Prirodoslovni muzej Slovenije (Slovenian Museum of Natural History), Ljubljana

Prirodoslovni muzej Slovenije (Slovenian Museum of Natural History) traces its origins to the Provincial Museum of Carniola, founded in 1821. It is the country’s oldest scientific and cultural museum institution and shares a Neo-Renaissance building from the 1880s with the National Museum of Slovenia. Its collections cover zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology, presenting the natural history of Slovenia and other regions.

The museum’s best-known exhibit is the skeleton of a large male woolly mammoth, measuring about 3.61 metres tall and 5.74 metres long. It was discovered on 14 March 1938 during river regulation works in Nevlje, near Kamnik. Formed from the remains of a single animal, it is among the most complete mammoth skeletons displayed in Europe and provides a striking view of Ice Age wildlife.

Other important holdings include Baron Žiga Zois’ mineral and crystal collection and the Hohenwart collection of around 5,000 Indo-Pacific mollusc shells. Visitors can also see fossils, meteorites, insects, birds, mammals, and specimens representing different Slovenian habitats. Exhibitions explore evolution, biodiversity, geology, climate, and conservation, while temporary displays and educational activities introduce specialised scientific themes.