Institution(s) in charge

Ministry of culture, according to the Cultural Heritage Protection Act

• Cultural Heritage Directorate - responsible for carrying out administrative and professional tasks related to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, including historical parks and gardens.

Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, according to the Cultural Heritage Protection Act - responsible for the identification, evaluation, documentation and protection of Slovenia's cultural heritage. IPCHS conducts research on cultural heritage and cooperates with various professional and scientific institutions in its study, runs education programmes and raises public awareness of the importance and value of cultural heritage.

 Other actors

• University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Landscape Architecture (Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za krajinsko arhitekturo) – responsible for the education in disciplines that provide the knowledge required for planning the use of space, protection of nature and designing the landscape.
• State Public Institution Arboretum Volčji Potok (Javni zavod Arboretum Volčji Potok) - The mission of the institute is permanent and uninterrupted management of a historical park, which is cultural monument of national significance, and the presentation of its cultural values. The public institute is responsible for the evaluation and development of the arboretum collection, plant tests, and the presentation of dendrological knowledge, for the promotion of park and contributes to development of horticultural culture in Slovenia.
• The Society of Landscape Architects of Slovenia (Društvo krajinskih arhitektov Slovenije) is a professional association of landscape architects, established in 1992. It brings together over 100 members of different generations, active at various levels and fields of spatial and urban planning, landscape management, design, nature and cultural heritage protection, landscape conservation and development.
• The Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (Zbornica za arhitekturo in prostor) is a professional association of experts (architects, landscape architects, and spatial planners), established to ensure professionalism and the protection of public interest in the field of spatial planning and building construction. Activities are directed towards raising spatial culture.
• Local administration of towns and municipalities dealing with the protection of cultural monuments, environmental protection and spatial planning

 Relevant legislation

Cultural Heritage Protection Act – Zakon o varstvu kulturne dediščine (Ur. l. RS št. 16/08, 123/08, 8/11 – ORZVKD39, 90/12, 111/13, 32/16, 21/18 – ZNOrg, 78/23 – ZUNPEOVE)

Utility order of local government

Spatial planning documentation

Some of the historical gardens are also protected as valuable natural features according to Nature Conservation Act (Ur. L. RS, št. 96/04 – uradno prečiščeno besedilo, 61/06 – ZDru-1, 8/10 – ZSKZ-B, 46/14, 21/18 – ZNOrg, 31/18, 82/20, 3/22 – ZDeb, 105/22 – ZZNŠPP, 18/23 – ZDU-1O, 97/25)

 Protection measures

In protected areas of historical greenery, it is prohibited without prior approval of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia to take actions, except for regular maintenance.

Regional Units of Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia sometimes require landscape architecture plan to be included in the process of obtaining confirmation, while in the more complex situations making also of a conservation plan.

 Existing inventories

The Register of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia - The beginnings of the development of the immovable cultural heritage register system date back to 1991. Since 1996, we have been entering units into the immovable cultural heritage register based on registration proposals prepared by conservators of the competent regional units of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia. The management of the immovable cultural heritage register has been fully electronically supported from the beginning. In 1997, the geographic information system (GIS) module was included in the regular operation of the register, which was also a novelty at the European level. Within the project 'Comprehensive Information Support for Cultural Heritage Protection Processes' (short: eHeritage), which took place during 2017-2022 and was co-financed by the European Union (from the European Regional Development Fund) and the Republic of Slovenia, the register of immovable heritage was substantively, informationally, and technologically updated.

