Volcji Potok Arboretum

The arboretum at Volčji Potok grew out of the park of a manor estate whose house was destroyed in the war, and it now covers around eighty hectares with several thousand species and cultivars of woody plants, which makes it the largest botanical collection of its kind in Slovenia. The English landscape park with its ponds and the French formal section survive from the estate. Two million spring bulbs are planted each year and the April tulip display is what brings the largest crowds.

Background

The estate near Kamnik already appears in Valvasor's 17th-century book, which shows the hilltop castle, first mentioned in 1220, in ruins and a newer mansion below built by the Bonhomo family. Ferdinand Souvan acquired it in 1882, rebuilt the house in 1885 and laid out a park within walls, which his son Leon Souvan opened up by removing the walls and planting around 12 hectares with native and exotic trees. The University of Ljubljana took over in 1952, the year the grounds opened to visitors. Today the arboretum spans 88 hectares with about 2,500 species of trees and shrubs, 30 hectares of forest and five artificial lakes.

Source: Wikipedia, "Volčji Potok Arboretum"

What's there

• The spring bulbs - around two million tulips and other bulbs planted for the April display.
• The tree collection - several thousand species and cultivars over eighty hectares.
• The English landscape park - ponds and planting surviving from the manor estate.
• The French garden - the formal section with its clipped geometry.

When to go

April for the tulips, which is by far the busiest time. May and June for rhododendrons and roses, October for autumn colour. Winter opening is short and much is bare.

Practical notes

April weekends are extremely crowded and the car parks fill early. Outside the bulb and autumn seasons the collection is of most interest to plant people. There is little shelter in rain.

Nearby

Kamnik is north, and Ljubljana is south.

Key facts