On the ground floor, traditional artisanal and contemporary creative activities intertwine. Open spaces are enlivened by education, networking events, and during warmer months, the space connects with the old town street, offering opportunities for smaller events. The Creative Center Čuk is intended for the storming of ideas, fostering entrepreneurship, and facilitating an easier takeoff for market breakthroughs. BUSINESS SPACES: On the first floor, there are 6 offices designed for companies with innovative products and those involved in creative industries. In this way, we connect two segments that complement each other and grow together. The offices are managed by the Municipality of Velenje. SAŠA INCUBATOR COWORKING: In the attic of the building, there are 14 workstations available for innovative individuals and teams who are still in the early stages of developing entrepreneurial ideas, independent entrepreneurs, and young startups.

The content introduced will contribute in the long term to the content revitalization of this part of the city of Velenje and raise its recognition. The Urban Office, located in the building, is responsible for improving the management of the old town core, which will contribute to more efficient use of space and a better everyday life in Old Velenje. After the comprehensive renovation, the area gained a beautiful square with a view of Velenje Castle, reviving the old town atmosphere in this oldest part of our city, which this area once had. Conditions for events that have already taken place in this space have been improved. Additionally, a new public space has been acquired, which, with its attractiveness and functionality, has connected the old part of the city with the new part, attracted new providers, visitors, and thus contributed to the overall revitalization of this degraded area.

In Villa Bianca, there are three different business spaces available for rent: Bianca Attic: A modernly equipped space on the top floor of the villa, accommodating up to 50 visitors. The space is suitable primarily for meetings, symposiums, seminars, congresses, educational workshops, fairs, conferences, presentations, training sessions, etc. The conference hall is modernly equipped. Bianca Hall: A beautiful hall with unique acoustics, where you can set up 70 chairs, and visitors can also occupy the balcony. The space is primarily suitable for weddings, cultural events, press conferences, etc. The proper atmosphere for various cultural events (concerts, theater and puppet shows), weddings, and business events is created by the festive interior, where old architectural elements meet modern materials and forms, with rich details and sculptural accents. Bianca Gallery: A gallery space on the ground floor of the villa. The space serves as an exhibition or sales gallery, for organizing promotional events, receptions, etc.

At this location, you can host a birthday party, invite business partners, or create an unforgettable breakfast or dinner for your loved ones. Since the venue also serves as a ceremonial space (wedding hall), you can also host receptions there. You are warmly invited to satisfy your taste buds.

Šili homemade pasta tells the story of a small family business born out of a great love for food preparation and cooking. They entered the market in 2013 under the name Šili Pasta. Šili is derived from their surname Šilc, and the idea was contributed by their grandfather, who has been their biggest supporter from the very beginning. In his memory, they decided to keep this name. They use high-quality natural ingredients from controlled cultivation. The basis for the pasta is always hard durum wheat of characteristic golden color and fresh eggs from free-range farming. The palette of colors, shapes, and flavors is already very wide and expands every year. The specialty in pasta making is certainly natural drying. The pasta goes through hands from the machine, carefully inspected and placed on wooden racks, then undergoes a natural drying process that lasts up to 48 hours. This imparts a wonderful scent and taste of homeliness, which is preserved until packaging, opening the package, and consumption. They continuously supplement their knowledge and always listen to the wishes of their customers. They are aware that they have high-quality pasta, which they can only maintain through boutique production and sales. The Šili family makes everything by hand and with heart. Their packages evoke a great sense of warmth, authenticity, and homeliness, something that truly no industrially produced food possesses. Their pasta has also been awarded the ArtCraft Slovenia certificate, which assures the buyer that it is truly a natural and homemade product.

Lan Marcel Koželjnik is not yet twenty years old, but he started his career entrepreneurially and found his place in the revitalized old town center. He completed his secondary hairdressing school in Celje, where he did not train as a barber because they did not teach that in his generation, he says. He gained knowledge on his own, and as he says, he gained the most in the barbershop with the older barber in Zadar, Croatia, and then he had a short time renting a chair in a hair salon in Šoštanj. Now he's on his own. He has arranged a very pleasant shop where men can tie their souls with a glass of strong drink while waiting for the service, listening to jazz, soul, and blues, and then surrendering to the grooming of their appearance and calming down, as one of them said. A man who decides to wear a mustache and/or a beard - and they have been in fashion for some time - must also take care of it, and it is easier and more pleasant if it is done by a barber.

Opening Hours MON - SAT: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM SUN - 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS The Municipality of Velenje and the Youth Center Velenje announced a tender on December 23, 2022, for the lease of a property, specifically for a restaurant with an adjoining terrace in the Bakery of Ideas. In accordance with this tender, I became the lessee of the new café, which we named Café Old Square. In Old Velenje, together with the employees, I will try to revive the Old Square with pastries prepared according to old recipes and those already known in the Šaleška Valley and beyond.