Many parks, gardens, arboretums and tree lined alleys are protected within immovable cultural heritage. Some of them are:

Maribor - Park gradu Betnava, 1-07866

Ptuj - Park gradu Turnišče, 1-07930

Polhov Gradec - Park gradu Polhov Gradec, 1-07879

Slovenska Bistrica - Park gradu v Slovenski Bistrici, 1-07881

Ljubljana - Botanični vrt, 1-07914

Spodnji Slemen - Park gradu Viltuš, 1-07884

Volčji Potok – Arboretum, 1-07904

Dornava - Park dvorca Dornava, 1-07876

Begunje na Gorenjskem - Park gradu Katzenstein, 1-04630

Dolane - Park gradu Borl, 1-07873

Ravne pri Šoštanju - Dvorec Gutenbuchel s parkom, 1-04333

Leskovec pri Krškem - Območje gradu Šrajbarski turn, 1-08772

Vipolže - Vila Vipolže, 1-00820

Vipava - Park Lanthierijeve graščine, 1-07885

Snežnik - Območje gradu Snežnik, 1-08765

Grad – Grad, 1-00159

Cerklje na Gorenjskem - Grad Strmol, 1-07903

Gradac - Grajski park, 1-07905

Štanjel - Vrt ob vili Ferrari, 1-07901

Brdo pri Kranju - Posestvo gradu Brdo, 1-00907

Pišece - Območje gradu Pišece, 1-08763

Brestanica - Območje gradu Rajhenburg, 1-11168

Bistra - Samostan Bistra, 1-00015

Pleterje - Kartuzija Pleterje, 1-00528

Strunjan - Drevored pinij, 1-07935

Rakek - Drevored med Uncem in Rakekom, 1-18607

Also, Cultural landscapes are protected within immovable cultural heritage and inscribed in the register. Some of them are:

Lipica - Kobilarna Lipica, 1-07245

Retje v Loškem Potoku - Območje cerkve sv. Florijana, 1-12745

Sečovlje - Sečoveljske soline, 1-07868

Strunjan - Strunjanske soline, 1-08077

Srednje Bitnje - Kulturna krajina Bitnje, 1-00683

Robanov Kot - Kulturna krajina Robanov kot, 1-16894

Logarska Dolina - Kulturna krajina Logarska dolina, 1-22983

Globodol - Globodolsko polje, 1-09329

Ribjek  - Kulturna krajina, 1-21990

Cerknica - Kulturna krajina Cerkniškega jezera, 1-16286

Jovsi - Poplavna ravnica ob Sotli, 1-09753

Pokljuka - Planina Zajamniki, 1-00860

Bled - Ambient Bleda, 1-13232

Zgornje Jezersko - Kulturna krajina, 1-00881

Svibno - Kulturna krajina, 1-21759

Maribor – Kalvarija, 1-13762

The Register is maintained by the Ministry of Culture, and the data is public.

 Online information

https://geohub.gov.si/ghapp/giskd/ - GIS browser of immovable cultural heritage of the Republic of Slovenia

 Specialised training

High schools specialized in gardening and agriculture:

• School of horticulture and visual arts, Secondary Vocational and Technical School, Celje
• Biotechnical Centre Naklo, Naklo
• Agricultural school Grm, Novo mesto

University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Landscape Architecture, Ljubljana

 Awareness-raising actions

• Awards in the Field of Landscape Architecture in Slovenia

• Plečnik Award (Plečnik Awards) – awarded by the Fund of Jože Plečnik in cooperation with the Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (ZAPS)
• Piranesi Award – awarded by the Piran Coastal Galleries within the framework of the Piran Days of Architecture (PDA)
• ZAPS Awards – awarded by the Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (ZAPS)
• Maks Fabiani Award – awarded by the Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (ZAPS)
• Stele Award (Steletova nagrada) – awarded by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS)
• Landscape Architecture Awards (occasional) – awarded by the Slovenian Association of Landscape Architects (DKAS / professional associations)

• Different activities on local and national level
• Rendez-voux aux jardins – manifestation in June
• Landscape Architecture Month – different activities on local and national level in April

There are in addition numerous events and awareness-raising activities at federal and local level, but they are not yet systematically compiled.

 Terminology tools

In the framework of the ‘HEREIN in Garden’ Slovenia collaborates in developing the glossary related to garden heritage. There is a glossary/thesaurus in Slovenian language relating to cultural heritage including gardens and parks.

