opening weekend

Program

Map

Info

Visitors

Important information

Infopoints

Throughout the entire weekend, five information points will be available to visitors, where they can obtain all necessary information or purchase official merchandise. Each info point has different opening hours, so we recommend checking their current availability before visiting. The exact locations of the info points are marked on the map of the Opening Weekend.

1. Cultural and Information Centre (KIC)
Opening hours:

  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM

  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Address: Mierové námestie 9
    Merchandise sales: Yes

2. Fleck Coworking (park)
Opening hours:

  • Friday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
    Address: Gen. M. R. Štefánika 3
    Merchandise sales: Yes

3. Booth – St. Anne’s Square
Opening hours:

  • Saturday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
    Address: Námestie sv. Anny
    Merchandise sales: No

4. House of the Army (ODA)
Opening hours:

  • Saturday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Address: Hviezdoslavova 16
    Merchandise sales: Yes

5. Containers near KKC Hviezda
Opening hours:

  • Saturday: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Address: Kniežaťa Pribinu 197/3
    Merchandise sales: No

Gastro 

On Palackého Street, there will be approximately 35 stalls and food trucks offering drinks and food. Visitors can look forward to hot soups, sweet and savory pierogi, coffee, tea, cigánska pečienka served in homemade buns, grilled sausages, potato pancakes with various toppings, grilled encian cheese, tripe perkelt, venison goulash, cabbage strapačky, blood sausages, grilled oštiepok cheese, langoše, mini pancakes, steamed BAO buns, Japanese miso soup, homemade kimchi, sweet and savory French crêpes, local wines from the Small Carpathians, trdelník, podpecníky, bryndza dumplings (bryndzové halušky), strapačky with cabbage and bacon, baked potatoes with bryndza and bacon, cabbage soup (kapustnica), churros, vegan burgers, “not dogs,” quesadillas, burgers, fish and chips, savory Indian parmesan flatbreads, Slovak craft beer—both draft and mulled—Slovak craft lemonades, mulled cherry liqueur (hriata griotka), and hot chocolate.

The gastro zone will be open on February 14 from 10:00 AM to midnight. Heated tents and standing tables will be available. Reusable deposit cups will of course be used. The market will also include waste-sorting stations.

A stage with a program will be part of the area as well.

Special offers are available via app Považie Cultural Pass:

  • Sládkovič Café – Coffee 1+1 free

  • Mgusto – Free mini laskonka with coffee

  • Fúzia – Special cake Tres Leches available

  • Clock BAR – Special mocktail Trenčín 2026 and Trenčín 2026 dessert available

  • Fresh Snack – Free coffee with dessert

  • Poke House – Free coffee throughout the weekend

  • Omar – Free sweet Turkish baklava

  • Pražiarnička – Free coffee with breakfast

  • Coffee LAB – Premium roastery specialties for a symbolic price of €2 (single shot)

  • Poke Trenčín – Free non-alcoholic punch with poke

  • Mestský hostinec – Free coffee with a meal

  • Miškák Café – 10% discount on the total bill

  • Gallery Restaurant – Free glass of white wine with a meal

  • Fatty Patty – Special TRENČÍN 2026 burger available and 20% discount on burgers

  • La Piazzetta – free welcome drink
  • PADDOCK – Castle Rock Drink 2026

More information about app are available on: https://www.regionpovazie.sk/povazsky-kulturny-pas/

 

Transportation

  • Trenčín is easy to reach by both train and coach/bus. We recommend using public transport, as there will be traffic restrictions in the city centre. 
  • Train services: Trenčín lies on the main rail corridor Bratislava – Žilina, with frequent connections throughout the day. 
  • Coach/bus services: Regional and long-distance buses arrive at Trenčín Bus Station (next to the railway station). Regional services will be reinforced on Saturday, 14 February (see Enhanced public transport below). 
  • Timetables: The fastest way to find connections is via www.cp.sk (trains + buses + city transport in one search), or via the website of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK). 
  • From Bratislava Airport (M. R. Štefánik Airport): Take city bus 61 to Bratislava Main Station, then continue by train to Trenčín. More information about airport connections. 
  • From Vienna International Airport: Direct coach connections to Trenčín are available. 

  • ATTENTION – UPDATE: Due to adverse weather, the main Park & Ride is being moved from the airport to the Industrial Park (see the map below). The stop for the free shuttle service (Line P) is also being relocated there.

