Idrija

Slovenia is marking 300 years since the birth of Joannes Antonius Scopoli, a South Tirolean sent to Idrija to work as a doctor at the mercury mine who blazed a trail in the country's natural sciences.

Three entrepreneurs from the west of the country have joined forces to bring long-forgotten country pubs back to life for a day in a project that has aroused interest beyond Slovenia's borders.

Idrija – The main ceremony remembering the return of the western Primorska region to the homeland will be held in the town of Idrija, west of Ljubljana, on Saturday. The event will also mark 74 years since the implementation of the Paris Peace Treaty under which Primorska was reunited with Slovenia after being under Italian rule since the end of WWI.

Four main pillars construct HeritageLab blueprint: the extensive research of heritage possibilities in local environments, the mentor triangle, the pilot setting for quick testing of ideas and the community of members where everybody benefits.

Flowers will be in the centre of this year's festival, as florists from ten countries will showcase their flower-and-lace decorations on the streets of Idrija over the weekend.