An admirable biodiversity
Slovenia boasts exceptional biodiversity thanks to the variety of its natural landscapes. Forests, whether primary or secondary, play an essential role, predominating in most regions. In fact, over half the country's territory is covered by forests, mainly deciduous, beech and coniferous, making Slovenia the third most forested country in Europe. Most of the forested areas belong to landowners, who maintain and exploit them through forestry and an efficient timber industry.
The aim is also to highlight the Slovenian government's long-standing and ongoing support for biodiversity. Political decision-makers supported the creation of the Triglav National Park as early as 1961, and did not hesitate to extend its area of influence in 1981. Over the decades, three new regional parks were created: Škocjan Caves, Kozjansko and Notranjska. One third of the national territory has been classified as a Natura 2000 zone.
This national investment in promoting the variety of the living world has been rewarded with a number of honors, most recently by making Slovenia the world's greenest destination in 2018.
An exceptionally rich fauna and flora
This remarkable biodiversity is characterized first and foremost by an abundance of wildlife, typical of a protected environment. It is estimated that 1% of the world's living species have taken up residence here. However, this fauna is unevenly distributed across the territory. Cervids (red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, etc.) prefer forested areas, while brown bears are found at higher altitudes in the Notranjska and Kočevska regions. The latter form the largest ursid population in Europe. There are currently around 750 of them. Other rare and endangered species such as wolves and lynxes can also be seen.
On the other hand, Slovenia's hydrological variety is home to a plethora of fish. With an aquatic surface area of 12,000 ha, species are distributed between lakes, rivers and the coastal zone. Fishing is relatively regulated, as it is particularly popular.
Finally, Slovenia's birdlife is particularly important. Nearly 400 species can be found here, thanks to the remarkable variability of the landscape. It is an important stopover for the migration of certain species, first and foremost the great egret.
Generally speaking, Slovenia's fauna is promoted both environmentally and for tourism, through the development of numerous observation activities aimed at raising awareness and educating the population.
The country's flora is not to be outdone, and its diversity throughout the landscape is breathtaking for the uninitiated visitor. Of course, the most striking specimens are to be found in the mountain ranges, for the most part. Triglav National Park is teeming with rare species. These include the Triglav crepid, a high-altitude species that usually nests in limestone screes. Its distinctive yellow flower emerges in summer. The Triglav rose is also an interesting species because it is a herbaceous plant that has the particularity of taking root only in rocky massifs. The color of its flowers varies from red to pink, and they give off an intense fragrance. It has a special symbolic value in Slovenian folk legend: the famous local tale Zlatorog emphasizes its miraculous healing powers. Finally, the Zois bellflower, named after its 18th-century discoverer and found throughout the Julian Alps at altitudes of over 1,400 m, gives a brilliant blue hue to Alpine landscapes. Without wishing to be exhaustive, it is essential to highlight some of the most representative buds of the region. For example, the saffron crocus, a geophyte plant typical of the Velika Planina region, with its violet petals, yellow flowers and spicy fragrance. Last but not least, Golica's famous daffodils signal the return of spring and color the surrounding hills yellow, bewitching its inhabitants with a tenacious scent that bears some similarity to orange blossom.
If you're interested in floral themes, there's only one thing to recommend: the International Alpine Flower Festival , which takes place in Bohinj at the end of May. This festival, which puts nature back in the spotlight, offers an eclectic, high-quality program based on botanical, landscape, cultural and gastronomic discoveries. You can hike the trails and hear stories about the countless wildflowers along the way, taste edible wildflowers, shop at the craft market and take in the new photography exhibition.
Mushroom picking is also a very popular sport that keeps many Slovenian families busy in autumn. The forests abound with porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, boletes and other russulas. They are omnipresent on the markets, and can be found in many forms in Slovenian gastronomy - soups, pan-fried, in sauce, etc.
