The Kingdom of Juliana
iStock/Aleš Krivec
The Kingdom of Juliana is a magical mountain realm teeming with flora and fauna. Surrounded by majestic mountain peaks that tower above the enchanted waters of the emerald river, it is a sanctuary for all its inhabitants. Those lucky enough to lose their way in the Juliana may ultimately find themselves again!
The Kingdom of Juliana draws inspiration from the real-life Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden, Slovenia’s oldest natural botanical garden. Lying in the heart of Triglav National Park, this alpine garden is home to more than 600 different plant species. It was founded in 1926 by Swiss merchant and botanist Albert Bois de Chesne of Trieste. His audacious plan was to design a “colourful mosaic”¹, with each flowerbed representing a particular cross-section of the surrounding landscape. A walk within the grounds of this garden would take the visitor on a “botanical journey from the valley to a Julian [Alp] peak."² Bois de Chesne sought counsel from many experts, including his friend Dr Julius Kugy, a famous Slovene mountaineer and author. For Kugy, Juliana was a special place where existing troubles would melt away, and deeply ingrained memories from youthful pursuits in the mountains would come rushing back. He wrote, “This is the blissful resting place of the gods! There you can relax and reflect, even daydream as you wish.”³ Kugy considered Juliana to be hallowed ground, a sentiment that perfectly captures the vision I have for the Kingdom of Juliana.
Nada Praprotnik, Alpski botanični vrt Juliana in seznami rastlin, EPIcenter 7, št. 6-7 (2006): 38.
Julius Kugy, Iz minulih dni (Maribor: Obzorja, 1971), 127.
Ibid., 134.
iStock/Jurkos
“The lofty, glittering crests of Prisojnik, the Velika Dnina’s mighty depths and the tower-like parapets of Lepa Špica gaze into the Juliana Garden. The panorama from the Garden extends far into both reaches of the the valley. This mountain jewel is bounded by the jutting rock walls of the golden alpine meadows and the steep forests, gigantic cushions lying against the soaring slopes and reaching down into the blue ravines. It is as if all the overwhelming beauty of Trenta was gathered around this mountain Garden, encircling it as a magnificent crown. May the benevolent stars continue to protect the Garden!”