Slovenia’s forest learning trails celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2024. The late Dr Milan Ciglar (1923–1977) brought this idea from the German cultural environment, where a visit to the forest learning trail (Waldlehrpfad) was primarily intended for families. The first three were opened in Slovenia as early as 1974 in Šmarna Gora near Ljubljana, Bistra near Vrhnika and Svečina. School groups started to visit them to a much greater extent than families.
Foresters – the first creators
Their work had a clear purpose: to spread knowledge about forests and forestry in an exciting and attractive way within the forest itself. After 1974, the number of thematic trails increased, spreading across all regions of Slovenia, and new names and new content emerged. Today, more than 100 of them are categorised as thematic trails in Slovenia. More than 700 of them are scattered throughout Slovenia, reflecting the diversity and excellence of both the landscape and its people.
Thematic trails tell stories
It is a marked or unmarked trail that offers the user an experience of the chosen theme. These themes can relate to any tourism activity, e.g. hiking, cuisine, culture, architecture and history. The trail can be of any length, with the key requirement being that there are points of tourist and educational interest on or along the trail.
The thematic trails tell the story of attractions, cultural and natural heritage, cuisine, etc. and people. They enable the user to have a comprehensive experience of the content the trail is dedicated to. Thematic trails connect both landscape and regional features, bringing together and guiding potential visitors. They are important for local institutions such as municipalities, associations, cultural and tourist organisations, and businesses as they help create a more compelling offer through cooperation.
Thematic trails have:
- informational,
- educational,
- recreational and
- leisure purpose.
Furthermore, they protect and preserve nature and cultural heritage. They offer an exceptional educational experience. They are linked to nature and experiential tourism, constituting a market segment. They increase the social capital of the area and, above all, they guide visitors.
The perception of nature and the environment is changing
Tourism has become a permanent fixture in our space. Experiential learning in nature is gaining new modules.
The Year of Thematic Trails 2024, as referred to by the Slovenian Tourist Board, was marked by a series of events organised by the Commission for the Best Trail and the Commission for Forest Learning Trails at the Slovenia Forest Service and its partners to mark the 50th anniversary. These include a photography competition and exhibitions, lectures, a collection of essays and participation in various professional events and fairs.
With clear goals ahead
There is no doubt that both forest learning and thematic trails deserve careful consideration with clear strategic objectives. With a wide range of trails, our aim is to educate and raise awareness. We strive for their preservation, promotion, guiding visitors from parking lots, and providing a pleasant experience, among other things. In this spirit, we prepare messages as didactic objects that will satisfy the widest circle of visitors, and we educate both guides and trail caretakers.
Development is shifting in many places from traditional learning trails towards experiential trails, which offer visitors – in addition to rational explanations and opportunities for visual observation – other activities (such as local stories, etc.).
Let’s use our senses to experience nature fully
Sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste play a significant role in experiencing nature.
Modern thematic trails provide more than just information. They follow the concept of involving visitors in interactive processes of discovering and experiencing nature or the content along the trail.
Jože Prah (prahjoze@gmail.com), Slovenia Forest Service, Slovenian Tourist Board
