In Slovenia, beekeeping is more than a craft. It is heritage, pride and a long relationship with nature. At the Belakapa house in Ilirska Bistrica, near the Croatian border, Andrej opens the door of his workshop and invites visitors to discover a tradition that has shaped the country for centuries.
His small workshop is lined with wooden carvings, flower photographs and jars of honey. This is where he and his wife welcome visitors, run workshops and share their beekeeping story.
Andrej has been a beekeeper for almost thirty years. It is not his profession but his passion.
“You cannot be a beekeeper unless you truly love bees,” he says. For him, bees respond to how people approach them. If you arrive stressed, they sense it. If you are calm, they stay calm. One of his favourite moments is opening a hive and hearing the steady buzz of the colony.
His hives are traditional AŽ hives, a Slovenian invention that opens from the back like a cabinet. This design helps the beekeeper work precisely while disturbing the bees as little as possible. Across the country, painted hive fronts, mobile beekeepers and honey sold directly from farms show how deeply beekeeping is rooted in the national identity.
A Nation of Beekeepers
Slovenia has more than eleven thousand registered beekeepers despite a population of just over two million. The Slovenian Beekeeping Association often describes the country as a “beekeeping nation” because the practice begins early and exists everywhere. Children learn about bees in school clubs. Villages maintain community apiaries. Local associations organise events throughout the year. There is even a ceremonial uniform and a national anthem dedicated to bees.
In 2022, UNESCO recognised Slovenian beekeeping as an intangible cultural heritage under the title “Beekeeping in Slovenia: a way of life”. The organisation highlighted the strong community networks, educational programmes for young people and the unique AŽ hive system.
Slovenia also proposed the date for World Bee Day. The United Nations chose 20 May, the birthday of Anton Janša, the 18th century Slovenian innovator who shaped modern beekeeping techniques.
A representative of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association tells me, “Beekeeping here is not a hobby. It is a cultural responsibility passed from one generation to the next.”
At Belakapa: A Life Shaped by Bees
Andrej’s journey into beekeeping began almost by accident. His mother in law had several unused hives and encouraged him to try. A family friend guided him through his first season. What began as uncertainty turned into a lasting interest as he learned how to inspect frames, listen to the colony and understand its behaviour.
Today, when he lifts a frame, the smell of wax and honey fills the air. Behind his workshop stands a trailer that carries his hives. He moves them depending on which trees are flowering because each species produces a honey with its own character. Acacia honey is pale and mild. Chestnut honey is darker and slightly bitter. Spruce honeydew has a rich, resinous flavour.
Some years, bees collect large amounts of nectar. In ideal conditions, a single colony can gather several kilos in one day. Andrej places electronic scales under certain hives so he can check their weight remotely. If the weight increases, the bees are collecting nectar. If it remains stable, flowering has ended.
Inside the Hive: How Honey Is Made
Honey making is more complex than most visitors expect. Bees bring nectar to the hive and exchange it among themselves, adding enzymes that start transforming it. At night, they ventilate the hive with their wings to evaporate water from the nectar. Honey is considered ready only when the water content is low enough to keep it stable.
Andrej likes to remind people that a single bee produces only a quarter of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime of about forty five days. For him, this explains why honey must be respected and why beekeepers take only what the colony can spare.
In winter, the bees stay inside the hive, keeping each other warm by forming a tight cluster and feeding on the honey collected during summer.
A Changing Landscape
Beekeeping has grown by about twenty percent in the past two decades. There are more beekeepers and slightly more colonies, yet honey production has become unpredictable.
Winters are often too warm for bees to rest properly. Summers are increasingly dry, reducing nectar availability. Some trees bloom without producing nectar when temperatures rise too quickly. Average honey yields have declined, although exceptional years still occur.
The year 2025 was Andrej’s best so far. He harvested fifteen types of honey. Two years earlier, he produced only one type and ran out of stock by November. Each season is different and the weather plays a decisive role. The ideal year is one with moderate rain, stable temperatures and flowering that lasts long enough for bees to work.
Climate change is not the only concern. Pesticides remain a major threat. A bee that visits a treated flower can carry contamination back to the colony. Andrej encourages communication with farmers and explains that spraying at night, when flowers are closed, greatly reduces risks.
Slovenia also has one of the highest densities of brown bears in Europe. Bears seek honey, but they primarily look for larvae, which are rich in nutrients. Beekeepers install electric fences to protect their hives. For Andrej, this is part of maintaining a balance between humans, bees and wildlife.
Even bees themselves can become a threat. Colonies sometimes attack each other in late summer when nectar becomes scarce and competition increases.
The Carniolan Bee: Slovenia’s Peaceful Native
Slovenia protects its indigenous Carniolan honey bee, known for its gentle temperament and ability to adapt to the local environment. Only this species may be kept in the country. Beekeepers describe it as peaceful, efficient and loyal to its colony.
Before working with the hives, beekeepers use smoke made from natural fungi that grow on birch trees. The smoke triggers an instinctive reaction. The bees prepare for a possible fire by filling themselves with honey, which makes them calmer and easier to handle.
The Question of Fake Honey
Many Slovenians prefer to buy honey directly from beekeepers. The habit begins early. Each year, the national breakfast programme introduces schoolchildren to local honey and beekeeping products. This tradition continues into adulthood. More than eighty percent of Slovenian honey is sold through direct contact between beekeeper and consumer.
Fake honey made from sugar syrups is a growing international problem. Andrej chooses to focus on education. He explains to visitors that real honey takes time and care, and that it cannot be rushed or reproduced artificially.
A Future Rooted in Nature
Before leaving Belakapa, Andrej offers several types of honey as well as a honey liqueur he produces. The flavours reflect the surrounding landscape. He says his greatest wish is for Slovenia to remain as green and diverse as possible. Bees depend on this balance and, in many ways, so do humans.
In Belakapa, surrounded by quiet hills and the steady return of bees to their hives, it becomes clear why Slovenians insist that beekeeping is not just a rural activity. It is a way of life woven into the land itself.
