Slovenia

11th -18th of July

 

Hosted by Vitra Centre for Sustainable Development.

 

Day 1.  Welcome day

Collect from Ljubljana airport.  Drive to accommodation in Hruskarje.

 

Discussion of Leonardo da Vinci programme and objectives of Nature Exchange. Confirm details of next days programme

 

Day 2. Virgin day

Breakfast

Leave Hruskarje, via Bloke plateu to Kocevska Reka

Visit virgin forest Krokar (crow) in Kocevje, http://www.kocevje.si/znam_naravne.htm, http://www.geocities.com/petkovcki/krokar.html, leading by forester Mirjam Mikulic, lunch somewhere in the forest.

Dinner in farm Marolt (farmer and wooden ware producer)

 

Day 3  Nature + bicycle + walk day

(with young people from Slovenia)

Rakov Skocjan, rent bycicles

VisitCerknicaLake model with multivision, www.jezerski-hram.si

Visit bee education trail  on CerknicaLake

Lunch in tourist farm Kontrabantar, Dolenja vas

Visit small natural bridge in Rakov Skocjan, http://www.cerknica.net/jame/

Evaluation of day

 

Day 4 Sustainable development in countryside day

Walk by Bears footprints path with some staff and members of Tourist association Menesija.  

Visitsheep farm, testing home brandy and discussion

Lunch in tourist farm Osredek

Visit Iska river valley

Dinner in Hruskarje

 

Day 5  Relax day

Leave Hruskarje, visit Planina field, Planina cave, ruins of Haasberg castle.

Visit Postojna cave (duration 1.5 hour)

The day will be spent visiting sites which are specific to limestone Karst, beginning with a tour of the huge cave system in Postojna. http://www.postojnska-jama.si

Dinner in Hruskarje

 

 Day 6  Sea day

Leave Hruskarje to Adriatic sea (1.5 hour)

Visit Secovlje Salt-pans, Landscape park, http://www.soline.si/, http://dragonja.nib.si/Secovlje/index.html#top, director Andrej Sovinc

Lunch in Portorose

Sightseeing seaside by boat with swimming, sun-bath,…

Visit Forma viva in Seca (sculpture Park) with initiator and sculptor Janez Lenassi and walk “through” sculptures

Dinner in village Krkavce (surprise, surprise)

Our local guIde will be Natalija Planinc “soul and engine” of informal education

 

Day 7  Civil society day

Start from Hruskarje to Ljubljana (capital city)

Visit CNVOS (Centre for information service, co-operation and development of NGOs), http://www.cnvos.si/ang_index.php, director, Joze Gornik, and LIC (Legal Information Centre for NGOs Slovenia), http://www.pic.si/en/index.php, director, Primoz Sporar

Visit Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (Breda Ogorelec)http://www.gov.si/mop/podrocja/uradzaokolje_sektorvarstvonarave/uvn_za_mop/slo/podrocja/narava/interpretacija_narave/

Lunch with leader of SLOVENIAN E-FORUM Society for Energy Economics&Environment (NGO), http://www.ljudmila.org/sef/, leader, Andrej Klemenc and director of REC (Regional environment Centre) Milena Marega

If there are organisations or people you would like to make contact with, please let me know in advance.

Free afternoon to explore the city

 

Day 8  Hell day

Leave Hruskarje

Walk to the natural waterfall Pekel (Hell). This walk is very steep and follows the course of the waterfall using ladders and handrails fixed in to the rock. Swimming (just for brave persons)

Lunch (near waterfalls)

Visit to the Bistra Technical museum of Slovenia. This open air museum is built around an old monastery. It houses exhibitions about forestry, fishing and hunting as well as housing reconstructed watermills and machinery. Please look at the web pages at http://www.tms.si/

The evening will be spent in evaluating the exchange (and dinner in Hruskarje of course)

 

Day 9  Parting day

8.30 Leave Hruskarje

9.00 Visit Slivnica (hill above Cerknica, nick name is “witch hill”)

11.30 Start from Cerknica to Ljubljana airport

12.15 Sandwich lunch somewhere

 Departure for Scotland