We've mentioned how the east European town Ljubljana has been heralded as the new Prague, the newest town where American expatriates venture hoping to find the Paris of the 20s, the Prague in the 80s, where artists and writers gather at coffee houses to meditate and ruminate on art and politics. Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, the elegant, and rapidly growing little East European country at the foothills of the Alps.

Well lots of people have been writing about Ljubljana and we'd figure we'd share a couple of these pieces with you. For example, Lonely Planet's Bluelist, a book we reviewed a short while ago, mentions that "Among the world's most unusual places to stay is the Hostel Celica in Slovenia. The former prison in Ljubljana has had each of its cells renovated by a different artist and turned into accommodation of a very different kind. The barbed wire on the walls and the bars on the windows have been retained, and despite the hip makeover, it's still quite eerie - some say all prisons are haunted, so if you want to take your chances, then check in. Just don't drop your soap in the shower block"

Another piece that we posted about a few days ago mentions Ljubljana as a beautiful, clean, crisp and civilised place. And the Belfast Telegraph also heralds Ljubljana's charm. Good stuff, all, and I confess I've now placed the city on my own list of places I have to go.

Filed under: History, Learning, Slovenia