SLOVENIA

Slovenia is the only country in Europe that has the Alps and
the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain and the mysterious
Karst. The variety of the landscape will surprise you again and
again.
proTecTed:
reSpecTed!
Johann Weikhard Valvasor was writing
about the many natural curiosities of
Slovenia in as early as the 17th century,
while the virgin forest of the Kočevje
region was first given protected status
in the 19th century. National parks,
nature parks (protected landscapes)
and regional parks were proclaimed in
the 20th century. Come and discover
thousands of natural wonders!
NATURAL PARKS
Triglav National Park
Since 1924, a sanctuary in the Alps,
filled with natural treasures.
www.tnp.si
Škocjan Caves Regional Park
The showpiece of karstic caves with the
deepest underground canyon in Europe;
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
www.park-skocjanske-jame.si
Notranjska Regional Park
The special characteristics of Lake
Cerknica – the largest intermittent
karstic lake.
www.notranjski-park.si
Goričko Nature Park
Part of a tri-national nature park
comprising Goričko (Slovenia), Őrség
(Hungary) and Raab (Austria), in the
region with the lowest rainfall in Slovenia.
Kozjanski Park
Meadow orchards, forests and wetlands
–amid castles, monasteries and
churches.
www.kozjanski-park.si
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SloveNIA
naTure
THe karST
All karst phenomena in the world derive
their name from Slovenia’s Karst region.
Underground caves, sinking streams,
karstsprings and disappearing springs,
intermittent lakes, karst poljes… Slovenia
has them all!
Famous caves in the Karst
Postojna Cave: 20 kilometres of
passages,galleries, chambers – the mostvisited
cave in Europe! Škocjan Caves: a
UNESCO World Heritage Site; Vilenica,
the oldest show cave in Slovenia.
Karst in the Alps
Kaninski Podi: these potholes, with theirentrances
at a height of 2,200 metres
above sea level, are among the deepest in
the world; Snežna Jama on Mt Raduha:
chambers with ice formations at a height
of 1,556 metres above sea level.
Karst lakes and rivers
Lake Cerknica: an intermittent lake; when
it is full, it is the largest lake in Slovenia!
Križna Jama: a cave in the Notranjska Regional
Park with 22 underground lakes; Divje
Jezero near Idrija, a lake fed by waters
from unexplored depths; Rakov Škocjan:
a nature park with natural rock bridges,
karst springs and caves.
The karst areas of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina
Kostanjevica Cave: 300 metres of marked
paths among fairy-tale cave formations;
Lahinja: a nature park with features characteristic
of a shallow karst landscape; the
Ice Cave on Mt Stojna: its bottom is covered
by a frozen lake all year round!
Life in caves
The proteus or olm, also known as the
‘human fish’, is the only exclusively cavedwelling
vertebrate in Europe! It was first
found and studied in Slovenia. See it in
Slovenia’s caves!
KARST AND CAVES
Postojna Cave
www.postojnska-jama.si
Kaninski Podi
www.boveckanin.si
Lake Cerknica
www.notranjski-park.si
Divje Jezero near Idrija
www.idrija-turizem.si
Kostanjevica Cave
www.slovenia-heritage.net
Snežna Jama on Mt Raduha
www.tic-luce.com
Vilenica
www.vilenica.com
Lahinja
www.belakrajina.si
Križna jama
www.krizna-jama.si
i feel eden
in Slovenia
Slovenia offers a great deal more that it
seems at first glance. Within the scope
of the European Destinations of ExcelleNce
project, or EDEN in short,
we have selected the most sustainable
or ‘green’ Slovenian destinations that
observe the principles of environmental,
socially responsible and cultural
sustainability. Trust the EDEN selection
and discover the hidden pearls of
Slovenia: Idrija, the river Kolpa, the
Solčavsko region and the Soča river
valley.
www.slovenia.info/eden