On occasion of the 8th February, the Slovenian Cultural Day, the Tourist Board Kranj organises one of the biggest events – the Prešeren Fair.
Since 2003, we have organised this event, based on the heritage of fairs, wishing to contribute to the cultural and tourist revival of the Kranj old town core. For one day, our town goes back into the first half of the 19th century, when our greatest poet, Dr. France Prešeren, lived and worked in Kranj. The professionals from the Museum of Gorenjska offer their indispensable help to us.

The period of Prešeren is represented by cultural programme, performed by numerous cultural societies, folklore groups, choirs and musicians from all over Slovenia. There are actors and members of folklore groups, walking along the streets of Kranj, dressed and hair dressed according to the fashion of the 19th century. Moreover, the streets would not feel right without the traditional street musicians – the hurdy-gurdy men.

Every year the curators of the Museum of Gorenjska prepare interesting open guidance to the current exhibitions, but they also remember the youngest - with variegated programme. They also take care for the permanent exhibition in the Prešeren Memorial Museum, which is open for public free of charge on that day, as are all the other museums in town.

More than 50 exhibitors present their offer on stalls with arts and crafts. Many of them present the way of manufacturing as well.

Visitors can decide for a ride through the old town core with horse drawn carriages, in the Josef Blasnik printing works they can get a print of the censored Prešeren’s poem Zdravljica.

There are still some inns in the old Kranj, which also Prešeren was visiting in his time. They will not offer you only typical local dishes, but numerous old social games, which were popular among town people and visitors already in those times. There is also a traditional recitation of Prešeren’s poems – by artists as well as by visitors, who are courageous enough to perform. By the poet’s monument in front of the Prešeren Theatre, numerous choirs – that paid his respect already on the previous evening - sing his verses.

Apart by large numbers of visitors and their satisfaction, we have been rewarded also by entering the finals of the European Destinations of Excellence EDEN 2008, and by the visits of our president, Dr. Danilo Türk, and Majda Širca, Minister of Culture.

The Prešeren Fair with its offer is a good reason for a visit.

Tourist board Kranj

The Kranj house

Poslovne strani

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