The trip from Litija to Čatež

Litija's trip to Čatež is a literary work by the Slovenian writer Fran Levstik. It is a travel book written in 1858. This work is very important for Slovene literature because it includes a whole literary program.

The author talks about how he and a friend traveled on foot from Litija, near the forests and vineyards of Dolenjska, to Čatež. He talks about the people with whom they met, about the economy, society, culture and also about the formation of the Slovenian notion of sloventstvo ('Slovene'). In the end, the book evolves into an essay presenting his ideas on the contemporary genres of Slovene literature. It is this part that is considered literary program of Levstik.

In memory of this trip every year organizes the march of Litija to Čatež that transcure by the same way described by Levstik. The traditional march always takes place the 11 of November, to the day of the celebration of San Martin. The highest point of this road is 700 m altitude and here people can choose between the short road to the south (21 km) and the long road to the north (23 km). In many places there are panels with fragments of the book, being able to read every book during the trip. You can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings, panoramic views, large churches, fruit dryers, bonfires (tombs of thieves), the house of Tona Zidarjeva (Levstik lover), the castle of Turn, etc. There is the possibility of resting in several farms and hostels, which on November 11 are open and offer rustic food, such as "zaseka", made with bread, and "žganci" (similar to porridge). But not only eats but also drinks: in most cases the main drink is wine. At the beginning of the road each traveler receives a small book with a map of the road and can also collect road signs, which serve as a sign that someone has traveled all the way. At the end of the road there is always a party and buses that take travelers back to Litija.

The March of Levstik was created in 1987, when 397 travelers from all parts of Slovenia went for a walk. Today, around 20,000 people participate, not only from Slovenia but also from other European countries. The road is marked throughout the year and therefore can be done in any season.

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