WATERFULL – A story about Slovenia’s vast water riches. Slovenia is one of just a few countries in the world that has a right to clean and drinking water written in its constitution. Water is considered a “new gold” because of projections about global warming and is becoming a commodity. Slovenia is one of the smallest countries in Europe, but in terms of water resources it is one of the richest.
The total length of all surface watercourses in Slovenia is almost 27000 kilometers. This Photo essay was produced between 2021-2024 and was published in National Geographic Slovenia in July 2025.
It used to be the sea, but today Škocjan bay is a nature reserve where salt and fresh water
mix and is home to many salt-loving plants and animals. It is the largest semi-saline brackish wetland in Slovenia.
The Žager mill was already in the cadastre at the time of Maria Theresa, so it is more than 250 years old. The mill collapsed by a flood in 1990, but was later restored according to the original version.
Water tourism is very developed in Slovenia, while foreigners visit the world-famous Bled Lake, locals have fun and cool off on lesser-known local lakes. Jump into the water at the Podpeško Lake, which, with a depth of 51 meters, is one of the deepest lakes in Slovenia.
The economically important Drava river flows through the second largest city in Slovenia, Maribor. Divers from the Maribor Diving Association are cleaning the river of trash and discarded waste. The condition of the river in the city center has improved a lot in recent years since the river has been actively cleaned.
Under certain conditions, the Bloščica river also feeds the underwater world of Križna Jama, which is one of the most interesting caves in the world with its 22 underwater lakes, where we see a caver on a boat in one of them.
Kostanjevica na Krki is Slovenian smallest town that is built on an artificial island on Krka river. It is also an important artistic center of the region.
The public company VOKA is responsible for water resources in Ljubljana and the pumping of drinking water, as well as its drainage and purification before returning it to nature.
According to the old Julian calendar, spring began on the day of St. Gregory. By sailing small wooden boats down the river with burning candles, artisans once symbolically said goodbye to winter and welcomed spring. Nowadays, the tradition is continued by the youngest members of our society.
A spectator on the platform of the Eagle’s nest observes the 90-meter Rinka waterfall, which is one of the largest waterfalls in Slovenia.
The Alpine river Soča is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful Slovenian rivers and is full of interesting riverbeds, beautiful colors and is the home of the Soča trout, which is endemic to these waters. The fish farm in Kobarid has been raising this fish for many years to populate various rivers. Darko has been working here for 40 years helping grow this fish. River is also popular among kayak riders.
Typical meanders of the Bloščica river, between which a man rides a horse. In winter, this part of Slovenia receives an above-average amount of snow, which also stays for a very long time due to the high altitude.
Slovenia is full of thermal water, mostly in the eastern half. In some places, there are large tourist swimming pools and facilities, but there are also some wild thermal springs, such as the Klevevž spring near Novo Mesto.
A young tourist from France is having fun at a drinking fountain in Ljubljana, where clean drinking water flows, which in Ljubljana is among the cleanest and highest quality in Europe.
Urban gardening is an important part of Slovenian cultural heritage. It also represents a form of hobby and socializing. Mojca and Tanja water the crops during the summer heat in Ljubljana, where they also have a rainwater collection system for watering plants.
The combination of deep breathing, meditation and immersion in ice cold water is a method that helps you get in touch with yourself and has many other positive effects. Emil Ledenko and a group of his followers dive into the icy water once a week at the source of the Kamniška Bistrica river, which is one of the cleanest rivers in Slovenia.
Children play hockey on the frozen lake in Koseze, Ljubljana.
Fishing associations have more than 140 years of tradition in Slovenia. Among other things, they have the mission of preserving clean rivers and the animals in them. Members of the F.A. Vevče enjoy afternoon fishing at the confluence of the Sava and Ljubljanica rivers.
In the old days, most houses had their own well with a borehole for drinking water, or the village had such a borehole. Now, with the right to drinking water enshrined in the constitution, water is piped to individual houses via the public water supply system. The water in Slovenia is renowned for its exceptional quality and is unchlorinated in the capital and supplied directly from the borehole to the network.
The Zelenci wetland is a nature reserve and home to many animal and plant species. The porous lake chalk at the bottom erupts water in the form of mini springs, which is a unique example in Slovenia and has a constant temperature of 5-6 degrees Celsius.
Amateur Ornithologist Drago observes birds on the largest intermittent lake in Slovenia – Cerknica Lake, which is one of the largest intermittent lakes in Europe, as it dries up in the dry part of the year due to water draining into Carst underground. 276 species of birds can be seen on the lake.
