STA, 13 August 2021 - Europe's biggest charcoal pile will be lit at Dole pri Litiji some 40km east of Ljubljana this afternoon in what is another record set by Slovenia in charcoal burning. The event, held by the Slovenian Charcoal Burners Association, will be addressed by Speaker Igor Zorčič and Karl Josef Tielke, the head of the European Charcoal Burners Association.
Apart from the largest charcoal pile, Slovenia is also home to the largest number of such piles Europe-wide. The visit by the head of the European Charcoal Burners Association shows that Slovenian charcoal burners are respected in the European community, Jože Prah, the head of the Slovenian association told the STA.
The organisation numbers more than 100 members and has been a part of its European counterpart since 2018 alongside eight other European countries. Slovenian charcoal burners will meet on Saturday morning as well to mark the occasion.
Charcoal burning used to be a method applied across all continents. Today, charcoal burners use standard, vertical piles, Prah explained, adding that it was best if wood was thicker.
Inside the pile a fire is then lit to produce charcoal and spruce needles and a layer of soil is put around the chimney to make sure the air is circulating and the pile does not burn down. The fire should never burn fiercely, rather just a little to get the process of making charcoal going.
Prah finds charcoal burning a tradition that highlights the uniqueness of Slovenia's countryside, helps preserve the cultural landscape, adds value to less valued wood products and increases care for young forests. It also provides an opportunity to boost "the social capital of the countryside".
In the past, it was a popular tradition and even now charcoal burners are still lighting piles in more than 20 towns and villages in Slovenia every year, mainly for tourism purposes. Some owners of forest land also use charcoal burning as an additional source of income. Prah thus concluded there was no fear the activity would die out.