Jože Rihtar has rich knowledge and experience in mining, as he pursued his professional career as a miner at the Velenje Coal Mine. He often ventures into various quarries and abandoned mines, attends fairs, and actively collaborates with other collectors both domestically and internationally. As a result of his hobby, a unique collection of minerals from around the world has grown over the past 40 years. In addition to the rich mineral collection, the exhibition also features a geological collection of precious and semi-precious decorative stones, which transport the visitor into a special world of colors, shapes, and energies. Attention is also drawn to the building itself, which houses the House of Minerals. The building, adorned with a rich facade in the Neo-historicist style, while the interior staircase with beautifully ornamented cast iron railing, is monumentally protected. It is dated to the second half of the 19th century, on the site where in the 16th century stood the chaplain's house, where the first school in Velenje was founded in 1574. Since the second half of the 19th century, the building served as a residential-commercial object; families lived there, it served as the seat of municipal offices, gendarmerie, and ultimately also the police. Today, in the building at Stari trg 19, besides the House of Minerals, it is also the seat of the Old Velenje Community.

Mission: The mission of the Velenje Book Foundation is to provide moral, organizational, and professional support for the preservation, development, and growth of the book culture in the Velenje area and beyond. Additionally, the foundation aims to encourage patronage and other forms of support for its activities, focusing on cultural, research-based, literary, linguistic-cultural, and other book-related content. Activities: Flexibility in Publishing Policy: The foundation promotes flexibility in accepting and implementing high-quality publishing policies in the Velenje and Šaleška cultural areas and beyond. Excellence in Publishing Activities: It strives to achieve and maintain excellence in book publishing activities by producing artistic, scientific-research, or professional-publicist content in the Velenje and Šaleška cultural areas and beyond. Flow of Ideas and Collaboration: The foundation fosters the flow of ideas, information, and collaboration among authors to enhance creativity and innovation. National and International Publishing Cooperation: It promotes national and international cooperation in book publishing to broaden the reach and impact of its activities. Promotion of Book Culture: The foundation encourages the development of contemporary artistic, professional, and linguistic literacy, thereby fostering book culture. Promotion of Literary Culture: It promotes literary, book-publishing, reading, and linguistic culture in the Velenje and Šaleška areas and beyond. Literary and Cultural Events: The foundation organizes literary-cultural-educational events to promote high-quality contemporary fiction in various regions, including Velenje, Šaleška, the 03-region, Slovenia, and internationally. Educational Programs: It implements educational and promotional programs to enhance reading culture and distribute books produced by the foundation. Specific Activities Include: Publishing and publishing activities Organization of local, regional, national, and international cultural-artistic, educational, and exhibition events Charitable activities with cultural actions and book gifts Research and experimental development in social sciences and humanities Allocation of funds for specific purposes in accordance with the foundation's objectives Promotion and publication of high-quality books and magazines in the fields of fiction and humanities Promotion of Velenje book production and authors Collaboration and networking in the field of books, particularly in presenting Velenje authors nationally and internationally Development of reading culture Integration of the foundation's book production into bookstore and library networks nationwide Collaboration with similar Slovenian and international institutions Cooperation with local and governmental organizations influencing the position and development of books Professional tasks related to the foundation's mission and objectives Through these activities, the Velenje Book Foundation aims to contribute to the enrichment and advancement of book culture in the region and beyond.

In these almost thirty years of operation, the florists of Cvetličarna Meta have continuously strived to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. Their range includes a wide variety of bouquets, arrangements, and decorations for various occasions, whether happy or more sombre events. They specialize in decorating weddings, baptisms, parties, and funerals, where their floral masterpieces add a special charm to the event. They rely on high-quality and fresh flowers and the experienced hands of florists who have years of experience in arranging flowers. Additionally, they offer gift arrangement services, where customers can choose and personalize gift arrangements according to their wishes. This allows customers to express their emotions and feelings uniquely and specially. Cvetličarna Meta remains true to its tradition while also following modern trends and customer preferences. With their friendly and professional approach and high-quality offering of flowers and services, they have gained the trust and favor of customers and become an indispensable part of the local community in Stari Velenje.

The workshop is located in the Creative Center Čuk, at Stari trg 11. The building is situated at the entrance to the old town center. If you are coming from Villa Bianca, you just need to turn left around the building. Upon entering through the doors of the shoemaker's workshop, you can see a wide variety of footwear. Additionally, you may find a handbag or another interesting item that requires refurbishment. While enjoying a friendly chat, you can also learn some interesting stories from Old Velenje. The company is part of a long-standing family tradition. During the conversation, you can take a look around the workshop and see numerous tools and machines, some of which have archival value. You are welcome to visit!