basement of Celjski dom (entrance from the side street),the Tropical House is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00 and is home to animals like the ones Alma encountered on her travels around the world.
Commemorative Plaque
Ljubljanska cesta 39
At the site where there is now a parking lot, remains of the city walls can be found, dating back to the time of ancient Celeia. In the house located at the so-called Ljubljana Gate of the city, Alma Karlin was born in 1889. In the basement of the house, which was demolished during the Second World War, Alma’s father uncovered a tombstone of a Roman soldier.
Hint: The antiquity of Celje is represented by the exhibition Celeia – City beneath the City in the nearby Princely Palace.
Narodni dom
Trg celjskih knezov 5a
In the immediate vicinity of Alma’s birthplace, between 1895 and 1897, a building was erected that became an important symbol of Slovenian identity during the heightened struggle against the germanization of the city. In her autobiographies, Alma Karlin mentions that the blinds in her home were closed due to friction during the events at the Narodni dom, and she also witnessed a tragic shooting incident.
Celje Regional Museum (Pokrajinski muzej Celje)
Old Counts’ Mansion (Stara grofija), Muzejski trg 1
The permanent exhibition “The Paths of Alma M. Karlin” sheds light on the life and work of the great traveller. The exhibition features items she brought back from her travels around the world. In the Old Counts’ Mansion, the former administrative building of the Counts of Celje, other exhibitions of the Celje Regional Museum are also on display.
The Church of Saint Maximilian of Celeia
Mariborska cesta
Alma Karlin was born on October 12, 1889, the feast day of St. Maximilian, the first Bishop of Celje. Her father, Jakob Karlin, a retired major of the Austro-Hungarian army, was expecting a son, whom he would name Maximilian. When the girl was born, she was christened with the full name Alma Ida Vilibalda Maximiliana. The Church of Saint Maximilian of Celeia in Celje was built at the end of the 15th century.
Mladinski center Celje (Celje Youth Centre)
Mariborska cesta 2
The centre features an exhibition of illustrations entitled ALMA by Sara Filipovič. The visual artist created illustrations inspired by the blog posts of Zala Bojović, a teacher from Celje who, in 2019, embarked on a journey similar to that of Alma Karlin a hundred years earlier. For each destination visited by Zala, Sara drew a postcard. The images of the traveling Alma are displayed on large panels at the MCC.
Prešernova ulica
The street of Alma’s childhood was then named Rotovška ulica. Alma’s memories are marked by the grocery store Pri Ferjenu, where she is said to have made her first independent trip, and where she used to go accompanied by her nanny Mimi.
Hint: If she were alive today, Alma would certainly stop at the Japanese restaurant Otoki on Prešeren Street. Japan was one of her favourite countries! Perhaps she would also enjoy a coffee called Ambitious Coffee, which is served at KofeIn Park on Prešeren Street.
Aškerčeva ulica
The street where Alma’s aunt Ida Baš lived and where Alma often came to visit, was called Vrtna ulica (Garden Street) during her childhood. To this day, the inner courtyard of the street is the site of small gardens in the centre of the city.
