The Vintgar Gorge is located in the Julian Alps, the first Slovenian biosphere reserve within the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Here, people coexist with nature by protecting and preserving it.

Since 2003, the Julian Alps have been the first biosphere reserve within the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Slovenia, managed by the Triglav National Park. The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program aims to maintain the balance between nature and local communities, connecting over 120 countries. At the heart of the biosphere reserve lies a protected natural ecosystem. The Julian Alps, with their most recognizable Slovenian destinations such as Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Radovljica, and the Soča Valley, are the most esteemed destination for active nature holidays in Slovenia, committed to high sustainability standards.

THE KINGDOM BENEATH TRIGLAV

Although the Julian Alps have been inhabited for over 5,000 years, they remain sparsely populated today, without large cities or settlements. Here, nature and rich biodiversity have found refuge.

The Julian Alps are not only connected by paths and views of Slovenia’s most majestic two-thousanders, but also by vibrant local communities striving to preserve the natural diversity and cultural landscape. The responsibility towards natural wealth has been instilled in us for millennia by the mythical Zlatorog, the white chamois with golden horns, who is aware of the fragility of nature and the harm that humans can cause.

Climate change, with warming temperatures, has already caused an environmental crisis. Our glaciers are melting. Winters are less pronounced, with less snow and water. Therefore, every green act matters. Under Triglav, we encourage good neighbors from Gorje and Jesenice, Bled and Bohinj, Radovljica and Žirovnica, the Soča Valley and Kranjska Gora, who together strive to preserve and protect our natural and cultural treasures.

LOCAL COMMUNITY AND NATURE HEROES

The Gorje Tourist Association is aware of the sensitivity of the natural ecosystem in the Vintgar Gorge area. In collaboration with the Slovenian Museum of Natural History and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, we have conducted a new survey of vegetation. The list of recorded fern and seed plant species includes as many as 540 plants, including 23 protected ones.

Experts from Gorje and across Slovenia have expanded on the pioneering work of botanist Jan Šafer from 120 years ago, who recorded mosses and lichens. They have discovered several peculiarities, including the presence of the yew tree, which was once completely felled but has preserved its shrub.