In September 2019, Slovenia opened its first treetop walk in the Northeastern part of the country, in the heart of the Pohorje Hills with beneficial Alpine climate and green forests.
Rogla, which is a Slovenian winter tourism center, added a new experience to its guests — letting them walk along the elevated pathway among the treetops and get to know Pohorje from a different perspective.
The total length of the Pohorje Treetop Walk (Slovenian: Pot med krošnjami) is about 1,000 meters, of which the path is about 560 meters long. The nature experience facility starts at ground level on top of the mountain Rogla. After about 2/3 of the way, the path culminates in an approximately 37-meter high viewing tower.
Also, along the way – there are information stations, where visitors can learn about the features of the Pohorje environment.
The entire treetop walk, including the viewing tower, is wheelchair and pram-friendly and offers a 360-degree view over the mountain peaks and valleys of the Pohorje Mountains.
The Pohorje Treetop Walk is not a one-shot project for the ski center; rather, it’s a continuation of the development of experiential products and services that have been introduced at Rogla.
From the opening day onward, a few adrenaline and educational stops will await the visitors along the walk. New content will be added every year, starting with a nearly 40-meter slide that was opened in Spring 2020. Adrenaline enthusiasts will thus be able to slide from the top of the tower down to the walk. Also, the treetop walk is dubbed a perfect experience for corporate groups.
Takeaway
Just over a kilometer long, the trail offers the enjoyment of fantastic views from a rare perspective. It gives visitors the feeling of being part of forest life. For the more daring, there are adrenaline stations, offering added fun.
Action point
Green tourism has been growing in recent years and projects like the Pohorje Treetop Walk can help municipalities attract more people to spend their money in the community. These sorts of projects are not necessarily cheap but their benefits last for years. They are not that expensive either. However, they only make sense in cities and towns that have nearby hills or mountains, where such amenities are possible. If that's the case, perhaps your municipality could consider something like this.
If you're in a construction-related industry, your company could propose a project like this one to municipalities you serve. However, you should know that projects like these only make sense in cities and towns that have nearby hills or mountains, where such amenities are feasible. Your pitch to the local officials should be focused on the development of green tourism, which has been growing in recent years. After all, such a project will also put local politicians in the (good) spotlight, letting them earn some points in the eyes of the voters.