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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.