Lectarija – Fragrance of the past!

Lectarija from afar appears to be a museum shop, but a closer look reveals it’s a true curiosity. Every Ljubljana visitor meets the great architect Jože Plečnik and I proudly present to all the Spotted by locals readers what I call his least known project.

Jože Plečnik had a remarkably positive attitude towards tradition, so it is not surprising that he responded to the request in 1939-1939 to draw the plans for the interior of the shop that was going to sell traditional arts. During the next sixty years Lectarija had its highs and lows and was later restored and now has a new life in the Ethnographic Museum (check the Slovene Ethnographic Museum article).

The shop now has handmade traditional products like Idrija lace, wooden and clay products, hand woven goods and hand painted beehive panels among others. There is also some unique jewelry from traditional materials from Slovene designers.

Even if you don’t want to buy anything, this shop is worth seeing. When you enter the main museum doors turn left to find the shop. And don’t worry, you can enter the shop without buying a ticket for the museum.