One of Ljubljana’s less visited sites is its Botanical Garden. Situated about a half hour’s walk from the historic heart of the city, the garden is an interesting green diversion. The walk to the gardens takes you past some lovely scenes, like the ones below.
The Ljubljana Botanical Garden was established in 1810, making it the oldest botanical garden in southeastern Europe. It’s affiliated with the city’s University and as such is a formal part of this scientific and educational institution. While it is quite small (just 2 hectacres — about 5 acres), it has a surprisingly large diversity of plant life and plant environments, with more than 4,500 different species, a third being native to Slovenia.
The Botanical Garden plays an important role in studying and protecting the country’s rare and endangered plant species.
The garden has several sections, including an arboretum dominated by trees…
A section where plants are highlighted…
Areas with marsh and water plants, and rocky terrain gardens.
There are research areas within the garden…
And it being Slovenia, a beehouse on site is a must!.
The focal point of the garden is it’s large tropical glasshouse, which was featured in last Saturday’s One Clue Mystery. The photo below was our clue photo — it was recognized by talented sleuth, George G.
The glasshouse was built on the 200th anniversary of the garden. It’s home to plants typical of tropical forests, providing them a warm and humid environment. Such tropical greenhouses are especially popular during the cold winter months.
- The following are the garden’s hours:
- 1 April – 31 October: 7:00-19:00 daily
- 1 November – 31 March: 7:00-17:00 daily
- June till August: 7:00-20:00 daily
Visiting the gardens is free, but there is a small admission to enter the tropical glasshouse.
It’s a nice attraction, but I’d put it in the second tier of the city’s sights. Something to visit when the historic sites in the city have been explored. And of course, for those who love gardens, this is a place you’ll enjoy.
Good point, Joan. I wish I’d photographed the sign by this house, but I did n’t. There is a bee house in the garden and this particular spot was swarming with bees, so I put the two together — and perhaps I’m wrong.
I wonder if bees and other insects ever cohabitate in the same man-made structure?
I believe, and I could be wrong, that what you’ve labeled a bee house is actually an insect house. They are built internationally in order to provide niches for insects, especially as development in urban areas removes places for insects to grow.
Joan