 Documentation

There is some literature on historic parks and gardens, for example:

Kemperl, M. (2024). Zoisova palača v Ljubljani. Slovenska matica, Pedagoška fakulteta. https://zalozba.pef.uni-lj.si/index.php/zalozba/catalog/book/235

Marijan, J., in Mastnak, M. (2022). Vrtovi in parki na slikah Narodne galerije. Narodna galerija.

Vrt in prispodoba. [Znanstvena monografija, uredili Kučan, A. in Kurir, M. ]. (2021). Muzej za arhitekturo in oblikovanje (MAO), Biotehniška fakulteta.

Marušič, J. (2020). O krajini: ustvarjalno varstvo sveta. Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za krajinsko arhitekturo.

Društvo krajinskih arhitektov Slovenije, S. posvet. (2018). Misliti Tivoli: izzivi celovitega upravljanja mestnega parka: [zbornik strokovnega posveta Društva krajinskih arhitektov Slovenije, Ustvarjalni center Švicarija, Ljubljana, 12. oktober 2018].

Grmovšek, T., Jeglič, M., Jernejec Babič, P., Klemen, M., Koruza, N., Krivec, M., Lah, M., Mihelčič Koželj, A., Mlakar, B., Pergovnik, D., Simič, M., Tavčar, E., in Vivoda, E. (2017). Vrtnoarhitekturna dediščina v Sloveniji in njeno ohranjanje. Slovensko konservatorsko društvo.

Babnik, I. (2016). Kultura vrtov: oblikovane zelene površine v Ljubljani od sredine 18. stoletja do zgodnjega 19. stoletja. Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.

Guštin, M. (ur.). (2015). Piranske soline: Slovenija = Piran Salt Pans. Univerza na Primorskem, Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče, Inštitut za dediščino Sredozemlja, Univerzitetna založba Annales.

Brišnik, D., Trifunović, M., Klemen, M., Krivec, M. in Šoba, T. (2013). Vrtna arhitektura 18. stoletja v srednji Evropi: raziskovanje, rekonstruiranje, ohranjanje: zbornik mednarodnega simpozija, dvorec Dornava 2011 = Gartenarchitektur des 18. Jahrunderts in Mitteleuropa

Jernejec Babič, P., Simič, M., Kolar Planinšič, V., Koruza, N., Krivec, M., Lah, M., Mihelčič Koželj, A., Pergovnik, D., in Simonič, T. (2009). Po zgodovinskih parkih in vrtovih Slovenije: [dvainštirideset slovenskih parkov in vrtov]. Buča.

Dornau. [fotografski album Dornava: photographic album Dornava] (2008). Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije.

Vardjan, F. (2004). Rogaška Slatina: sprehod skozi čas: (njene zgradbe in parki). Društvo prijateljev.

Klemenčič, M. (2003). Dornava: Vrišerjev zbornik: tematska publikacija Zbornika za umetnostno zgodovino. Umetnostna kronika, 1, 19–22.

Simič, M., in Kolšek, A. (2000). Zgodovinski vrtovi Dolenjske in Posavja. Tiskarna Novo mesto, Dolenjska založba.

Dešnik, S. (1995). Zgodovinski parki in vrtovi v Sloveniji, Historical parks and gardens in Slovenia (str. 155). Ministrstvo za kulturo, Uprava Republike Slovenije za kulturno dediščino.

Novak, R. (1995). Zgodovinski parki in vrtovi v Sloveniji, 27.-29. september 1995 (str. 1 plakat). Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije, Uprava za kulturno dediščino.

Velkovrh Bukilica, V. (1994). Tivoli. Ljubljanski mestni park: ČZP Kmečki glas Ljubljana, 1994. Slovenec, 78 (144), 10.

Parki - umetnost oblikovanja prostora. (1992). Restavratorski center Republike Slovenije, 1, str. 146.

Ogrin, D. (1989). Slovenske krajine. Državna založba Slovenije.

Šumi, N. (1977). Ljubljana: zasnove mesta skozi zgodovino: vodnik. Delavska enotnost.

Jeglič, C. (1943). O vrtovih in vrtni umetnosti: pogledi v svetove vrtnega veselja. Samozaložba.

(This list is however not exhaustive.)