How to Download Free LiDAR Data for Slovenia (ARSO Portal)

Access comprehensive 1-meter resolution LiDAR data covering the entire country through the ARSO (Slovenian Environment Agency) Portal—completely free with no registration required.

The Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) provides free, open access to high-resolution LiDAR data covering the entire country. Collected through national mapping initiatives, this dataset offers 1-meter resolution terrain models and classified point clouds for any application.

What is ARSO LiDAR?

Full Coverage

Entire Slovenia (~20,273 km²)

1m Resolution

DTM and DSM products

2-5 pts/m²

Classified point clouds

Free Access

No registration required

Step-by-Step Download Guide

Navigate the ARSO Atlas Okolja Interface

Follow these steps to access and download LiDAR point cloud data from Slovenia’s ARSO portal. The interface is straightforward with English-like navigation.

ARSO GIS portal homepage with LiDAR download option

Getting started:

Click “Prenos Lidar podatkov” — LiDAR Data Download link
No account needed: Downloads are completely free
Multiple formats: LAZ, zLAS, and ASC available

Navigation tips:

Sloji (Layers): Manage visible data layers in the sidebar
Scroll wheel: Zoom in/out on the map
Click and drag: Pan across Slovenia

Atlas Okolja interface showing the interactive map

01

Access the ARSO Geoportal

Navigate to gis.arso.gov.si to access the ARSO GIS portal. The main page displays various thematic maps and data services available from the Slovenian Environment Agency.

02

Open the Atlas Okolja Map

The LiDAR viewer opens in the Atlas Okolja (Environmental Atlas) interface. You’ll see an interactive map of Slovenia with various environmental data layers.

Layer panel showing LiDAR tile grid options

Two coordinate systems available:

D48GK (EPSG:3912) — Older Slovenian national grid, compatible with legacy data
D96TM (EPSG:3794) — Newer GPS-compatible system for modern projects

Each tile covers 1 km × 1 km. Enable the grid layer to see available tiles.

Available formats:

GKOT (laz): Full classified point cloud ✅ Recommended
GKOT (zlas): Classified point cloud in ESRI format
OTR (laz): Ground points only (ideal for DTM generation)
DMR: Pre-computed DTM raster in ASC format

Each tile is approximately 15-30 MB for point cloud formats.

01

Enable the LiDAR Tile Grid

In the Sloji (Layers) panel, enable one of the LiDAR tile grid options:

02

Click a Tile to Download

Click on any visible tile to open the download dialog with multiple format options:

Available Data Products

Point Clouds and Terrain Models

1 km × 1 km tile grid showing available LiDAR data

GKOT – Classified Point Cloud

Full point cloud with classification codes (ground, vegetation, buildings). Available in open LAZ and proprietary zLAS formats.

OTR – Ground Points Only

Pre-filtered point cloud containing only ground-classified points. Ideal for generating clean DTM surfaces quickly.

DMR – Digital Terrain Model

Pre-computed 1m resolution terrain raster in ASC format. Ready-to-use for quick visualization projects.

Technical Specifications

Data Specifications

File Format: LAZ, zLAS, ASC

Point Density: 2-5 points per m²

Resolution: 1 meter (DTM/DSM)

Tile Size: 1 km × 1 km

Coordinate Systems

D48GK: EPSG:3912 (legacy Slovenian grid)

D96TM: EPSG:3794 (modern GPS-compatible)

Coverage: 100% of Slovenia

License: Free, attribution requested

File Format Comparison

Format	Type	Description	Best For
LAZ	Point Cloud	Open-source compressed LAS. Works with QGIS, CloudCompare, PDAL.	Most users
zLAS	Point Cloud	ESRI proprietary compressed format. Native to ArcGIS products only.	ArcGIS users
ASC	Raster	ASCII grid format with pre-computed DTM values at 1m resolution.	Quick visualization

Note: The ASC files may have an X-Y coordinate swap that causes issues in some GIS software. If you encounter problems, generate your own DTM from the point cloud data.

Tips for Slovenia LiDAR Data

Choose the Right CRS

Use D48GK for compatibility with older Slovenian datasets, or D96TM for new GPS-based projects and GNSS survey data.

Plan for File Sizes

Individual LAZ tiles are 15-30 MB. Full Slovenia coverage requires 500+ GB. Download only the tiles you need for your specific project area.

Download Off-Peak Hours

The ARSO server can be slow during business hours. Schedule large batch downloads during evenings or weekends (CET) for faster speeds.

Bulk Downloads with QGIS

Legacy QGIS 2.x Plugin Available

QGIS Plugin (Legacy Only)

The Lidar Slovenia Data Downloader plugin can batch-download multiple tiles by area selection.

Important: Only works with QGIS 2.x (legacy versions). Not compatible with QGIS 3.x.

Manual Bulk Downloads

1. Download tiles manually via web portal

2. Use browser download manager for queuing

3. Verify downloads with CloudCompare

4. Contact ARSO for complete datasets

Processing Your Downloaded Data

Once you have downloaded your Slovenia LAZ files, you’ll need to process them to extract useful products. Lidarvisor offers a streamlined workflow for processing point clouds

Upload LAZ Directly

No conversion needed — upload your Slovenia LAZ files directly to Lidarvisor for processing.

Automatic Classification

AI-powered ground classification and noise removal works automatically on your data.

Generate Products

Create DTMs, DSMs, hillshades, slope maps, contours, and more from your point clouds.

Additional Resources

ARSO eVode LiDAR Portal

Official data download portal for Slovenia LiDAR

QGIS Lidar Slovenia Plugin

Bulk download tool (QGIS 2.x only)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Slovenia LiDAR data really free?

Yes! All data from the ARSO eVode portal is free for both commercial and non-commercial use. Attribution to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning / Slovenian Environment Agency is requested but not legally required.

Which coordinate system should I choose?

D48GK (EPSG:3912) is the older Slovenian national grid. Most legacy GIS data from GURS uses this system, making it better for compatibility with existing datasets.

D96TM (EPSG:3794) is the newer system gradually replacing D48GK. Use it for new projects or when working with GPS-surveyed data.

What is the point density of the data?

Point density varies across the dataset but is typically 2-5 points per square meter, which is suitable for most applications including terrain analysis, forestry assessments, and general mapping purposes.

Should I download LAZ or zLAS format?

Choose LAZ unless you work exclusively in ArcGIS. LAZ is an open format supported by virtually all LiDAR software including QGIS, CloudCompare, PDAL, LAStools, and Lidarvisor. zLAS is proprietary to ESRI and has limited support outside their ecosystem.

Can I download the entire country at once?

The portal only allows single-tile downloads through the web interface. For bulk downloads, consider using the QGIS plugin (requires legacy QGIS 2.x), downloading tiles manually in batches, or contacting ARSO directly about obtaining complete datasets.

Does the QGIS plugin work with QGIS 3?

No. The Lidar Slovenia Data Downloader plugin only works with QGIS 2.x (legacy versions). It has not been updated for QGIS 3.x compatibility. QGIS 3 users need to download tiles manually through the web portal.

Ready to Process Your Slovenia LiDAR Data?

Upload your LAZ files to Lidarvisor and generate DTMs, DSMs, contours, and more — no desktop software required. Start with 50 Hectares of free processing.

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50 hectares free. No credit card. No software to install.

How to Download Free LiDAR Data for Slovenia