Škocjan Education Trail

The trail begins and ends in front of the Information Centre in Matavun (where tickets for Škocjan Caves tours are purchased). Here you can obtain all additional information and buy a guidebook to the Škocjan Education Trail. The guidebook will provide you with all additional information and will accompany you in the discovery of the basic features of the Park and the Karst region.

About two kilometres long, the trail takes less than one hour to walk. It leads visitors around the Velika dolina and Mala dolina where they can enjoy wonderful views of the deep collapse dolines, steep walls, the disappearing Reka River and the surrounding hills. Incorporated in the trail are the renovated J'kopin and Jurjev barns in the village of Škocjan where an ethnology exhibition and an exhibition devoted to the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves are on display. A cross-section model of the underground canyon of the Škocjan Caves and a model of the central area of the Park are also displayed here.

What can you see at individual explanatory sign points?

1 – 9
These are located on the trail around the Velika dolina and Mala dolina natural monuments. At the Štefanija viewpoint, a magnificent view opens of the Velika dolina; from the Mici viewpoint, visitors can enjoy a view of Mala dolina. The themes covered are connected to the phenomena that can be observed in this area: Black Pine, growth of trees, circulation of matter in the environment, bird species in collapse dolines, woodpigeons and similar tree inhabitants, the origin of collapse dolines, the Reka River and the power of water, the formation of subterranean water channels, the fault in the Mala dolina collapse doline, apiculture, resin production, formation of the Karst and the surface, bats, flora in collapse dolines, exploration and the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves.

10 – 11
These are located in the village of Betanja; here visitors can see the stone roof of an old Karst homestead, the characteristic central village structure, learn more about the Reka River gorge and the valley of mills.

12 – 21
These are situated in the village of Škocjan, where we learn a few things about ivy, the characteristic bora wind and the contact Karst. Here we can also see a communal well (štirna), the Church of St. Cantianius, the Okroglica abyss, enjoy a wonderful view that extends to Mount Snežnik (to where the area of influence of the Park extends), the village cattle pond (kal) with a description of typical flora and fauna, village cemetery, museum collections – an ethnological collection and an exhibition devoted to the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves at the J'kopin and Jurjev barns, with characteristic dry walls.

22 – 24
These are located in the village of Matavun; visitors learn about the construction of karst cattle ponds, "ledenice" (a "ledenica" is an underground pit for storing ice), mines in the suurounding area and large village trees.

Prepared by: Samo Šturm