Shepherds

The shepherd's community on Velika Planina in Slovenia is a tradition that's been kept alive for more than 500 years.

The shepherd's community on Velika Planina in Slovenia is a tradition that's been kept alive for more than 500 years. Around 20 families move to the mountains during the summer months for economical reasons as the valley lacks food for their animals. To avoid buying fodder for their cattle, they move to the mountains. The settlement is located only an hour drive from the capital city, at 1600 meters above sea level, where the everyday life begins at dawn and finishes at sundown. Most shepherds cannot survive only on farming, so they do their jobs in the valley during weekdays. The settlement is mostly occupied by older members of the families and their grandchildren, who spend their summer vacations helping them.