Invitation to a Literature-Inspired Cycling Tour of Ljubljana
As part of the 40th International Literary Festival Vilenica, we are delighted to invite you to a special cycling tour through Ljubljana, taking you past key landmarks of Slovenia’s literary heritage. This event connects movement, urban exploration, and literature, offering space to reflect on the city as a living environment for poets and writers.
📍 Meeting point: Slovene Writers’ Association, Tomšičeva 12, Ljubljana
📅 Date and time: Friday, 5. September at 17:00
Along the way, we will visit several symbolic locations tied to literary creativity:
Slovene Writers’ Association, Trnovo Church, Dane Zajc’s studio, Cukrarna, Metelkova City, and Prešeren Square.
📌 Route description:
We begin in front of the Slovene Writers’ Association on Tomšičeva Street, continuing along Prešernova and Groharjeva, then via Finžgarjeva and Gradaška to Trnovo Church, celebrated in poetry by France Prešeren. From Eipprova we proceed to Krakovski nasip, turn right onto Hradeckega Bridge, cross it, and follow Grudnovo nabrežje to Praprotnikova Street, continuing to Dane Zajc’s studio.
The route then takes us via Prijateljeva to Privoz, then onto Roška, leading us to Cukrarna, today a contemporary arts centre. We continue along Poljanski nasip, across the bridge to Rozmanova, then via Maistrova to Metelkova City. The final part of the route takes us along Masarykova and Miklošičeva to Prešeren Square, where we pay tribute to Slovenia’s greatest poet. We conclude the tour via Wolfova, Congress Square, and Valvasor Square, looping back to Tomšičeva – our starting point.
🌱 Green Vilenica: Literature with a View to the Future
On the occasion of its 40th edition, the Vilenica Festival places special emphasis on the green transition and environmental awareness. In this spirit, we encourage all festival visitors to attend events on foot, by bicycle, or using public transport whenever possible. One of our key goals is to reduce the festival’s carbon footprint, as we believe that literature and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
🗣 Who is it for?
This event is open to everyone – lovers of literature, urban history, the arts, and cycling. The pace will be relaxed and suitable for all, with several stops along the way where we’ll present literary points of interest and their connection to the locations we visit. Participants are also welcome to use the public bike-sharing system.
📝 Registration
To join the cycling tour, please register by 1 September 2025 at the latest by sending an email to [email protected]. In the subject line of your email, please write: CYCLING TOUR. In case of cancellation due to bad weather, registered participants will be notified two days before the event via email.
Join us for this urban literary adventure and experience Ljubljana through the eyes of writers and poets – in a sustainable, cultural, and inspiring way.
The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
