Our green Story

Welcome to Štanjel, the Karst and Brkini green destination. We sincerely hope you will remember your visit for pleasant things, beautiful experiences and well-being.

The Karst and Brkini destination is an environmentally friendly destination and treads the path of sustainable development, which it also proves by joining the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism and acquiring the Slovenia Green Gold label in 2021.

In its desire to increase its contribution and raise awareness about environmental issues, Štanjel Castle received the “GREEN KEY” eco-label in 2022, which is the leading excellence standard in the areas of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. It represents a commitment by businesses that their certified tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria, while ensuring their guests that by opting for such an establishment, they are directly contributing to environmental protection. As a bearer of this eco-label, we adhere to high environmental standards, which we prove with rigorous documentation and frequent audits.

By acquiring this eco-label we have been recognised for our EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS and we hereby declare we are constantly striving to:

  • act in an environmentally friendly way,
  • raise awareness among our friends, relatives and visitors
  • and as far as possible abide by advice and solutions for responsible use of natural resources and efficient energy use.

Štanjel castle – Certificate Green Key 2025 (.pdf)

Our various endeavours towards environment and sustainability are the pillars of our operations and we also strive to create societal and environmental benefits for the local area. Therefore, our guiding principles are as follows:

We will strive to reduce the negative impact of our operations on the environment. We will achieve this by saving energy and water and reducing waste production.

We will set for ourselves new environmental goals every year and monitor how effectively we implement sustainable measures.

We will focus our attention on the education and training of our personnel about environmental and sustainability endeavours. We want our employees to dedicate themselves to the green policy and become aware of its advantages, as only thus they will be able to implement the recommendations and also search for solutions for more sustainable operations proactively.

We will share our knowledge and commitment to sustainable operations with you, our dear guests. We will encourage you to actively participate in our environmental efforts in a number of ways.

When buying raw materials and other products, we will give priority to organic and local products.

We will undertake to actively connect with the local environment. From purchasing raw materials and products from local producers as much as possible to promotion of the local cuisine, culture and natural riches.

We indulge in drinking water, but we pay attention to consumption.

We are proud to host you in an environment where water is drinkable! In Slovenia, we drink extremely clean and high-quality water. Feel free to pour yourself some water, and cheers!

We adjust the quantity of tap water according to our actual needs.

We always turn off the tap, when we are not using water.

We diligently separate waste.

Waste is always disposed of in appropriate containers and not in the natural environment or in drains. The waste thus dumped pollutes groundwater and other sources of drinking water.

We reduce the use of plastic.

Plastic poses a great threat – both to the environment and to humans. We try to avoid the use of single-use disposable plastic products.

We pay attention to turning off the lights.

We use energy-saving/LED bulbs. The most energy is saved by a LED lamp turned off. So we turn off the lights whenever we do not need them.

We reduce our carbon footprint.

We close the doors and windows. We thus prevent the warming up of spaces in the summer and require no air conditioning. By doing so, we effectively reduce our carbon footprint.

We enjoy the local wealth of natural and cultural heritage.

The natural and cultural heritage in our environment is exceptional – visit us, get to know our heritage and experience it! Please find more information on the sights, experiences, gastronomy and customs on our website and in the Štanjel Castle Visitor Centre.

We explore the area with environment-friendly types of mobility.

Our places are ideal for cycling and hiking. Every trip or tour you do by bike or on foot instead of by car is an environmentally friendly act. Have you ever thought about how differently we get to know a place if we visit it on foot or by bike? We can really feel it, smell it, hear it up close. We open up to the residents and make contact with them easier. Only in this way can we truly understand the places and people we visit.

Find more information about the bicycle rental options as well as cycling and hiking trails on our website and at the castle info point.

Help Us Preserve the Planet.

The story and operations of Štanjel Castle and the village of Štanjel as a whole are also co-created by you, our dear guests. Only with your help will we be able to achieve our goals and successfully protect our environment.

Thank you for helping us conserve the Earth’s most precious resources!

Green Key

More about the Green Key

Štanjel is a place of countless unique stories that enrich the experience of this one-of-a-kind medieval settlement. Get to know the architect Maks Fabiani and his works better, discover why flower wreaths hang on the front door of every house in the old village and much more.

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