The atmosphere that surrounds Ubud is a mirror of the soul of Bali. Streets dotted with colorful votive offerings and in the distance the sounds of traditional percussion echo in the air: these are the unmistakable signs of the village. Ubud has a long history behind it, dating back more than 1.000 years. For many centuries place of monasteries and sanctuaries, the town has long been an important center for the supply of medicinal herbs and plants: the name Ubud derives from the Balinese word "ubad", which means medicine. Between the 1930s and 1970s, the village began to attract numerous artists, directors and musicians, many of whom settled here, making it their home, interacting with local artists and dancers and contributing to the cultural development of Bali. In 1952, for example, Antonio Blanco, a well-known Spanish-American artist, arrived on the island and chose Ubud as his base where he lived until his death in 1999. In the 1960s another painter, the Dutch Arie Smit, contributed to give a strong boost to the arts: today the Neka Art Museum hosts a pavilion dedicated to him.
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