  • We recommend avoiding car travel through the city centre.

  • Visitors arriving in Trenčín by car are advised to leave the D1 motorway at Exit Trenčín and use the main Park & Ride in the Industrial Park, which will be available on Saturday, 14 February from 08:00 AM to 12:00 AM and will be free of charge. The route from the motorway exit will be signposted, and traffic on site will be managed by police officers and volunteers.

  • From the Park & Ride in the Industrial Park, a free shuttle service (Line P) will operate to the city centre (stop Hasičská).

  • From approximately 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, the shuttle will run every 20 minutes (route: Industrial Park – Hasičská –Bus Station).

  • After 2:00 PM (to 10:30 PM), a second Park & Ride will also be available at the Expo Center exhibition grounds, and the shuttle will extend to the exhibition grounds (route: Industrial Park – Hasičská – Bus Station – Expo Center exhibition grounds); in the afternoon and evening, the interval will be reduced to 15 minutes.

  • Additional parking areas will also be available; as they fill up, traffic will be guided by a team of volunteers. These include parking at the Municipal Swimming Pool and on Ostrov (the Island).

You can leave your car at home. During Opening Weekend, both the red (city) and blue (regional) buses in and around Trenčín will run more frequently. Trenčín 2026, in cooperation with the Trenčín Self-Governing Region and the City of Trenčín, has prepared enhanced public transport for Saturday, 14 February 2026. 

Reinforcements will include Trenčín city transport (MHD) as well as regional bus services. For visitors arriving by car, a dedicated Park & Ride shuttle will run directly to the city centre (stop Hasičská). 

City transport (red buses) 

  • Connections from the largest housing estates Juh and Sihoť will be provided by standard MHD routes operating along Gen. Svobodu – Braneckého and Sihoť IV – Hasičská, approximately every 10 minutes. The highest capacity will be provided on Line 1 and selected trips on Line 8, using articulated (“accordion”) buses. 
  • Service to the Zámostie area will be reinforced by special Line P16 on the route: 
    OC City Park – Bus Station – Hasičská – Istebník – Vinohrady – Záblatie – Zlatovská – Hasičská – Bus Station – OC City Park. 
    The line will run from approx. 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM and will be coordinated with regular Line 16, ensuring a connection every 20 minutes. 
  • In the evening, Line 16 will operate for longer on the Bus Station – Kubrá, námestie section, and night lines N1–N3 will be reinforced with articulated buses. 
  • Standard fares apply on all MHD services (including Line P16). For ticket purchase, we recommend the BUS Trenčín mobile app. 

Regional bus services (blue buses) 

  • Regional services will be reinforced with additional buses on the routes Trenčín – Bánovce nad Bebravou and Trenčín – Dubnica nad Váhom. Extra services will be inserted between regular buses, providing intervals of approximately once per hour towards Bánovce nad Bebravou and every 30–60 minutes towards Dubnica nad Váhom. 
  • The most significant reinforcements will be on services arriving in Trenčín before 6:00 PM. 
  • Additional regional night services will also operate, with a coordinated departure 5 minutes after midnight from stop Hasičská towards Bánovce nad Bebravou and Dubnica nad Váhom. These extra services are included in the CP.sk journey planner; standard fares apply. 

Shuttle service (Line P) 

  • Unlike other routes, the shuttle service will operate free of charge. 
  • From approx. 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, the interval will be 20 minutes, operating on the Industrial Park – Bus Station route. After 2:00 PM (to 10:30 PM), a second Park & Ride at the Expo Center will be available, so the shuttle will be rerouted there; the interval will be reduced to 15 minutes in the afternoon and evening.

During the weekend of 13–15 February 2026, multiple traffic restrictions will be in place in the city centre. Please take them into account even for everyday journeys within Trenčín. Especially on Saturday, 14 February, consider whether using a private car is truly necessary. 

 

Closure of Palackého Street 

  • From Friday, 13 February (6:00 PM) to Sunday, 15 February (4:00 PM), Palackého Street will be closed from the parking garage to the end of the parking area towards Municipal Police. The parking garage will remain open. 

