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Travel Lecture: Žiga Papež – The Sweet Slovenian Transversal: When the Path Becomes a Story
What happens when you set out on a journey lasting 16 days, covering more than 660 kilometres with over 39,000 metres of ascent, and decide to complete the entire Slovenian Mountain Trail – from Pohorje to Ankaran? A story happens. A travelogue. A test of the body. And an honest conversation with yourself.
Žiga Papež, an ultra-endurance athlete, lecturer and the creator of the Sweet Life project, completed the Slovenian Mountain Trail last summer in one continuous effort – without stages, without breaks, day after day. But The Sweet Slovenian Transversal was not merely a sporting achievement. From the very beginning, it had a clear mission: to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and to collect funds for a sports and educational camp for children living with diabetes.
The route did not only lead across kilometres and elevation gain, but across the most beautiful faces of Slovenia. From the quiet forests of Pohorje, misty ridges and remote mountain pastures, to the sharp limestone peaks of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, the mighty Julian Alps and viewpoints where time seems to stand still. Each day brought a different landscape, a different light, a different silence. Mornings when the world awakens beneath you. Evenings when the mountains fall silent and you are left alone with yourself. The Slovenian Mountain Trail is not just a sporting route – it is a walk through the heart of our natural heritage.
But the mountains quickly reveal their other side as well. Fatigue. Pain. Doubt. Moments when the body feels spent and the mind must make a decision: continue or stop. Times when you are alone with your thoughts, with questions of purpose, fear and the reasons why you walk at all.
An additional dimension to this journey is the fact that Žiga has lived with type 1 diabetes since childhood. Every step, every ascent and every descent required careful monitoring of his body, nutrition and energy levels. The Sweet Slovenian Transversal thus became a living laboratory – proof that with knowledge, discipline and attentiveness to one’s body, a chronic illness does not have to be an obstacle, but can become a teacher.
This travel lecture will not be a mere chronological account of the journey. It is an honest story about perseverance when things get tough. About how a person changes when they allow themselves to slow down and be present. And about why the greatest victories sometimes do not happen at the finish line, but somewhere along the way – on the path itself.
Everyone who loves mountains, movement, sincere stories and reflection on life is warmly invited.
The lecture will take place at the Miran Jarc Library in Novo Mesto on Wednesday, 12 February 2026, at 6.00 pm.
The event will be held in Slovenian.
