Urban Gem: Metelkova

A bit off the main tourist square in Ljubljana is one of the most interesting reuses and redefinitions of abandoned space: Metelkova. Housed in an abandoned army barracks formerly used as the headquarters of the Yugoslavian National Army, the space was squatted by a group of artists in 1993 to become Metelkova, which is now a social artisan center. If its artsy and creative, you can find it here - from alternative music to public graffiti and mosaic art to treehouses made out of recycled material. At first if you do not have pink hair or dreads you might feel a bit out of place, but the community is incredibly welcoming and friendly to the random wanderer.
Perhaps the most interesting facet of Metelkova is the Skratova Library, an anarchist library housed in a bus. That should not scare anyone away, for it actually features literature not only on anarchism and politics, but on subjects such as media, women's studies, ecology, gay and lesbian studies and globalism. There are even a good amount of comics lying around. The library is funded through grants and public city funding and is connected to an NGO that focuses on alternative learning methods for children.