 

Road closures on 14 February 

  • 08:00 AM – 12:00 AM – area around Námestie sv. Anny (St. Anne’s Square) (from Partizánska to Rozmarínová), Horný Šianec Street (between Piaristická and Braneckého), 1. mája Street, and Nešporova Street. Exits from the closed streets (Hviezdoslavova and Horný Šianec) will be limited and managed by traffic marshals based on the movement of the planned parade between 08:00 – 12:00. Entry will not be permitted; we recommend parking nearby and accessing these streets on foot. 
  • 08:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Palackého Street (from Rozmarínová to Hasičská) 
  • 08:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Mierové Square 
  • Matúšova street
    • approx. 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM – temporary closure during the passage of the Fašiangy (Carnival) parade across Mierové Square
    • 12:00 AM – 5:00 PM – street closure due to the transfer of guests to the official programme at Trenčín Castle

Detour routes to the city centre (14 February) 

  • 08:00 AM – 12:00 AM – K dolnej stanici – Piaristická – Súdna 
  • 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM – under the bridge via Hviezda 

 

Parking restrictions 

  • From 8 February (12:00 AM) to 16 February (12:00 AM) – closure of approx. 30 parking spaces near Koliba (Mládežnícka Street) 
  • From 13 February (6:00 PM) to Sunday, 15 February (4:00 PM) – closure of the Palackého parking area; the parking garage can be used without restrictions 
  • Saturday, 14 February (06:00 AM – 12:00 PM) – no parking opposite Retro 
  • Saturday, 14 February (06:00 AM – 12:00 AM) – partial parking restrictions on K dolnej stanici near Seko + Dapa; parking will also not be possible on Námestie sv. Anny, 1. mája Street, and Súdna Street 

 

Temporary MHD replacement stops (Saturday, 14 February, 08:00 AM – 12:00 AM) 

  • Towards the centre: Legionárska – K dolnej stanici (replacement stop near Seko + Dapa) – Piaristická – Súdna – Električná (replacement stop) 
  • From the centre: Hasičská – Električná (replacement stop) – K dolnej stanici – Legionárska 
  • Traffic around closed road sections and in car parks in the city centre will be managed by state and municipal police officers and volunteers. 

On Saturday, 14 February 2026, the Opening Gala Programme of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 will take place on Mierové Square. Due to the increased visitor capacity, a special stage will be built on the square.

From 5 to 18 February, part of the square will be fenced off (marked in red on the map). Trucks and machinery will be moving in the area, so occasional delays should be expected. Access for residents and supply vehicles will be permitted via designated drive-through lanes (marked in green on the map), depending on the current situation and instructions from on-site staff. Standard delivery times and days apply for supply vehicles, with parking reserved for them in the area in front of the City Hall (marked in blue on the map).

Stage construction will generally take place between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM; in the event of adverse weather conditions, work may continue from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Sound checks will take place on 12 and 13 February; please expect increased noise levels in the early evening hours.

In case of increased movement of machinery in the drive-through areas, please use the entrance and exit from the Synagogue side (Hviezdová Street). Before reaching the barrier, please call the municipal police at 159.

Important: From 13 to 15 February, vehicle access will not be possible at all (neither for residents nor for businesses, including deliveries). Please prepare in advance and use long-term parking, which is free from Friday 4:00 PM to Monday 8:00 AM, for example near the Statistical Office, on Martina Rázusa Street, or at Madova near the railway station. Given the expected increase in visitor numbers, we cannot guarantee available parking spaces at these locations.

Thank you for your consideration—this is a unique event that will not be repeated in this form in Trenčín. We believe we can manage it together and warmly invite you to enjoy the programme of the Opening Weekend. By personally choosing to limit vehicle access and transit in this area, you can help ensure a smoother course of events and a higher-quality experience for everyone.

Accessibility

  • On Saturday, 14 February, we will have a designated area at Mierové Square for visitors with disabilities, so they can comfortably enjoy the main highlight of the Opening Weekend – the Gala Programme: Manifest Trenčín 2026. From this area, you will be able to follow:
    • 12:30 Opening of the programme in the city centre: The City as a Stage 
    • 18:00 Gala Programme: Manifest Trenčín 2026 
    • 20:30 Concert: Jana Kirschner, Štefan Štec, Military Band Banská Bystrica and Nina Kohout
  • Where the area is located: on the left-hand side in front of the stage (as seen from the stage).
  • Recommended arrival: we recommend arranging a ride and drop-off near Hotel Elizabeth.
  • To enable us to contact you with organisational details, please register via the online form.

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