Celje: Roman Heritage and Active Routes

Celje offers different ways to explore history and enjoy outdoor activities: Roman and Late Antique traces, collections in historic buildings, and routes for walks and cycling. You can tailor your stay to the topics that interest you most.

Roman and Late Antique Traces

The Celje archaeological site traces the development from the Celtic settlement of Keleia to the Roman municipium of Claudia Celeia. You can visit part of the site in the public exhibition “Mesto pod mestom,” where ancient roads, mosaics, and architecture are on display. The Princely Palace, Knežji dvor, was built on Roman foundations. In its basement rooms, you can experience the largest in-situ presentation of the remains of Roman Celeia, covering more than 1,000 m².

The Early Christian baptistery is a rare surviving and confirmed example of Late Antique religious architecture in Slovenia. Prepared as an archaeological monument, it offers insight into one of the oldest pieces of evidence of Christianity in the country. Visiting arrangements for the archaeological site and baptistery may change, so check the latest information before your visit.

Museums and Cultural Sites

Stara grofija is a Renaissance palace and home to the Celje Regional Museum. The Celje Ceiling is a rare example of secular illusionistic painting in Slovenia. The two sites highlight different aspects: the history of a historic building on the one hand, and a distinctive form of painting on the other.

Since 2014, the house in Pečovnik has been open as the Alma M. Karlin Memorial House, featuring the permanent exhibition “The Lonely Journey of Alma M. Karlin.” Visitors can see authentic living spaces, personal belongings, photographs, and documents. Photo House Pelikan, built in 1899, is a branch of the Museum of Recent History Celje. The house has a preserved skylight studio where photography is still possible. The “V gosteh pri fotografu Pelikanu” program also includes portrait photography in the glass photo studio.

Celje Castle is the largest medieval castle in Slovenia. During the warmer months, it hosts living history programs with cultural and historical societies from across Slovenia. For culture enthusiasts, Celje thus brings together archaeological evidence, museum visits, and a seasonal history program, although these attractions do not all cover the same period.

Routes and Seasonal Activities

There are 14 km of well-maintained walking trails in Celje City Forest. The treehouse there hosts creative workshops, concerts, poetry evenings, and exhibitions. In the city park, a newly created walking path runs along a lime tree-lined avenue. The White Trail in the city park is suitable for walkers, runners, and cyclists, as well as pets.

At Celjska Koča, activities vary by season: in winter, there is a ski area and a toboggan run; in summer, numerous hiking and cycling trails are available. The summer bobkart run, “Celjski dirkač,” is 800 m long. As seasonal operations may vary, check the latest information before your visit.

There is also a specific route for a cycling trip: the cycling route from Celje to Laško starts at the Park and Ride car park and is 12 km long. Most of it runs along a cycle path on the left bank of the Savinja. When planning activities for your stay, you can distinguish this designated cycling route from the walking trails in the city forest and the activities at Celjska Koča.

Getting There and Getting Around

Celje railway station is close to the old town and provides a clear point of reference for your arrival. For getting around the city, the Centralka city card and app brings together parking fee payments, city transport ticket purchases, and bike rental.

Discover more destinations: Celje, Vojnik, Štore, Dobrna, Nova Cerkev, Videm, Postojna, Trebnje.

Go to the main travel overview: Slovenia.