National and University Library of Slovenia, National and university library in Ljubljana, Slovenia
The National and University Library of Slovenia, known as NUK, is the central library of the country, located in the heart of Ljubljana. The building has a facade of brick and stone blocks, and inside, a central staircase lined with black marble columns leads up to bright reading rooms.
The library was founded in 1774 by a decree of Empress Maria Theresa, using books from a dissolved Jesuit college in Ljubljana as its starting collection. The current building was completed in the mid-20th century, replacing the older premises the library had occupied before.
The library is commonly known by its abbreviation NUK, which most Ljubljana residents use in everyday conversation. Rotating exhibitions display medieval manuscripts and early printed books that visitors can view up close.
The building is on Turjaška Street in central Ljubljana and easy to reach on foot from most of the city center. Allow enough time to walk through the interior at a relaxed pace, as the staircase and reading rooms are worth seeing slowly.
The entrance doors have bronze Pegasus heads as handles, a detail that many visitors only notice after someone points it out. The building was designed by Jože Plečnik, the architect who also shaped much of Ljubljana's public spaces and bridges during the same period.
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