Karst and Reka River Basin Biosphere Reserve

NATURAL SITES 

The Divača Cave is one of the oldest preserved cave passages of the Reka River. Not far away the river sinks into the famous Škocjan Caves. The tour is interesting as the cave, together with a number of collapse dolines and abysses around Divača, is part of a once active cave system formed in this area by the Reka River. It is an excellent opportunity for exploring and understanding karst phenomena in the Divača Karst. Through its long geological history almost the entire length of the cave passage has been covered with a great quantity of flowstone, whose interesting formations adorn the cave's interior. Even in the past, the cave was visited by prominent people, most notably crown prince Rudolf of Austria, whose name it bore for some time, and famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Freud was especially fascinated by the personality of the guide Gregor Žiberna – Tentava, whom he considered a failed genius. The Divača Cave is 700 m long, 500 m of which are set up for tours. During the tour of the cave, led by experienced guides and lit by torches, you descend 50 m underground.

Tours: The cave lies near the Divača–Lokev road. Tours are possible from May through the end of September, every Sunday at 11.00 am or by appointment. The tour lasts approximately one hour. There is an admission fee.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority

2. Risnik Collapse Doline

T: +386 (0)31 522 785, +386 (0)41 498 103 (Gregor Žiberna Divača Caving Club);
W: http://www.divaska-jama.info/
E: #EM#64687462776e67296268676a4c6967797172733d7a7062#EM#
FB: Divaška jama, Jamarsko društvo Gregor Žiberna Divača

Around 500 m south of the Divača train station the picturesque Risnik collapse doline opens up. Its perimeter is irregular in shape and its diameter measures up to 250 m. The bottom of the collapse doline is rather level, with screes rising at its perimeter; 34 m above the bottom, at 400 m above sea level, the screes gradually turn into 30–45 m high precipitous cliffs. Its formation is related to the former arrangement of the underground courses of the Reka River, which now runs near the collapse doline, but at a much greater depth.

Tours: The collapse doline lies on the periphery of Divača near the Divača–Lokev road and is at the same time included in the karstological education trail Divača Karst. By appointment, tours of the trail are guided by members of the Divača Caving Club.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

3. Reka River Gorge

Before entering the Škocjan caves, the Reka River created a three-kilometre-long picturesque gorge that starts between Škoflje and Vremski Britof. Shallow at first, the valley deepens into a narrow gorge with almost a hundred-metre-high precipitous walls. The gorge was most probably formed when cave ceilings collapsed. A well-maintained hiking trail leads along the gorge.

Tours: You can set out on the two-hour hike in Matavun and continue through Škocjan and Betanja to the Reka River and then along the river to the Škoflje bridge, or the other way around. For sport fishing fans, in the two-kilometre section of the Reka River between the Fevžnar Dam and the Cerkvenik Mill there are fly-fishing grounds where catch-and-release fishing is allowed. In this section the Reka River is especially magnificent and rich in all kinds of trout. For more information and fishing permit sales points: Email: #EM#7268606a776e67637a7c7062626c206d796266617d7677576b70757732737b6b#EM#; Web: http://www.rd-bistrica.si/

Written by the managing authority of the Park.

4. Padež

Padež is a left tributary of the Reka River. The Brkini region is deeply indented by the stream and its basin. This distinctly varied landscape is home to numerous animal and plant species. The forests are mainly composed of deciduous thermophile vegetation of sessile oak, common hornbeam and beech. Clear-cut forest areas have been turned into pastures and meadows divided by hedges and dry stone walls into parcels. In this rather unspoiled valley a number of endangered and rare species of butterflies have been spotted. The pulse of life along the Padež Stream is completed by solitary farms.

Tours: You turn into the Padež valley from the Ribnica–Divača regional road at the village of Buje. If you do not turn neither for Suhorje nor for Kozjane you will end up at the entrance to the peaceful and rather secluded Padež valley, which offers many quiet spots for total relaxation in tranquil clearings and among steep slopes of numerous tributaries.

Written by the managing authority of the Park and based on the environmental report of the national detailed plan for the drinking water supply of the Slovenian Istria and karstic hinterland.

