LJUBLJANA MARSHES NATURE PARK

The Ljubljana Marshes is a unique intertwinement of meadows, fields, hedges and channels, where the green surfaces meet with the sky and the River Ljubljana, which has helped create the marshes through history. Here you can block out the bustle of the city, meet with nature and focus on yourself and your thoughts.

The traditional agriculture has preserved the great biological and landscape diversity. The mosaic of different environments is home to many plants and animals, which are only rare elsewhere in Slovenia and Europe. The wet meadows, flooded waterside meadows and thousands of kilometres of drainage channels attract mainly moisture loving plants and animals. The Ljubljana Marshes are home to several hundred species of birds, numerous colourful butterflies, dragonflies and amphibians.

The interdependent ecosystems of the Ljubljana Marshes clean the air, water and soil, and cool the hot summers. They also enable relaxation and new discoveries in the immediate vicinity of the capital city, as well as sustainable production of quality healthy food and the development of environmentally friendly farming and green tourism.

But not only nature, the heritage is also exceptional. In this small piece of territory, several cultures have left their mark, from the prehistoric pile dwellers and ancient Romans, to the determined drainers of the marsh, which was supposed to become the granary of the Hapsburg Monarchy. Due to their interventions into the once typical marsh, today’s Ljubljana Marshes are probably the most anthropogenically modified landscape in Slovenia. Although many have tried and are still trying to limit the extent and duration of floods through drainage, the Ljubljana Marshes are still one of the largest flooding areas in Slovenia.

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