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Bear watching in Slovenia: Don’t fear the bear

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Living in a country with so much forest (it covers more than half of the land) is something we are quite proud of. On top of that, there are many brown bears co-inhabiting the area. And if you decide to go for an adventure, when in Slovenia, you might see it in person. I know, this seems to be quite dangerous, but bear watching is not dangerous and no fear is needed when you’re on the field with professionals.

When you (don’t) meet a bear

If you don’t really seek for an encounter with a bear, it is highly unlikely you will see it. They have a perfect sense of smell, which means that even though they don’t see very well, they will notice you first. Since they are usually shy and see humans as a possible threat, they will most likely retreat even before you notice them. The bears living in Central Europe don’t see humans as potential preys, and bear attacks are very rare. They happen if bears are surprised, provoked or when they defend their cubs. This means you shouldn’t feed a bear, even if it seems friendly, don’t approach it, and keep your dog on a leash.

There are 8 species of bears in the world.

Bear watching

In the Notranjska and Kočevska region, there are many bears. These regions are one of the world’s most densed with the brown bears. If you are into photography, you can book a bear photo hide, and wait for this beautiful beast to observe and photograph it.

Notranjska, Slovenia
Notranjska, Slovenia
Lake Cerknica, Cerknica, Slovenia
Kočevska, Slovenia
Kočevska, Slovenia
J2XJ+H2 Dolenjske Toplice, Slovenia

Many bears can be seen in Loški Potok as well, where you can go on a tour with an experienced local guide, who takes you to the observatory in the woods from where you can watch the bears. You can even get to see where the bears sleep – the guide can take you to the real bear cave, if you want.

Bears and wildlife, Slovenia
Bears and wildlife, Slovenia
Hrib - Loški Potok 14, 1318 Loški Potok, Slovenia
Loški Potok, Slovenia
Loški Potok, Slovenia
Municipality of Loški Potok, Slovenia
Brown bear is the only bear species that can be found in the continental Europe.

If I haven’t convinced you, or if you don’t see any fun in seeing a bear closely on his territory, you still have plenty of other possibilities to meet it. You can visit a museum, a ZOO or do other activities to see how the bear is connected to Slovenian culture.

In a case your next trip is Greece, and since I already know you are a nature lover, you might want to consider this wildlife experience in Greece and see the animals in their natural habitats. We shouldn’t forget to mention the Slovenian Museum of Natural History in Ljubljana, where you can see a cave bear as a part of the exhibition. So go on, have no fear and have fun watching the bears!

Slovenian Museum of Natural History
Slovenian Museum of Natural History
Prešernova cesta 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

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The author

Darja

Darja

I’m Darja, from Slovenia, always excited to meet new people, try out new things, especially sports and baking sweets... as well as share with you about my country.

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