The one-time home of Kranj native and lifelong resident Leopold Layer (1752-1828), a prolific Slovene painter, has recently been transformed into a beautiful multi-use arts space, which features a cool café with sweeping views over the old town walls, a museum with several permanent exhibitions, and even a few gorgeous residences that are intended primarily by visiting artists but can also be hired by tourists. The first-floor museum is divided into three parts, with one room boasting walls covered in restored 19th-century frescoes, another showcasing an impressive collection of works by Layer himself, while the third is devoted to the life and work of Janez Puhar, who was a pioneer of early photography and is credited with inventing a novel method of capturing images on glass in 1841. Elsewhere in the house there is a small gift shop that stocks some unique souvenirs, and there is also additional space for workshops, lecture and other events.