5. Vremščica (good view)

W: http://www.hribi.net/gora/vremscica/26/571

Vremščica is a high karstic plateau (1027 m) stretching between Senožeče, Divača and Pivka or Košana. The locals use two names for it: Gora and Vremščica. It has long been known as a grazing land, especially suitable for sheep. At the top stands the church of St Urban, patron saint of shepherds. Vremščica hosts the Centre for Sustainable Recultivation of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Ljubljana as well. In the vast valley between Vremščica and the neighbouring Slatna a cheese farm is open during summer months. Especially the southern slope and the plateau terrain at the top are covered by extremely diverse dry karst meadows. Particularly in May and June the meadows abound with flowers, most notably Gladiolus illyricus, daffodil, Fritillaria orientalis, European and Balkan peony, Justin's and Marchesetti's bellflower.

Tours: You can access Vremščica from various directions following well-marked trails, for example from Senožeče, Volče, Famlje, Gornje Ležeče or directly from Matavun. The hike to the top is interesting in all seasons, but blooming meadows in late spring are particularly beautiful.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

6. Posrtev Valley

Another in a series of secluded, peaceful valleys in the Reka River basin is the valley along the Posrtev Stream. Like Padež, Posrtev cuts deep into the flysch Brkini Hills. Due to its unspoiled nature and fresh water the valley has a special charm. It is interwoven with trails suitable for hiking and biking.

Tours: The easiest access to the Posrtev valley is from Ilirska Bistrica. You take the road for Podgrad and turn for Zarečje. At the entrance into the middle part of the valley you are greeted by the Peternelj organic tourist farm and the Bubec tourist farm and homestead. You can also visit a local basket maker, who will demonstrate the making of baskets from osiers.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

7. Lake Mola

Lake Mola (also Molja) is an artificial lake on the Molja Stream in the vicinity of Brkini villages of Harije and Soze near Ilirska Bistrica. The lake was created in 1979 by damming the stream. Originally the purpose of the lake was to regulate the water level of the Reka River during dry months and to prevent flooding. It is approximately 4.5 kilometres long, offering excellent relaxation in many secluded spots in unspoiled nature.

Tours: The lake offers unique and exciting fishing of carp, grass carp, pike and pike perch. There are fifteen catch-and-release fishing spots on the lake. For more information and fishing permit sales points: Email: #EM#7268606a776e67637a7c7062626c206d796266617d7677576b70757732737b6b#EM#; Web: http://www.rd-bistrica.si/

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

8. Lake Klivnik

The Klivnik artificial lake lies in the Ilirska Bistrica municipality, between the villages of Tominje, Zalči, Podbeže and Zajelšje. It was created in 1987 by damming the Klivnik Stream. The purpose of the dam is to replenish the stream during low discharge periods and to retain high water levels (flood control). Fish are bred in the lake and sport fishing is also allowed.

Tours: The lake offers exciting views and catches of trophy pike perches and all kinds of trout. For more information and fishing permit sales points: Email: #EM#7268606a776e67637a7c7062626c206d796266617d7677576b70757732737b6b#EM#; Web: http://www.rd-bistrica.si/

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

9. Podtabor Wall

Above the village of Podtabor, at the transition between limestone and flysch, rises a mighty cliff, an overhanging tectonic wall abundantly covered with flowstone deposits. It is a thrust mass of Cretaceous limestone. Tectonics is visible in numerous faults in different directions and fossils can also be seen. Due to its position, the village is protected from the bora wind and has a warmer climate, so that even figs grow there. Between the village and the wall there is an old military trail leading through a tunnel to the village of Ratečevo Brdo. In front of the hole in the wall you can clearly see the remains of an old fort, Podtabor Castle, about which Valvasor wrote: »A large hole leads into the rock where there is a vast room and various vaults made by nature's hand. At the front there is a built wall and steps that human hands have cut into the rock so that one can go up. Local people always have a watchman there, whom they call guardian, because they keep all their best possessions up there, and since the place is very close to the border, various brigands and similar robbing vermin often roam the area.«

Tours: The Podtabor Wall, from under which springs the charming Podstenjšek Stream, which in its upper reach flows over numerous tufa barrages, can be accessed from various directions. The easiest way to find the village of Podtabor with the wall in the background is to take the turning for the village on the Ilirska Bistrica–Šembije road.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority. 

