This library is architect Jože Plečnik’s masterpiece, completed in 1941. To appreciate this great man’s philosophy, enter through the main door (note the horse-head doorknobs) on Turjaška ulica – you’ll find yourself in near darkness, entombed in black marble. As you ascend the steps, you’ll emerge into a colonnade suffused with light – the light of knowledge, according to the architect’s plans.

　　The Main Reading Room (Velika Čitalnica), open to nonstudents only by group tour (adult/child €5/3) in July and August, has huge glass walls and some stunning lamps, also designed by Plečnik.