EU funding for the Natura 2000 information centre in the Karst region

Ljubljana, 6 March 2020 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a funding decision for the project Setting up of the Natura 2000 information centre in the Karst region. The project whose total budget stands at EUR 873,000, will receive a contribution from the ERDF amounting to EUR 688,000.

The new Natura 2000 information centre will be set up in the Štanjel Castle premises inviting the visitors to take a walk through the history of the Karst region by showing the use and developments of the region through centuries (including archeology, human settlements, ethnology). The centre will interpret and portray the changes that occurred in the Karst vegetation from the period of the earliest settlements known to the present time, helping the visitors understand the impact of human activities on biodiversity. Additionally, the educational strand of the centre will be dedicated to encouraging people to spend more time outdoors, while highlighting the importance of preserving and conserving habitats and putting into spotlight the role of farming in the Karst region. The project will help popularize cultural and natural heritage in the region.  

A similar centre, set up by the Škocjan Caves Park on the other side of the region, will complement and upgrade the contents offered by the information centre set up in the Štanjel Castle. Both institutions will make up what will be a multifaceted and comprehensive presentation of the Karst region.

The Štanjel Castle restoration project, which is led by the Municipality Komen, complements the project Ensuring appropriate use of Karst grasslands and rocky cliffs for the conservation of selected habitat types and species in Natura 2000 network – the Karst, which is managed by the Škocjan Caves Public Institute.

For more information, please refer to the Ministry of Culture