Vulkanija Adventure Park

Route Description

Did you know that the last volcano in Slovenia erupted in the area of the village of Grad 3 million years ago? Its crater was about 1 kilometer (0.10 miles) in diameter and Vulkanija Adventure Park is located on a part of this crater.

We spent our autumn holidays exploring Prekmurje and we were really surprised by what this part of Slovenia, otherwise less known to us, has to offer. Our whole family was looking forward to visiting Vulkanija Adventure Park, which is located in the beautiful village of Grad (it is by itself full of sights to see). The charming mascot Oli the mole, Oli’s Volcanic Route and an interesting presentation of the volcano will impress you so much that you will definitely come back here again and recommend a visit to your acquaintances and friends with children.

Once you arrive at the park, Oli the mole welcomes you. He leads you through most of Vulkanija and is followed closely by Ezo the witch. She wants to get her hands on the precious olivine crystals, which came to the surface with the eruption of a volcano near the village Grad in Goričko.

With the help of an interactive touch table, you learn all about the main geological features of the Earth, especially about volcanoes and their good and bad sides. For those who want to learn more about the exciting world of volcanoes and the forces that rule our planet, they have prepared an attractive interactive content. Younger visitors, however, are entertained by computer games, which help them explore the world of volcanoes.

The path then leads you through the so-called lava tube, where Oli greets you and asks you some questions that you need to answer correctly. When you complete this part of the journey, Oli takes you on to a hall, where, with the help of original 3D stereoscopic techniques, you travel through the history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the formation of the Solar System and the Earth.

Every May, a guided hike (11 km/6.4 miles) takes place along Oli’s Volcanic Route, but visitors to Vulkanija can walk only one part of the trail, that is to the basalt tuff quarry (1 km/0.10 miles in one direction) and back. The undemanding and beautifully arranged path for children runs past the Kač pond (Kačova mlaka) and you learn many interesting things here as well.

You can get to the basalt tuff quarry via the Oli train. Once the train stops there, you watch two short films, look for olivine crystals and then continue the ride along the panoramic volcanic route. There, you learn more about the volcano crater. The train ride and the quarry visit takes about 45 minutes and the route is 5.5 kilometres/3.7 miles long.

This ride is a permanent offer (for individuals on certain days, groups of more than 20 people need to be reserved in advance) at the Vulkanija Adventure Park.

Actually, Grad Castle is located not far from Vulkanija. Many legends whisper about the castle’s past. Perhaps the most famous one is about a lord that desired a golden crown belonging to an actual dragon. Another story tells of the lord’s son and the gardener’s daughter forbidden love; however, the ending is not a happy one.