5th International Wild Flower Festival held in Bohinj

With a background of the mystical mountains of Triglav National Park, Bohinj is the perfect venue for those who seek tranquillity and pristine nature. On 21 May, Bohinj will become the host of the International Wild Flower Festival for the fifth consecutive year, addressing visitors who wish to learn about the local nature, its values and cultural heritage in an attractive way.

The festival will last for a fortnight (21 Maj to 4 June 2011) and will provide 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. At the same time, the festival promotes development of tourist products that are closely connected to Bohinj`s natural and cultural heritage; its prime assets.

The organisers will prepare a number of guided botanical excursions, and bird lovers will be able to see numerous birds native to Bohinj on guided ornithological excursions. Lovers of alpine flowers will be able to attend numerous workshops and demonstrations of how wild flowers can embellish and enrich our lives. The festival will provide an opportunity for children to learn about habitats, wild flowers and animals at interesting workshops and other events. During the festival, local and international experts will take part in conferences on wild flowers, their preservation and significance. Various classical music concerts will take place along with choral concerts, folk dance performances, exhibitions, lectures, etc.

The efforts towards the development of this type of tourism product began a long time ago. Even before 100 years ago when the railway enabled the development of tourism in Bohinj, people visited Bohinj by carriage or by foot to see and admire the picturesque and interesting flora and the beauty of nature. Balthazar Hacquet (1739 or 1740 - 1815), renowned Breton natural scientist, traveller and explorer, wrote passionately on the botanical riches of Bohinj mountains in his Oryctographia Carniolica, which was issued in three parts in Leipzig during 1778 and 1789.

“Oh, how many times I wanted to live my life here as a shepherd, to be able to explore this landscape full of beautiful flowers! How many rare flowers, which I would not have been able to see otherwise, did I find there! The mighty mountain range has a number of different climates; therefore, many various plants grow there! The part that faces the sea is constantly covered with sun rays. The northern side does not see the sun at all ...” Many other explorers and admirers of Bohinj`s botanical riches followed him. From early spring, when the first flowers sneak out from under the snow, until autumn, Bohinj offers the experience of magnificent beauties of alpine flowers.

The people of the Bohinj area of Slovenia are rightly proud of their long Alpine farming heritage and the high quality of their environment. Wild flowers continue, to this day, to play an important role in our local culture and, while farming methods are changing and young people are becoming less directly involved in managing the land, there is a strong desire to promote and raise awareness of Bohinj`s unique natural and cultural heritage. It is with this background that the local community in 2007 held the first ever “Bohinj International Wild Flower Festival”.

For detailed presentation of the programme, visit the Turizem Bohinj website.

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