ABOUT THE PARK
Kozjansko Regional Park is one of the oldest and largest protected areas in Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia declared a major part of the Kozjansko and Obsotelje regions a protected area in 1981 – Trebče memorial park (Trebče Memorial Park Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No. 1/811) based on the area’s combination of cultural heritage and environmental values.
For professional, systematic and advertising purposes, the region has increasingly become known as the Kozjansko park. With the Nature Conservation Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No. 56/99) from 1999, the name, status and the manager of the protected area, which became known as Kozjansko park with the public institute as managing body. The regional park is a large area of ecosystems typical of the region and of landscapes comprising larger areas of primordial nature, where human interference is present, but is well balanced with the nature in terms of sustainability and environment-friendlessness.
Natural science studies consistently indicate an extremely high level of biodiversity in the area.
Its extremely high level of biodiversity places the Kozjansko park among the most important nature protection areas in Slovenia and Europe as the majority of the park (69%) has been part of the ecologically important areas in Slovenia since 2004 as well as belonging to the NATURA 2000 European special protection areas.
Since 2010, the wider area of Kozjansko and Obsotelje has had the status of Kozjansko and Obsotelje biosphere area under the UNESCO MAB programme (Man and Biosphere).
In 2021, the Kozjanski Park Public Institute was awarded the UNESCO International Prize – Greece Melina Mercouri, which is awarded for outstanding work in the field of protection and management of the world’s cultural landscapes.
REGION
The region of the Kozjansko park spreads out over the area of 5 municipalities and 17 local communities. Kozjansko park municipalities:
- Bistrica ob Sotli (share in KP: 100%)
- Brežice (share in KP: 21%)
- Kozje (share in KP: 89%)
- Krško (share in KP: 2%)
- Podčetrtek (share in KP: 51%)
On a regional level, the majority of the park belongs to the Savinjska (69%) statistical region, while the smallest part belongs to the Posavska (31%) statistical region.
DETAILS
- Established: 1981, the Republic of Slovenia
- Size: 206km2 (20,650ha)
- Status: regional park, Natura 2000 area, biosphere area – UNESCO MAB programme (Man and biosphere)
- IUCN category: V – Protected Landscape/Seascape – protected area for the preservation of the landscape (land and sea) and recreation
- Manager: Kozjansko Park Public Institute, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning
- Management: Podsreda market town
- Position: eastern Slovenia, between the River Sotla and the Bohor Hill
- Population: 10,700 (data from 2002)
- Number of settlements: 78
- Largest settlement: Kozje, 738 inhabitants (data from 2002)
- Smallest settlement: Ortnice, 25 inhabitants (data from 2002)
- Population density: 51 inhabitants/km²
- Highest point: Oslica, 860m
- Lowest point: Figarjev most ob Sotli, 151m
- Forest coverage: 48%
- Average annual precipitation: 1060mm
- Average annual temperature: 9.5ºC
- Watercourses: Sotla, Bistrica, Buča, Dramlja, Gabernica
- Municipalities: 5 – Bistrica ob Sotli, Kozje, Podčetrtek, Brežice, Krško
- Primary schools: 6 (Bistrica ob Sotli, Bizeljsko, Koprivnica, Kozje, Lesično, Pišece)
- Medical centres: 3 (Bistrica ob Sotli, Bizeljsko, Kozje)
- Natura 2000: 69.7%
- SPA area – “Birds Directive” (36.9%): Kozjansko
- SCI and pSCI areas – “Habitats Directive” (32.8%): Bohor, Orlica, Sotla and its tributaries, Pustišekova polšna, Dobrava-Jovsi, Suhadolski potok
- Natural attractions: 78
- Cultural heritage, monuments: 428