Rules to be followed by mushroomers?

Can visitors pick mushrooms in Triglav National Park?

Mushroom picking in Triglav National Park is allowed only under specific rules. The most important rule is that recreational mushroom picking is allowed only in the third protection zone of the park.

In the first and second protection zones, mushroom picking is prohibited. These areas are the core protected parts of the national park, where the main purpose is the preservation of natural processes, wildlife, plants, forests, water sources and sensitive habitats.

If you are not sure whether you are in the third protection zone, the safest and most respectful choice is not to pick mushrooms at all.

Daily mushroom picking limit

The daily limit for recreational mushroom picking is 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day.

This limit applies to personal use. Picking mushrooms for commercial purposes, organised collecting, or collecting larger quantities may require special permission and must follow the rules of Triglav National Park and Slovenian legislation.

Clean mushrooms where they grow

All mushrooms must be roughly cleaned at the place where they were picked. This helps keep the forest cleaner and allows spores and natural material to remain in the forest ecosystem.

Please do not leave piles of damaged mushrooms, cuttings or waste on trails, near parking areas, around mountain huts or in visible visitor areas.

Do not damage the mycelium or the forest floor

When picking mushrooms, do not use tools or methods that can damage the site, the forest floor or the mycelium. The mycelium is the living underground network from which mushrooms grow, and damaging it can reduce future mushroom growth.

Pick mushrooms carefully. Do not dig, rake, tear up moss, damage roots, disturb soil layers or destroy mushrooms that you do not intend to take.

Use suitable packaging

Mushrooms should be carried in suitable, firm and airy packaging, such as a basket. Avoid plastic bags, because mushrooms can deteriorate quickly in closed plastic packaging and spores cannot spread naturally.

A basket is also safer and more practical because it protects the mushrooms and helps keep them in better condition.

Pick only mushrooms you know

Never pick or eat mushrooms unless you know them with certainty. Some mushrooms are poisonous, and mistakes can be very serious. If you are not an experienced mushroom picker, do not rely only on photos, apps or quick comparisons.

Leave unknown mushrooms in the forest. They are part of the ecosystem and provide food and habitat for insects, animals and other organisms.

Do not disturb wildlife

Forest visitors should remember that their presence can disturb wildlife. Mushroom picking often means walking quietly through forests, but it can still disturb animals if visitors make noise, leave marked paths, bring uncontrolled dogs, enter sensitive areas or move through the forest in large groups.

Please avoid unnecessary noise and other disturbing activities. Do not shout, play music, chase animals, damage vegetation, leave waste behind or enter areas where wildlife needs peace.

Respect parking areas and mountain hut surroundings

During mushroom season, Triglav National Park rangers and forest inspectors may control compliance with the rules in the national park and around parking areas near mountain huts.

Please park only in official parking areas, do not block forest roads, supply routes, emergency access, pasture gates or private property. Around Erjavčeva koča mountain hut, access must remain clear for guests, staff, suppliers, emergency services and mountain rescue.

Erjavčeva koča and the Vršič area

Erjavčeva koča is located at Vršič Pass, in a very visited and sensitive mountain area of the Julian Alps. Because this area is part of Triglav National Park, visitors should treat forests, pastures, water sources, trails and wildlife with special care.

Mushroom picking should never be the reason to damage nature, leave marked routes, disturb animals, block access roads or ignore park rules.

Respect local people and the protected area

Local people, farmers, hut staff, foresters and park rangers live and work with this environment throughout the year. Visitors come for a few hours or a few days, but the consequences of irresponsible behaviour can remain much longer.

Please respect the national park, local communities and the natural balance of the forest. Pick only where it is allowed, only within the legal limit, and only if you know what you are doing.

Final advice for mushroom pickers

If you know the rules, know the mushrooms and are in an area where picking is allowed, pick carefully and moderately. If you are unsure about the protection zone, the species, the quantity or the rules, do not pick anything.

The best mushroom picker is not the one with the fullest basket, but the one who leaves the forest healthy, quiet and alive.