Pohorje marks the south-eastern edge – or, depending on your perspective, the beginning – of the Alps, Europe’s largest mountain range, stretching from Monaco in the southwest to Vienna in the northeast and reaching as far as Maribor in the southeast.
Rising to just over 1,500 metres and extending for more than 60 kilometres between Slovenj Gradec and Maribor, Pohorje differs significantly from most alpine landscapes in Slovenia. Its summit areas are characterised by rounded ridges and gently levelled plateaus, while steep, rugged valleys carved by lively mountain streams descend below.
Pohorje was formed during the Alpine orogeny, the mountain-building process that created the Alps. Over millions of years, uplift, faulting, tectonic movement, weathering, and erosion shaped the distinctive landscape we see today. Together with its geology, soils, and hydrology, this unique terrain provides the foundation for the exceptional biodiversity of the region.