View source for Arboretum Volčji Potok

{{Article
| status       = PHOTO
| maintainer   = Janez Premk
}}
{{Infobox
| name                = Arboretum Volčji Potok
| localname           = Arboretum Volčji Potok
| image               = Arboretum Volcji Potok.jpg
| street              = Volčji Potok 3
| town                = SI-1235 Radomlje
| telephone           = 386 (0) 1 831 2345
| fax                 = 386 (0) 1 831 0775
| website             = http://www.arboretum.si
| email               = info@arboretum.si
| managed by          = Ministry of Culture
| opening hours       = 8am–6pm Mar and 1–27 Oct, 8am–8pm Apr–Aug, 8am–7pm Sep, 8am–4.30pm 28 Oct–30 Nov
| map                 = http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=46.18792&lon=14.61266&zoom=15&layers=M
| contacts = {{Contact
| name                = Aleš Ocepek 
| role                = Director
| street        = 
  | town        = 
  | website     = 
  | email       = ales.ocepek@arboretum.si
  | telephone   = 
  | fax         = 
  }}{{Contact
  | name        = Aleksandra Zidar
  | role        = Guide
  | street      = 
  | town        = 
  | website     = 
  | email       = sandra.zidar@arboretum.si
  | telephone   = 
  | fax         = 
  }}{{Contact
  | name        = Melita Miš Strgar
  | role        = Public Relations
  | street      = 
  | town        = 
  | website     = 
  | email       = melita.mis@arboretum.si
  | telephone   = 
  | fax         = 
}}
}}

{{Teaser|
Opened to the public in [[established::1952]], [[Arboretum Volčji Potok]] originally formed part of the Souvan family estate in 1885, which was taken over by the [[University of Ljubljana]] in 1952 and legally declared a place of cultural and natural heritage of national importance. Now independent of the [[University of Ljubljana]], it is the most-visited horticultural facility in Slovenia which in recent years has become famous for its spring flower shows. True to its name meaning a collection of trees and bushes planted for educational purposes, the arboretum is primarily a botanical garden for woody plants, the only one in Slovenia.
}}

== History ==
The estate Volčji Potok, situated near Kamnik, was already mentioned by [[Janez Vajkard Valvasor|Valvasor]] in the 17th century. A picture printed in his book presents the old castle at the top of the hill (first mentioned in 1220) as being already in ruins, and the newest mansion at the foot of the hill, built by the Bonhomo family.

The estate changed owners several times; the Bonhomo family was followed by the Burger family, then the Gozani family, and in 1882 it came into the ownership of Ferdinand Souvan. He rebuilt the mansion in 1885 and planted the park encircled by walls. His son [[Leon Souvan]] enlarged the park by pulling down the walls and planted around 12 hectares with domestic and exotic trees. Instead of demolished walls he planted a beech tree hedge along the southern and south-western borders. The park was a frequent venue of Slovene impressionists, including [[Matija Jama]].

The 300-year-old mansion was burnt down in a fire in 1944. After [[Leon Souvan]] died the park came under the management of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry in 1952, today the [[Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Ljubljana|Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana]]. The collaboration with the university ended in 1965.

The arboretum was financially independent between 1965&ndash;1999 and has therefore shifted to manufacturing and services. Since 1999 it has been under the management of the [[Ministry of Culture]].

== Mission ==
The Arboretum Volčji Potok Institute, established in 2003, manages the cultural monument of state importance and presents its virtues. It takes care for widening the park and garden culture in Slovenia as well as for other cultural state-owned monuments of formed nature. It cooperates with similar institutions worldwide. Evaluating and developing the arboretum's collection, testing plans, and presenting dendrological information are some of the tasks of the professional staff. 

== Estate ==
The original entrance tree-lined avenue from the 19th century is continuous with the central part of the park geometrically formed in the French style, while other parts are in the English style. The geometric park, designed in 1918 by [[Leo Souvan]], once stood in front of the mansion, which has been missing since 1944. The park leads upstairs to the old park in the immediate vicinity of the missing mansion. The two stone tables are surrounded by two horse chestnut trees and two plane trees, all originating in the 19th century.

A hill overgrown with forest and an archaeological site at the top form a background to the plantation at the north. At the top of the hill there are ruins of pentagonal Romanesque residential tower, originating in the 13th century, and of walled castle courtyard with a Renaissance Bastille at the entrance, from the 16th century.

The Arboretum Volčji Potok produces plants in its own nurseries, runs a garden centre, employs a group of landscape architects, and does practical landscaping all over Slovenia. The arboretum itself comprises 88 hectares of ground with a diversity of soil types, occupied by about 2,500 different species of trees and shrubs. The plant collection has been thoughtfully designed as a landscape park. The park includes five artificial lakes and 30 hectares of forest, which houses particularly important union of fir and three-lobed moss ''Bazzania trilobata''.

== Collections and exhibitions ==
Trees and bushes belong to the basic botanical species from Europe, North America, and Asia as well as to cultivars that have been raised for ornamental purposes. The richest collections of species are of maple, linden, birch, and beech trees. To mention are the collections of cultivars of fan-maple ''Acer palmatum'', of scaly conifers, of rhododendrons and roses, and of evergreen deciduous trees.

In 2003&ndash;2004 the interactive herbarium was established online. The collection consists of selected non-indigenous and native woody plants from the Arboretum.

The park gallery, renovated in 1991 by architect [[Andrej Kemer]] and designer [[Miljenko Licul]], exhibits the collection of [[Janez Boljka]] animal statues. On the ground floor there is a hall for solemn receptions and wedding ceremonies.

The arboretum hosts different cultural events and exhibitions, i.e., the exhibition of models ''Minimundus'' which also presented a model of [[Bled Castle]] for the first time in 2010.

== See also ==
* [[Kamnik Culture House]]
* [[Mali grad]]
* [[Zaprice Castle]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.arboretum-vp.si/default.aspx?lang=c Arboretum Volčji Potok website]
* [http://www.arboretum-vp.si/Herbarij-lat-seznam.aspx Arboretum interactive Herbarium]
* [http://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arboretum_Volčji_Potok Arboretum Volčji Potok on Wikipedija] (in Slovenian)
* [http://www.uradni-list.si/1/objava.jsp?urlid=2003111&stevilka=4850 Decree establishing the public institute Arboretum Volčji Potok]
* [http://kraji.eu/slovenija/arboretum_volcji_potok/eng Arboretum Volčji Potok – kraji.eu]
* [http://www.burger.si/Kamnik/Arboretum/VolcjiPotokENG.html Virtual guide to Arboretum Volčji Potok]

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[[Category:Monuments and sites]]