The Variety of Different Kind of Park Experience in Slovenia

Slovenia is known for its remarkably green landscapes, from Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park and historic botanical gardens to landscaped estates and protected natural areas across the country. Among its most distinctive green attractions is Arboretum Volčji Potok, a vast park in the immediate vicinity of the historical town of Kamnik known for its tree collections, seasonal flower displays and peaceful walking trails. But two recent projects reveal another side of the Arboretum: its growing role in global plant conservation and inclusive cultural experiences.

Protecting some of the world’s most threatened plants

Arboretum Volčji Potok is taking part in an international study led by the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, examining how botanical gardens around the world help safeguard globally threatened plant species.

The results are striking. Of 32 globally threatened species identified for the Arboretum through the study, 31 are growing in its collections, represented by a total of 220 individual plants. Five of these species are classified as critically endangered, 13 as endangered and 13 as vulnerable.

Among them are some extraordinary survivors of the plant kingdom. The collection includes Wollemia nobilis, one of the world’s rarest trees, discovered in the wild in Australia only in 1994 after previously being known from fossils; the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), another species once thought to exist only in the fossil record; and Ginkgo biloba, whose evolutionary lineage stretches back more than 200 million years. Among the more unusual species is the dove tree (Davidia involucrata), which produces large white bracts when in bloom, resembling handkerchiefs hanging from its branches.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the collection also includes the familiar horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). Although commonly planted in European parks and avenues, its natural populations are classified as vulnerable.

An art exhibition designed to be touched

The Arboretum is also exploring a different kind of accessibility. In July, it opened a multisensory exhibition of five sculptures created by artists from Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, designed to make visual art more accessible to blind and visually impaired visitors.

Part of the European Multisensory Art project, the exhibition encourages visitors to experience artworks not only through sight, but also through touch, sound, scent and spatial perception.

Three sculptures entitled Guardians of Nature, created by Slovenian artists Živa Slavec and Jasna Hrovatin, have been placed in the Arboretum’s scented garden. Representing marine, meadow and rocky habitats, they are surrounded by aromatic plants such as chocolate mint and lemon balm, adding another sensory layer to the experience.

Elsewhere in the park, Serbian sculptor Ivan Bono’s Domovoj – House Spirit, inspired by Slavic mythology, invites visitors to step inside and explore its unusual acoustics. Croatian artist Iris Lobaš Kukavičić’s Fragment of Depth, meanwhile, takes inspiration from the sea and is made from recycled egg cartons, adding a sustainability dimension to the exhibition.

QR codes beside the works provide audio descriptions, allowing visitors to learn more about the artists and the stories behind the sculptures.

A different way to experience Slovenia’s green spaces

Together, the two initiatives show why Arboretum Volčji Potok is more than an ornamental park. It is both a living conservation collection and an experimental cultural space, where science, nature and art meet.

For international visitors exploring Slovenia’s parks and gardens, it offers something slightly different: the chance to walk among rare trees with histories stretching back millions of years, discover plants threatened in the wild and experience contemporary art through more than just the eyes.

In a country where nature is rarely far away, Arboretum Volčji Potok demonstrates how a day in the park can also become an encounter with some of today’s biggest questions – from biodiversity conservation to accessibility and the way we experience art.

Spring awakening in Slovenia

Experience Slovenia's biodiversity

Back to news