he closing weekend of Trenčín 2026 European Capital of Culture and travel comfortably to culture by train!
🎭 Programme in the special Cultural Express carriage
During the journey, the carriage will host a varied accompanying programme for children and adults alike.
-
Blue Post – workshop with Marianna Ambrušová (28–29 November) – create an original postcard that literally comes to life thanks to a digital surprise.
-
Jobusovky – a literary and musical programme with Braňo Jobus (28–29 November) – crazy stories, unforgettable characters led by Ancijáš the Mouflon, and plenty of songs.
-
Poems on Request with Šimon Ondruš Pisár (28–29 November) – take home an original poem written especially for you.
-
Babadlo Theatre: The Ugly Duckling (29 November only) – a playful puppet performance inspired by Andersen’s famous fairy tale. Duration: 40 minutes. Suitable for children aged 3 and over.
You can find more about the individual activities below in the Programme Information section.
📅 What can you look forward to each day?
Saturday, 28 November | Bratislava – Košice
-
Blue Post – an interactive art workshop with Marianna Ambrušová
-
Jobusovky – a literary and musical programme with Braňo Jobus
-
Poems on Request – original poetry with Šimon Ondruš Pisár
Sunday, 29 November | Košice – Bratislava
-
Blue Post – an interactive art workshop with Marianna Ambrušová
-
Jobusovky – a literary and musical programme with Braňo Jobus
-
Babadlo Theatre: The Ugly Duckling – a puppet show for children and adults
-
Poems on Request – original poetry with Šimon Ondruš Pisár
The Cultural Express is part of the closing festival City Fiesta, taking place from 27 to 29 November 2026 as the grand shared finale of Trenčín’s year as European Capital of Culture 2026.
Programme Information
💌 Blue Post: Send a greeting from the train that comes to life! (28–29 November)
What if a postcard could contain more than just a written message? Set off on a creative journey where traditional post meets the digital world!
In visual artist Marianna Ambrušová’s interactive Blue Post workshop, children and adults will create an original postcard unlike anything you could buy in a shop. Using stamps, stencils and stickers, they will experiment with geometric shapes and different shades of blue.
But the creative process does not end there! At a second station, participants will compose a playful image from magnetic shapes, incorporating their own face into the artwork. The resulting photograph will then become a digital surprise hidden behind a QR code on the postcard.
All you need to do is add your own secret password and send the postcard to someone close to you. After scanning the code and entering the password, the recipient will discover a unique image created during your train journey.
Come and create, experiment and send a piece of your journey onward. Because even an ordinary postcard can hide an extraordinary story!
The workshop is suitable for both children and adults.
🎸 Jobusovky – a literary and musical programme with Braňo Jobus (28–29 November)
What can happen when imagination starts running at full speed? Hop aboard the train and enter a world of crazy stories, unforgettable characters and songs with Braňo Jobus!
Writer, musician and storyteller Braňo Jobus will bring his literary and musical programme Jobusovky to the Cultural Express. He will talk about his books — 29 of them to date — introduce their distinctive heroes and accompany his storytelling with songs.
The legendary Ancijáš the Mouflon will also make an appearance, having travelled from the pages of the books all the way to the stage of the Slovak National Theatre. And who knows what other fantastic characters may appear along the journey?
Get ready for a generous dose of humour, music and imagination! With Braňo Jobus, even an ordinary train journey can become an extraordinary adventure.
The programme is suitable for both children and adults.
✍️ Poems on Request with Šimon Ondruš Pisár (28–29 November)
What if you could take home a poem written especially for you from your train journey?
Cult street poet Šimon Ondruš Pisár will board the Cultural Express to compose made-to-order verses for passengers on the spot. Simply give him a topic, thought or mood, and he will transform it into an original poem.
Let yourself be surprised by words created right there during the journey. They may make you laugh, they may move you, but one thing is certain — you won’t be able to buy a souvenir like this anywhere else.
Hop aboard, make your request and let poetry carry you away!
🦢 Babadlo Theatre: The Ugly Duckling (29 November)
What if true beauty is hidden where we least expect it? And what might hatch from an ordinary travel suitcase?
Mrs Hortenzia Swanová is returning from holiday, but gets a little lost along the way. Her suitcase contains seemingly ordinary objects that come to life before the audience’s eyes and gradually tell the familiar story of the ugly duckling.
Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale takes on a playful and poetic form in a production by Babadlo Theatre from Prešov. A little duckling who does not fit in anywhere sets out on a journey in search of acceptance, friendship and its own place in the world. Its transformation is accompanied by the beautiful music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the ballet Swan Lake.
Hop aboard the Cultural Express and discover a story that reminds us that true beauty lies not in how we look, but in who we are.
Duration: 40 minutes
Recommended age: 3+
🚆 A journey that is an experience in itself
The Cultural Express is an invitation to experience travel a little differently. Whether you join a creative workshop, listen to Braňo Jobus’s songs, have a poem written especially for you or immerse yourself in a fairy-tale world, a journey full of memorable experiences awaits you.
Hop aboard the Cultural Express and experience a journey where the destination is not the most important thing — it is everything that happens along the way!
