BIEN 2025 _ EXHIBITION LOCATIONS AND OPENING HOURS

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BIEN 2025 _ VISITING INFO

Cities and exhibition opening dates

Kranj is our base; it is the third-largest city in Slovenia and home to Layer House https://layer.si, the cultural center where everything began. Layer House also serves as the INFO point for the biennial, featuring a cozy café, residency spaces, and galleries. 

• Opening date: Saturday, May 31, 16:00-20:00 (with activities throughout the day). The ETA Award will also be announced on this day.  
  Location: Layer House, Tomšičeva 32, Kranj
• Opening week program: Events will take place from Friday, May 30, to Sunday, June 1, and throughout the first week of June. If you’re interested in textile crafting, be sure to check out the reTHREAD program: https://layer.si/bien/en/kr/rethread/

Jesenice is a fascinating small city near the Austrian border. Once a major steel industry hub, it has great potential to evolve beyond its industrial legacy.

• Opening date: Wednesday, June 4, 18:00-20:00
  Location: from Dolik exhibition salon, Cesta Maršala Tita 21, Jesenice, to Stara Sava Museum Area

Idrija is a UNESCO-listed town known for its lace heritage and mercury mining industry. 

• Opening date: Saturday, June 7, 17:00-20:00
  Location: from Jožef Shaft – Pr´ Kajzer and Mercury Smelting Plant
• If you are interested in lace heritage, don’t miss the Idrija Lace Festival June 13—15 https://www.festivalidrijskecipke.si/en/programme/ (organized by Visit Idrija)

Škofja Loka is a medieval town with a strong contemporary textile art and craft scene.

• Opening date: Wednesday, June 11, 18:00-20:00
  Location: Loka Museum Škofja Loka

Nova Gorica and Gorizia (Slovenia-Italy border) hold this year’s title of European Capital of Culture.
https://www.go2025.eu/en/discover/territory-gorizia-nova-gorica 

• Opening date: Friday, June 20, 18:00 (Nova Gorica) and Saturday, June 21, 18:00 (Gorizia) (with activities throughout the weekend)

Best time to travel

The ideal time to visit BIEN 2025 is May 31 – June 7—within this timeframe, you can attend three exhibition openings. In this time, the invited artists and textile practitioners will be attending, too.

If you wish to see all the exhibitions, we recommend visiting BIEN from June 17–21, ending the visit with the Nova Gorica/Gorizia openings (special mobility event taking place on June 20). 

Please note: June 25 is a public holiday, and galleries are closed; the majority of galleries and exhibition spaces are closed on Mondays.

Activities will also be held in the last week of exhibition openings from August 12 – 14.

See Programme for more.

Travel

• The nearest airport is Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (10 km from Kranj).
• We also recommend checking Italian airports: Trieste, Treviso, and Venice, as they offer better connections. Regular shuttle services from airports to Kranj can be booked via https://www.goopti.com/en/ or https://prevoz.org/. 
• Kranj is located on the Ljubljana–Austria railway line (convenient if traveling from the north).
• More travel details: https://layer.si/en/visit-info/
• Slovenia is safe and suitable for solo travelers. We encourage bringing your family and friends. Family workshops will be held also within our program.
  
  

For travel between cities:

• Railway timetables and tickets: https://potniski.sz.si/en/
  Bus timetables and tickets: https://www.ap-ljubljana.si/en

• Kranj to Jesenice, Škofja Loka, and Nova Gorica: We recommend using public trains.
• Idrija (June 7) & Nova Gorica (June 20): We will organize transportation—let us know if you’re interested! bien@layer.si 
  
  

Accommodation

• Kranj: https://www.visitkranj.com/en/accommodation/
• Other good options: Ljubljana (direct train & bus to Kranj, ~30 min), Radovljica/Bled-Lesce (~20 min to Kranj).
  
  

Visiting tips

• Bled is Slovenia’s most famous tourist destination, a picturesque lake with a small island. Bohinj Lake is even larger, arguably more beautiful, and less crowded. Both can be accessed by public transport. 
• Sea is close (as everything in Slovenia is) but we recommend visiting rivers, waterfalls and mountains. Mountains are within easy reach, some also accessible by public transport. Recommended (mountain gear needed, it’s a real mountain :)): mount Storžič (2132 m), bus goes from Kranj main station to Bašelj village: https://www.slotrips.si/en/hiking-mountaineering/storzic-from-baselj-village/5456 
• More trip ideas: https://www.visitkranj.com/en/tours-and-trips/
  
  

Weather

• First half of June is usually warm with possible showers.
• Second half of June and July are usually hot, the degrees can go up to 30 °C and more. 
  
  

Looking forward to seeing you at BIEN 2025!

BIEN Team