Explore two of Slovenia’s most beautiful regions on this dedicated macro photography tour, photographing a plethora of butterflies, beetles and other invertebrates alongside a kaleidoscope of beautiful wildflowers.
Exploring the varied habitats of Slovenia’s Karst limestone landscape in the country’s Dinaric Alps, alongside the high Alpine meadows of the Julian Alps, build up an enviable portfolio of stunning macro photography on this unique tour. Notable highlights include Apollo butterfly, scarce fritillary, lesser purple emperor, lizard orchid, scarce swallowtail and duke of Burgundy. Under the expert guidance of macro specialist Alex Hyde and naturalist Terry Goble, this tour has been specially designed to maximise the photographic opportunities afforded to you.
Alongside the smaller species, the areas we visit support a wide array of other species such as black woodpecker, red squirrel and hawfinch, while the surrounding landscapes are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Slovenia has benefitted from a small population and traditional farming methods, meaning much of the landscapes have changed little in the past 100 years.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Fly to Ljubljana, transfer to Farm Strle, Dinaric Alps
On arrival in Ljubljana, we transfer to Farm Strle. Nestled in the rolling hills, forests and meadows of the Dinaric Alps, the drive takes about an hour from the airport.
Accommodation: Tourist Farm Strle, 4-nights
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Days 2-4
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Exploring & photographing in the Dinaric Alps
Over the next three days, we explore the lower landscape of Slovenia’s Dinaric Alps. These forest-clad hills are interspersed with idyllic meadows, intermittent lakes, crystal-clear rivers and charming villages.
We make the most of the cool mornings, which provide the conditions to photograph our target species. A number of butterflies are possible to photograph including scarce fritillary, pearly heath, clouded apollo, lesser purple emperor and black-veined white. Other highlights include owlflies, dragonflies like the downy emerald and amphibians such as yellow-bellied toad and marsh frog. The botanical life here is equally impressive, and we should have plenty of opportunities to photograph a number of delightful species – lizard and bug orchids are just some of the floral specialities.
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Day 5:
Transfer to Turisticna Kmetija Kranjc via open air museum
Today we leave the hidden meadows and bubbling brooks of the south and make our way north toward the Julian Alps. On route, we stop at an Italian resistance open-air museum, which plays host to a stunning flower-lade hillside – the perfect place to search for and photograph Apollo butterfly.
Accommodation: Turisticna Kmetija Kranjc, 3-nights
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Days 6-7
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Exploring & photographing the Julian Alps
This corner of Slovenia has an altogether different feel to it, the Julian Alps’ high peaks provide an entirely new list of invertebrate delights to photograph. Here, unsurprisingly, we search for specialist mountain butterfly species such as mountain ringlet and smoky mountain whites, chequered skipper, Duke of Burgundy and our main target, the Asian fritillary. While photographing in the Alpine meadows and wooded slopes, we also keep our eyes peeled for the handsome Alpine longhorn. Undoubtedly a rare sight, this is one of Europe’s most spectacular species of beetle.
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Day 8:
Transfer to Ljubljana & fly back to the UK
