An admirable biodiversity
Slovenia enjoys exceptional biodiversity due to the variety of natural landscapes within its borders. Forests, both primary and secondary, play a very important role, predominating in the majority of regions. More than half of the national territory is covered by forests, mainly deciduous, beech and coniferous, making Slovenia the third most forested country in Europe. The majority of forest areas are owned by landowners who maintain and use them through forestry and an efficient forest-based industry.
, Kozjansko and Notranjska. One third of the national territory has been classified as a Natura 2000 area. This national investment in promoting the variety of the living world has been rewarded with a number of honours, most recently by making Slovenia the world's most environmentally friendly destination in 2018.An exceptionally rich fauna and flora
This remarkable biodiversity is characterized first of all by an abundant fauna and characteristic of a protected environment. Thus, it appears that 1% of the world's living species have taken up residence in the country. However, this fauna is unevenly distributed over the territory. Cervids (deer, fallow deer, roe deer, etc.) favor forest areas, while brown bears take more altitude and have taken up residence in the Notranjska and Kočevska regions. The latter form the largest population of ursids in Europe. There are about 750 of them at the moment. Other rare and endangered species such as the wolf and the lynx can also be seen.
On the other hand, the hydrological variety of Slovenia allows to highlight a plethora of fish. On a water surface of 12,000 ha, the species are distributed between lakes, rivers and the coastal zone. Fishing is relatively regulated, as it is particularly popular.
Finally, the birdlife is particularly important in Slovenia. It concerns almost 400 species and is explained by a remarkable variability of the landscape. It is an important stage for the migration of certain species, in the first place the great egret.
In general, the Slovenian fauna is highlighted on the environmental and tourist level through the development of numerous observation activities that aim to raise awareness and educate the population
The flora of the country is not to be outdone and its diversity, throughout the landscape, is breathtaking for the uninformed visitor. Of course, the most striking specimens are found in the mountain ranges for the most part. The Triglav National Park is full of rare species. One of them is the Triglav's crepid, a species that lives at high altitudes and usually nests in limestone screes. Its characteristic yellow flower emerges in the summer. The Triglav rose is also an interesting species because it is a herbaceous plant that has the particularity to take root only in rocky massifs. The color of its flowers oscillates between red and pink and they give off a perfume of great intensity. It has a very special symbolism in the Slovenian popular legend: indeed, the famous local tale Zlatorog puts forward its miraculous healing power. Finally, the Zois bellflower, named after its discoverer in the 18th century and found throughout the Julian Alps at an altitude of more than 1,400 meters, gives a brilliant blue to the Alpine landscape. Without any illusion of completeness, it is essential to highlight some of the most representative buds of the country. We can mention the saffron crocus, a geophyte plant, typical of the Velika Planina region, with its purple petals, yellow flowers and spicy scent. Finally, the famous Golica daffodils indicate the return of spring and color the surrounding hills in yellow, bewitching its inhabitants with a persistent perfume with some similarities to the orange blossom.
If you are interested in floral themes, you should attend the International Alpine Flower Festival , which takes place in Bohinj from the end of May. This festival, which puts nature in the spotlight, offers an eclectic program of high quality based on botanical, landscape, cultural and gastronomic discoveries. You can walk along the footpaths and learn about the many different wildflowers along the way, taste edible wildflowers, shop at the craft market and view the new photographic exhibition.
Mushroom picking is also a very popular sport that keeps many Slovenian families busy in the autumn. The forests are full of porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, boletes and other russulas. They are found everywhere in the markets and are used in many forms in Slovenian cuisine - soups, fried, in sauce, etc.
