Beekeeping has a long tradition in Slovenia and is extremely popular. Approximately 11,350 beekeepers take care of 205,000 hives in Slovenia, which places Slovenia at the top among EU member states.
Slovenian beekeepers are aware of the importance of bees and their role in preserving life. By pollinating plants, bees take care of food production and biodiversity. Albert Einstein emphasized the importance of the bee for life: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
Slovenian beekeeping was introduced to the world by the pioneer of modern beekeeping, Anton Janša, who taught beekeeping in Imperial Vienna more than 230 years ago. Few people know that the second most widespread bee breed in the world is the native Carniolan Honey Bee, which originates from the Slovenian ethnic area. This breed is distinguished by diligence and excellent orientation. In addition, beekeepers are proving that beekeeping has no space constraints. In recent years, urban beekeeping has become very popular. Colourful beehives can be found on the roofs of city buildings, residential balconies, in parks or along beekeeping learning paths near urban centres. Thus, beekeepers educate the population about bees maintaining respect for these amazing creatures in addition to honey production.
