Dr Albin Belar was a scientist whose greatest passion was hiking in the Julian Alps. He particularly loved visiting Triglav, the country’s highest mountain and a symbol of Slovenia. In 1907 he published a proposal to protect the Valley of the Triglav Lakes, which, had it prospered, would have given Slovenia the very first national park in Europe.
The King of Triglav
Dr Albin Belar was for 11 years the first neighbour of Vintgar Gorge. A pioneering seismologist and lover of the Julian Alps, he was given the nickname King of Triglav by the locals in recognition of his love of hiking and the mountains.
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The Zlatorog measuring device
Belar was the founder of the first earthquake observatory in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a great inventor. He set up his own private earthquake observatory in his family villa near Vintgar and developed new seismological measuring devices. One of his award-winning inventions was a seismometer capable of measuring distant earthquakes. He named it Zlatorog after the mythical chamois with golden horns that lives in the Julian Alps guarding its treasure.
Belar’s villa below Triglav was also visited by his good friend King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. When the birth of Alexander’s son was announced by the firing of cannon, Belar measured the shaking of the ground caused by the powerful discharges and sent his measurements to the king. The latter was greatly pleased by this and rewarded him with decorations and honours.
The King of Yugoslavia or the King of Triglav?
One day King Alexander came to visit Belar, who at the moment of his arrival was in a local hostelry drinking beer with his friends. At the news that the great king was waiting for him, Belar asked: “Which is greater, the King of Triglav or the King of Yugoslavia?” All replied: “The King of Triglav!” So Belar finished his beer in peace and then went off to greet his friend.
