Bohinj and other European Wild Flower festivals

With a background of the mystical mountains of Triglav National Park, Bohinj is the perfect venue for those who seek tranquillity and pristine nature. In May and June, Bohinj becomes the host of the International Wild Flower Festival – this year for the seventh consecutive year, addressing visitors who wish to learn about the local nature and its values and cultural heritage in an attractive way. This year, besides the event itself, Bohinj will be also characterized by the European integration of the Wild Flower Festivals.

This year’s festival lasts for a fortnight (25 May to 8 June 2013) and provides a bouquet of events that all have one thing in common – the presentation of alpine flowers in all kinds of environments in Bohinj (along the water, in meadows, on hills and mountains). The purpose of this festival is to remind the local people and the visitors of the unique natural advantage of Bohinj as a tourist destination in the sense of nature preservation and tourism – wildflowers are not only a festival, but a real identity of the destination.

Several new features are being introduced this year, especially in the area of international integration. From May/June 2013, Wild Flower Festivals in five different areas in Europe can be visited; moreover, in this way, one can discover the beauty of landscapes full of flowers and enjoy the diversity of cultural events that will take place at the local level.

Within the framework of the Wild Flower Europe project, five countries have integrated: Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Great Britain. In this way, you can visit the meadows of the Alpine landscape around Lake Bohinj (Slovenia), the ancient agricultural systems set up on Hvar Island (Croatia), Orpheus’ Garden in the Rhodope mountains (Bulgaria), Saxon villages in Transylvania (Romania) and the mighty coast and landscape of Northern Scotland (Great Britain).

The festivals are intended for the local population, national and international visitors who are lovers of the flora world and traditional way of life or those who would simply like to enjoy the beautiful, unspoilt and natural environment. During the festival period, several events connected to flowers in art (exhibitions, concerts), flowers in daily life (workshops in handicrafts and traditional craft), flowers in gastronomy (wild plants in cuisine workshops, special culinary experiences) and guided botanical trips for families, flora lovers and experts will take place.

The festivals take place in areas with extraordinary botanical and cultural potential, protected by the Biotic Diversity Convention Natura 2000 or national parks. The purpose of the Wild Flower Festivals is to raise the awareness of the public about the importance of preserving these areas and to bring economic benefits to the local population (local products, food, tourism, etc.), in order to preserve the blooming landscape in the future.

Read more about the Wildflowers Europe project and festivals here.

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