Green, active and healthy. That’s how Slovenia presents itself at Expo Milano 2015, promoting the awareness that everyone can do something useful for themselves and the Planet. The country is present at Expo with a Pavilion shaped like a pyramid broken into five pyramids, evoking the variety of the country’s landscapes: Alpine-type mountains, Pannonian plains, Mediterranean hills, cultivated fields and underground labyrinths of karstic caves. On one side of the Pavilion an open extension of soil contains olive trees, a 400-year-old vine, and a collection of plants and rocks typical of Slovenia’s countryside.
From salt flats to honey-making
The Pavilion extends on a single level, and the visit begins with a wall which plays host to a vertical garden that has a control unit to adjust its magnesium and sulfate levels. The first hall invites visitors to learn about Pirano Salt, also offering the highly relaxing possibility of walking on salt. This mineral, as well as the fleur de sel, is neither ground nor refined, being hand-processed and gathered every morning in a protected area inside the Nature Park. The visit continues with a display of nine different types of honey, which can be tasted in front of a wall of hive-shaped mirrors. Beekeeping and honey-making is an important activity in Slovenia, continuing a strong tradition begun in 1843.
Excursions for all… and outstanding mineral waters
The third theme covered in the Pavilion is water. Slovenia has abundant mineral water and thermal resources, making it an excellent provider of beneficent waters. Its 15 thermal spas and 87 natural springs encourage flourishing developments in thermal tourism. The country also produces a mineral water with a higher magnesium content than anywhere else in the world, and one specific kind extraordinarily rich in five minerals: sulfate, potassium, magnesium, chloride and bicarbonate. With 60% of its territory covered by woodlands, the country has ample options for hiking and trekking, especially in the area around its highest mountain, Mount Triglav: at 2,846 meters this offers walks, hikes and climbs for all tastes and abilities, from beginners to professional climbers. A section of this space is devoted to the underground galleries in the Postojna Caves.
Around the world measuring atmospheric pollution
The last theme focused on is a Slovenian scientific project for measuring air quality with a special aircraft, whose prototype is suspended in the hall. In 2013, a pilot with an ultra-light plane spent 369 hours flying over all the continents, measuring the concentration of Black Carbon in the atmosphere, which together with CO2 represents the main cause of global warming. The visit also includes displays of various top quality products made by Slovenian companies (from ski to motorbike manufacturers) and the possibility of trying special glasses to look at 3D images of Slovenia’s urban and rural landscapes.
A dismountable Pavilion with highly digestible Slovenian dishes
The Pavilion is built with natural materials, including Slovenian wood, and fully fulfills the country’s goal of creating a prefabricated pavilion with low energy consumption. At the end of the Universal Exposition, the building will be dismantled and transported to Slovenia, where it will be opened to the public. The last space on the visitor’s route contains a take-away restaurant offering typical local dishes such as Carniolan Sausage, vegetable soup with broccoli, or Smorn, a traditional dessert made with sugar and wild berries. An outdoor bar for coffee and cakes rounds off the culinary options.
