NEW! The Krokar Primeval Forest Hiking Trail

On 20 May 2021, representatives of Slovenian forestry and environmental institutions officially opened the Krokar Primeval Forest Hiking Trail, located in the forests of Kočevsko. The trail takes visitors to the edge of this pristine beech forest, which has been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in 2017. The opening of the Krokar Primeval Forest Hiking Trail was also an introduction to Forest Week 2021, which is taking place from 24th to 30th May. 

Krokar Primeval Forest Hiking Trail represents a major step towards regulating and directing visitors to the UNESCO-protected forest area. The circular hiking trail is about two kilometers long with 150 meters of relatively steep ascent. The path through the Borovec forest reserve takes visitors to the edge of the Krokar primeval forest, where visitors can respectfully admire and feel the mighty power of ancient beech forests, as the result of thousands of years of undisturbed natural development, without entering this protected area. 

The Krokar primeval forest, together with the forest reserve Snežnik and 76 other areas in 12 European countries, represents the most valuable remnant of Europe's ancient beech forests and was among the entries to the UNESCO list. The Krokar primeval forest reserve covers an area of 74,5 ha and is the largest of 6 primeval forest remains in Kočevsko. Together with other forest reserves in Slovenia, which together measure over 9,500 hectares, it is a symbol of Slovenia's sustainable and multifunctional forest management. The activities of the BEECH POWER project, funded under the Interreg Central Europe program, also contributed to maintaining and improving the management of UNESCO forest reserves. 

The Slovenian Forest Service (ZGS) and the Slovenian State Forests Company (SiDG) participated in the project of establishing the Krokar Primeval Forest Hiking Trail. More than 60% of all Slovenian forest reserves are in state ownership and have been managed by SiDG since 2016. Kočevsko, also known as the Secret Forest of Slovenia, is the largest and the most forested Slovenian Natura 2000 area, covering just over 100 km2. 

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