Slovenian city of Celje has a population of over 50,000 inhabitants, being the third largest city in Slovenia. It is located along the river Savinja in the heart of the country. Visiting Celje will immediately be impressed by its beautiful setting, surrounded by lush vegetation, parks and forests. Savinja the river crosses the historic town, on his way to join the River Sava.

The old medieval town welcomes us with its restaurants, numerous boutiques, cafes, cobblestone streets and narrow, ultimately, the elegance of a time past that still breathes in Celje. The walls of the old castle overlooking the city. This majestic residence of the last princes and counts of Celje is being restored at this time to recover some of its glory.

In many areas of downtown are magnificent monuments of the time, surrounded by more modern. Because every corner of Celje has a different view. One can stroll along the river, crossing the Regional Museum and the ancient and bustling market, which reflects the energy and vitality of the citizens of Celje. You impress the magnificent facades of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with its wealth of detail.

How to get there?
The Slovenian capital Liubljiana is connected to major European cities via airplane. From Spain you can fly direct to Barcelona from Slovenia. Once there, you can either acercaros road to Celje, perfectly marked, train (Slovenia has a network of very modern and convenient rail) or bus, usually the cheapest means of transport in the country.

History Celje:
Looking back at the history of Celje, we find that the area was inhabited in the Neolithic and even, and later became one of the most important commercial centers of eastern Europe. Celje’s name comes from its original name, Kelleia, an important Celtic settlement in the II and III centuries BC The name changed to Celeia in the Roman period, when the city flourished as an important administrative center. Many Roman remains have been found in and around the city.

Celje power peaked in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when the power of his policy was one of the few that could counteract the influence of the Habsburgs. On April 11th of 1451, Frederick II, Prince of Celje, awarded him the title of city, since being one of the most visited tourist sites holiday in the region. Especially for its magnificent monuments of culture, as the old castle that rises above the city, witness of the history of Celje.

Despite the Turkish raids, fires and the plague, the town soon became one of the richest commercially speaking. After the construction of the railway between Vienna and Trieste, which arrived in Celje in 1846, the town became an important industrial, commercial and cultural. In the period between the World Wars, Celje was the third largest city in the province of Drava.

After World War II, Celje expanded its industry, mainly in chemicals and metallurgy, as well as wood and printing. The proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia in 1991 represented another milestone in the town of Celje.

As a regional center, Celje is home to many institutions, such as an academy of art, theater Celje, numerous musical choruses. Also, it’s always great Museum organizes major exhibitions that are worth visiting, such as those developed at the Museum of Modern History, the Children’s Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art.

This ancient but modern city, in turn, combines many historical places of real interest. Its abundant green areas attract many visitors throughout the year. In the surroundings there are numerous possibilities for hiking, skiing, skating, golf, kayaking, tennis, paragliding and swimming. Several health spas with natural hot springs are located near Celje.

Because of its attractive natural environment, its mild climate and its rich and diverse artistic heritage, Celje always has been a tourist destination very exotic and interesting. Despite not being very familiar with tourism in Europe, hopes to become soon one of the most visited areas of this continent, so every time we see more frequently offers tours to these countries were not doing too quite unknown.