Art Nouveau 2026, guided tour of Švicarija

10. 6. 2026, MGLC Švicarija

17.30–19.00

On 10 June, we celebrate World Art Nouveau Day. We invite you to join us at Švicarija, where the day will begin at 17.00 with a guided tour of Klara Debeljak's exhibition Stone upon Stone, a Palace, led by Dušan Dovč. The programme will continue from 17.30 to 19.00 with a tour of the renovated Švicarija, formerly Tivoli Hotel, conducted by Marija Režek Kambič and Aleksandra Renčelj Škedelj from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Slovenia (ZVKDS), Ljubljana Regional Unit.

Tivoli Hotel, built in 1910 on the site of the former Švicarija, represents one of the most significant attempts to develop a distinctively Slovenian national architectural style. The idea of creating a recognisable local expression gained particular momentum during the tenure of Ivan Hribar, Mayor of Ljubljana, who was a strong advocate of Slovenian cultural and national identity. Opposed to looking for models for the construction of a modern hotel abroad, he encouraged the city architect Ciril Metod Koch, the author of the plans for the new hotel, to seek inspiration in the motifs of Gorenjska folk architecture. Koch conceived the building as a cohesive whole with a unified style – from its interior furnishings to its exterior appearance and richly articulated architectural and decorative elements. The hotel thus combines the pronounced visual symbolism of the national style, drawing on motifs from the architectural heritage and folklore of Gorenjska, with the characteristics of Art Nouveau architecture found across the wider European region.

Tivoli Hotel also holds an important place as a gathering point for Slovenian artists and other intellectuals, from its opening to the present day, as it houses the Švicarija Residency and Creative Centre.

Free admission.