Bee Friendly Region at Expo Dubai
Slovenians are known for loving bees. A special feature of the Slovenian landscape is the apiary: Slovenian beehives stacked next to each other in several rows are what makes this bee house. And almost every municipality in the Ljubljana Urban Region has its own Beekeeping Association. We invite you to learn about the various bee stories and products in the region.
API LAB – House of the Carniolan Bee in Višnja Gora, Ivančna Gorica
At Višnja Gora stands the House of the Carniolan Bee, which tells the story of the Carniolan Grey, the native Slovenian bee and the second most widespread bee species in the world. You can enter the world of bees through unique experiential exhibitions with virtual protagonists, all members of the famous beekeeping family of Rothschütz. The House also offers overnight stays in a beehive right at the top of the building, where the rooms are laid out in the form of innovative wooden honeycomb cells. This also houses the API LAB, a centre of innovative technologies.
As much as 3% of all Slovenian beekeepers, with more than 4,500 hives, are active in the City of Ljubljana. Honey produced in Ljubljana is of very high quality. In addition to beekeepers, the City of Ljubljana also takes care of bees by planting honey perennials and promoting the activities of beekeepers’ associations. Since 2015, Ljubljana has had a Bee Path, which is designed in an interdisciplinary way and shows bees and beekeeping from various perspectives. At the same time the path seeks to make people aware of the role of bees as such, their connection to food security, and interesting facts about honey. Interesting public events such as Honey Day and workshops are also organized.
At the beekeeping centre of Slovenia in Lukovica, where the headquarters of the Beekeepers’ Association of Slovenia is located, you can retreat to the world of books in the beekeeping library, (where you can learn about the history of beekeeping in Slovenia), and the shop offers a wide selection of honey and other top quality bee products. You can experience the fascinating herbal and beekeeping interpretive trail, where the latest acquisition is an interpretive trail adapted to blind and visually impaired people. There is no end to what is on offer, as you can immerse yourself in the past with a multi-vision presentation of Slovenian beekeeping, or see a unique educational and promotional tool – a bee in 3D, 170 cm in size and 1: 100 with more than 90% morphological similarity to a real bee worker of the species Apis mellifera carnica – Slovenia’s native Carniolan bee.
The Božnar House of Honey in Polhov Gradec
The Božnar House of Honey, a family-run beekeeping practice established in 1990, produces various types of honey and honey products, as well as other bee products used for their health benefits, as cosmetic or beauty products, or as culinary specialities. The Božnar House of Honey is also a multiple winner of awards from international exhibition.
At the Domžale Beekeeping Association’s apiary therapy is performed by inhaling beehive air and lying on a bed in which the bees live and produce a healing vibration. While the bees are buzzing, a detoxifying massage with flower honey is performed. The most important thing is that the beekeepers offer advice on the use of all bee products and their health benefits.
Museum of Beekeeping Heritage in Šmarje-Sap, Grosuplje
The Museum of Beekeeping Heritage is located in the settlement of Šmarje-Sap and features an impressive collection of beekeeping literature from 1700 to the present day. The collection introduces visitors to the great names of Slovenian beekeeping, bee merchants and painted beehive panels. The extensive collection includes various kinds of beehives, different types of honey extractors, as well as beekeeping tools and accessories used by our ancestors.
Dremelj Beekeeping from Šmartno pri Litiji
The Dremelj family is now in its fourth generation of beekeepers. In addition to obtaining honey and other bee products, their focus is on breeding queens of the native species Apis mellifera carnica (Carniolan Grey). Alongside honey they can offer pollen, royal jelly, propolis, medovitmix, honey liqueur and other fine honey products.
Julka’s Learning Trail in Horjul
You can also follow a bee interpretive trail in Horjul. This is Julka’s Learning Trail near the Horjul Primary School, which is not intended only for learning about bees and beekeeping, but also for strengthening intergenerational connections. The learning trail leads past educational boards, a children’s playground, exercise equipment for the elderly, a school apiary and an outdoor classroom, surrounded by an orchard and honey plants.
Inclusive park and amazing world of the honey bee in Vrhnika
At the top of a small hill above Vrhnika visitors can find an inclusive park and learn about human coexistence with nature. On a pony ride, the route takes you to the beehives where you can observe closely the amazing world of the honey bee.
Ig – The oldest depicted beehive in Slovenia
Beekeeping in the Ig area has a long tradition – the oldest depicted beehive in Slovenia dates back to the 17th century, and was in the garden of Zonek Castle in Ig. In the 19th century Ig hosted the annual beekeeping fair on St. Lawrence’s Day. Still active today is the Ig Beekeeping Society, established in 1934.
The Glavar Bee House in Komenda
On the declaration of World Bee Day, the Peter Pavel Glavar Apicultural Society in Komenda renovated the bee house which was the first in the world to use IDRIJA LACE and RiŠELJE embroidery to decorate beehive panels. The bee house stands in an exceptional location in the centre of Komenda and will serve as an open-air gallery. The bee house is truly a feast for the eyes and a fine adornment for the surrounding area. In this way it contributes to preserving the cultural heritage and rich tourism vibe of this small municipality.
Fir tree and spruce tree honey from Logatec
Logatec Beekeepers’ Society began its journey in 1905, with 17 members (today it has 100 members). The Logatec Beekeepers’ Society takes care of regular training of its members, attracts young people to its ranks, promotes beekeeping (Slovenian breakfast) and encourages its members not to use illegal / dangerous chemical agents. In Logatec forest grazing provides the main bee pasture (fir tree and spruce trees).
Three generation of queen breeders from Medvode
The good name of the Municipality of Medvode was spread around the world by our deceased honorary citizen, Alojz Bukovšek, a world-famous queen bee breeder. Janko and Štefan Bukovšek, the third generation of bee-keepers, continue to breed queens today. Since 2018, the Municipality of Medvode has been giving each newborn a seedling of a native honey tree at birth.
In some meadows and parks there are signs which advising about the significance of bees and that quality food for them is missing, especially this year because of spring frost damage. On those meadows, the grass will be cut after the flowers shed their blossoms.
Moravče Apicultural Society
The beginnings of beekeeping here date back into the distant past, when almost every homestead had an orchard with a bee house and bees, which provided the family not just with honey as nourishment and a therapeutic, but also yields of fruit and buckwheat. The Moravče Apicultural Society has been preserving the beekeeping tradition and transferring it to the younger generation since back in 1946.
The Škofljica Beekeepers’ Association
In Škofljica, a beekeeping association has existed since before the Second World War, and the oldest preserved apiary in the municipality dates all the way back to 1912. The beekeeping association is very active and every year they implement many different programmes and activities. LANOMED, a spread with honey and ground linseed, is also produced in Škofljica. This special spread cleanse the lungs, treat hoarseness and cough.
Vodice – The home of Julij Slapšak
Vodice was the home of Julij Slapšak (1874–1951), who put his efforts into preserving the name “Carniolan bee”, which those in the Vienna school of apiculture wished to rename “die norische Biene”. He penned a resolution regarding the apiculture supervisor or itinerant teacher for Carniola, who would in Carniola also supervise the state of health of bees and hives and promote beekeeping and the training of Slovenian beekeepers. Today in Vodice the beekeepers under the aegis of the Skaručna Apicultural Society operate with more than 600 bee colonies.
Centenary of the Dobrepolje Apicultural Society
In 2021 the Dobrepolje Apicultural Society celebrated its jubilee 100th anniversary. In 2017 the area of the municipality counted 57 active beekeepers with a total of 393 bee colonies, and at the end of 2021 there were 47 active beekeepers in the municipality with 569 bee colonies.