Soundwalk “Silenzi in Quota” on Velebit: when nature whispers and people truly listen
On May 1, 2026, we took part in a soundwalk in the canyon of Velika Paklenica on Velebit as part of the Silenzi in Quota project. It was a two-day event – a soundwalk through the dramatic canyon and a workshop – organized by the international Silenzi in Quota initiative in collaboration with the AF UNIZG research group (Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb) and the University of London. For us, it was one of those events that does not leave you only with beautiful photographs, but changes the way you perceive the environment.
What is Silenzi in Quota and why is it important?
Silenzi in Quota (literally “Silences at Altitude”) is a project that has been systematically researching and protecting soundscapes in protected mountain areas since 2021. It started in the Dolomites (Trentino-Alto Adige), later expanded to the Scottish Highlands, and this year reached Croatia for the first time – Velebit. The University of Trento is a partner in the project. In 2023, the project received the prestigious John Connell Soundscape Award in London.
The core of their work are participatory soundwalks: group walks along existing hiking trails where, at predetermined points, we stop, listen in silence for a minute or two, and then fill out a questionnaire. At the same time, experts use binaural equipment (a head and torso simulator) to record the sound environment in high quality. So far, they have collected 443 questionnaires from 28 locations across five protected European areas. The data is processed according to the international ISO 12913 standard (methodology for soundscape assessment), using linear mixed models in the R programming environment and psychoacoustic parameters (tonality, fluctuation strength, loudness, sharpness) calculated in ArtemiS SUITE.
The research results (also published in Scientific Reports) are very clear: even in protected areas, human sounds (voices, laughter, footsteps) dominate in 51% of cases on average. They increase tonality and make the soundscape more “chaotic” and less pleasant – exactly the opposite of what visitors expect from “wild” nature. In contrast, water (streams, waterfalls) strongly improves the perception of pleasantness and liveliness.
The hike, nature, and surprises on Velebit
Velebit is one of the longest and most biologically rich mountain ranges on the Adriatic – home to bears, lynxes, Balkan chamois, and unique habitats. Paklenica, with Velika and Mala Paklenica, is its most dramatic part: deep limestone canyons, steep cliffs, and lush vegetation. On May 1, the day many people celebrate, we headed in the opposite direction – deeper into silence.
The first surprise was that the influence of the visual element on the perception of the soundscape was stronger than we expected. Silenzi in Quota research confirms this: the quality of the visual landscape is one of the strongest predictors of how pleasant we perceive the sound environment to be. When you stand in front of a massive limestone wall and at the same time hear only the wind and distant birds, your perception changes completely. But when you reach a wider trail where other hikers meet, the soundscape instantly “shifts” – human voices and footsteps dominate. The trail literally changes the soundscape.
That was exactly what affected us the most. Since then, in everyday life we ask ourselves much more often how the current soundscape sounds to us. Not just “is it noisy or quiet,” but “which sounds dominate, how do they affect us, is this an environment where we would like to spend more time?” This is probably one of the biggest changes caused by the soundwalk – it teaches you active listening that stays with you even after the event.
People as part of nature – or a disturbance?
During the soundwalk we experienced a wide range of feelings regarding human influence. On narrow, less visited sections of the trail, the soundscape was truly “natural” – biophony (animal sounds) and geophony (wind, water, leaves) dominated. On wider trails and at popular viewpoints, anthropophony (human sounds) quickly took over the perception. We asked ourselves: can humans be part of nature in the acoustic sense as well? Or are we inevitably a disturbance that must be reduced if we want to preserve what we go to the mountains for in the first place?
The Silenzi in Quota researchers do not give moralizing answers to this question, but data: in protected areas we expect silence and restoration, yet our own behavior (loud conversations, music from phones, mass visits) destroys that expectation. According to their analyses, the threshold for a “calmer” experience is around 48 dB(A) and low tonality. Above that threshold, pleasantness rapidly decreases.
Why was almost nobody taking pictures with phones?
One thing surprised us especially: the vast majority of participants hardly used their phones for taking photos. There were no selfies, no “proof” that we had been there. Why?
Maybe because these are the kind of people who go to the mountains for the experience, not for posting online. Or because people who come to Velebit already know that “this cannot go on Instagram” – because the signal (especially in the canyons) is not strong enough for posting. Either way, the absence of phones created a special atmosphere of shared attention that you rarely experience on ordinary hikes.
Workshop: methodology, statistics, and deeper insights
On the second day, a workshop took place where we became much more familiar with the methodology and the development of the field. For us, this was the most valuable part. We learned:
- How statistically reliable conclusions are extracted from questionnaires and simultaneous acoustic measurements using linear mixed models.
- What practical consequences these findings have for managing protected areas (for example visitor guidance, education about quiet behavior, defining “quiet zones”).
The researchers did not speak only about theory – they showed concrete graphs, thresholds, and examples from previous soundwalks. It was very refreshing to see how raw data (questionnaires + binaural recordings) is transformed into useful insights for nature protection.
Conclusion: a soundwalk as an invitation to a deeper connection
The “Silenzi in Quota” soundwalk on Velebit was not just a beautiful hike with additional content. It was an invitation to experience nature with all senses – and to understand how fragile its acoustic dimension is. After this event, we truly ask ourselves what kind of soundscape we leave behind wherever we go.
If you are interested in how nature sounds when you truly listen to it – and how your own behavior can contribute to preserving that silence – look for the next Silenzi in Quota soundwalk. It is worth it. Not only because of the beauty of nature, but because of what stays with you long after the event.
Thanks to the Silenzi in Quota team and the researchers for this very interesting event. We hope there will be many more soundwalks like this in Slovenia and Croatia. Nature has much more to say than we hear when we rush past it.
