The archaeological exhibition site - Town Beneath Today's Town in the cellars of the Princely Palace is the largest presentation so far of the remains of Roman Celeia in situ. Its silent yet picturesque testimony invites you to walk among its ancient walls bearing witness to the town’s rich history.

The favourable, protected position along a bend of the Savinja River, rich hinterland of the Savinja Valley and the intersection of trade routes attracted our ancestors to inhabit the area of present-day Celje as early as in prehistoric times. The oldest settlement on Miklavž Hill is known from the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age (9th to 6th century B.C.), while the Celtic Tauri tribe established one of their important centres on a terrace of Miklavž Hill above the town park in the late Iron Age. The remains of a silver coin mint among other things testify of this Celtic settlement.

In 15 B.C. the kingdom of Noricum, and the oppidum of Celeia being its part, was annexed to the Roman state. During the rule of Emperor Claudius (41-54 A.D.) in the period when Noricum became a Roman procuratorial province, Celeia was one of the first in the province to acquire the status of municipium (independent town), with the full name of the Municipium Claudium Celeia. In the following two centuries town reached its greatest expansion and also physical growth. During the late classical period, Celeia became significantly smaller, and after the turn of the 6th century, the once flourishing town was hardly ever mentioned.

Romantic, enticing, magnificent, dark, frightening – the Old Castle of Celje. It is a must-see sight for all visitors to Celje regardless of where they are from. A mighty walled caste towering over the city is sure to leave you speechless. Once you visit it, it will stay in your memories forever.

The earliest written record of the Old Castle of Celje dates from 1323. Its image used to be much more modest as it only comprised of a Romanesque palladium with the rampart. The Castle took its present form later when it came into the possession of the Counts of Celje, the most famous and most important ruling family on the territory of present-day Slovenia. They expanded their authority and political power deep into then Europe and were thus masters of the destiny of a broader geographical area. Frederick I was the first to move to the Old Castle of Celje with his wife and four children. After moving in, he fundamentally transformed the Castle and enlarged it into a comfortable residence. Later on, the Castle gradually expanded. Around 1400, the Counts also erected a four-storey defence tower on a nearby hill that was subsequently referred to as Frederick’s Tower and the defence wall that have been preserved until today. The tower was named after Frederick II who was imprisoned there. The Dynasty of the Counts of Celje ended with the death of the last male member, Ulrich II.

When the Castle was renovated, it also obtained a modern Tourist Information Centre and Veronika Café and turned into an attractive tourist site offering a wonderful view of the city and the surrounding countryside. At the Tourist Information Centre, visitors can obtain leaflets and other materials on the Castle, Celje and its surrounding and the sights and various events. Various souvenirs and products of arts and crafts can also be purchased.

Every last Saturday in August, the Celje Old Castle is the venue of a traditional medieval festival "Dežela Celjska vabi" ("Land of Celje invites"). Throughout the summer, the program Live History taking place there offers an immersive experience as the visitors can become a part of “alive” history and take part in sword fights with knights, shoot with bows, flirt with the princesses, unleash their creativity in medieval workshops, etc.

His parents owned a photographic studio in Prague and moved to Tarvisio, where there was a vacant place for photography. There the young Pelikan first came across photography that let a lifelong mark in his career. After his mother's death and his father's remarriage, the family moved to Idrija in 1894, and the son began to learn more about his father's art of photography, which included not only the technique of dry, factory-made, but also home-made, wet photographic plates, which gave photos a more beautiful tone. At a Falcon performance in Brežice, Josip met the girl he married in 1910 and founded a modest photographic studio in the town. Two years later, Pelikan set up a new house with a studio in Idrija and became independent. In 1920, he moved to Celje, to the house of Prof. Jarc, which was connected to the studio of the former Celje photographer Lenz. He bought the house with the studio and Celje thus became the centre of his photographic creativity until his death.

Already on May 4, 1910, he was issued a photographic license, and for 67 years he performed the role of the visual memory of his environment, most of that time in Celje and the surrounding area. He has trained many excellent photographers, and his extensive photographic opus covers all the major events of his time; both world wars, the birth and collapse of countries, events and personalities, and in quieter times he often devoted himself to the beauty of nature - especially the mountain world. His extensive photographic legacy, which is kept in parts by many institutions in Celje and, in particular, by the Museum of Contemporary History of Celje, represents a true legend of Celje photography and is renowned for exceptional quality.