10. Fossil Landslide in Ilirska Bistrica

The Ilirska Bistrica fossil landslide is the largest known landslide in Slovenia. It was initiated around one to two million years ago in the area between Ilirska Bistrica and Volovja Reber. It is a rotational landslide of extraordinary dimensions. A part of the edge of the Snežnik plateau measuring around 20 km2 in area, between 200 and 250 m in thickness and around 5 km3 in volume slumped off. The landslide was discovered in 2011 by geologist Ladislav Placer. Because the rotational landslide is well preserved and one of the largest in the world, it represents exceptional geological and geomorphological natural heritage of world stature.

Tours: From Volovja Reber or one of the neighbouring peaks of the picturesque ridge above Ilirska Bistrica one can experience the extraordinary dimensions of the landslide.

Written using web sources.

11. Spring of Sušec

Tel: +386 (0)41 307 354, +386 (0)51 674 352; Email: #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM# (Ilirska Bistrica Municipality)

Sušec is a picturesque karst source in limestone walls descending over small waterfalls. It only appears during heavy rains and dries up during dry spells. When water abounds the steep wall conjures up an enchanting water fan, made even more graceful by the greenness of the moss and the whiteness of the churning water. Its rare appearance makes it even more special.

Tours: In the old town centre of Ilirska Bistrica, Guranji Kraj, a hidden footpath branches off towards the waterfall. The best way to find it is asking locals for directions.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority

12. Kozlek (good view)

Web: http://www.hribi.net/izlet/jablanica_koca_na_kozleku_/26/819/1454

Kozlek (997 m) is one of the impressive peaks of the karst edge of the Snežnik mountain chain above the upper reaches of the Reka River, which is called Podgora. Beautiful clearings on the northern side and magnificent views of its wider surrounding area, including the Gulf of Kvarner, put it on the list of noteworthy destinations for weekend excursions.

Tours: Kozlek can be accessed by a less demanding marked trail on the northern side from the Vrbiška Raven and by a somewhat more demanding trail on the southern slope between the villages of Vrbica and Jablanica. The other trail leads past the ruins of a church and a castle to the saddle between Kozlek and Gradišče (874 m). At the top of Gradišče you can see the remains of once probably ample walls of a prehistoric hill-fort, from which there are marvellous views over Kočanija, the final part of Podgora. From Gradišče you climb on Kozlek. Just below its summit there is a lodge, which is open on Sundays from 1st May through 15th October and offers cold and hot drinks.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

13. Dleto

This narrow, forested valley in the headwaters region of the Reka–Velika Voda River, has always been a popular destination for excursions, especially picnics in summertime, as the air is pleasantly cool because of the water. Dozens of brooks flow into the main drainage channel, which also reaches into Croatia. The landscape is covered by a mixed deciduous forest dominated by beech.

Tours: The valley offers great hiking and biking possibilities and there is also a paragliding take-off site nearby. You will find this tranquil, secluded spot if you go from Zabiče towards Novokračine and after one kilometre, before the incline, take a left turning onto a side gravel road. Bears are not a coincidence in these parts.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

14. Snežnik (good view)

Web: http://www.hribi.net/gora/sneznik/26/127

Snežnik is a wide, large karstic plateau (85 km²) passing to the northwest into Javorniki and to the southeast into Gorski Kotar, bordering to the northwest on the Zgornja Pivka basin, to the southwest on the Reka River valley and to the east on Babno Polje and Loška Dolina. The surface, formed mainly of Cretaceous limestone, is heavily karstified; at the top of Snežnik there is a lot of Jurassic limestone, which is also present in the Gomance area. The predominant altitudes of the plateau are between 800 and 1400 m, the central bulk of Snežnik with Veliki Snežnik (1796 m) and Mali Snežnik (1694 m) rising higher. Snežnik's peak offers truly magnificent views. To the northeast there are Kočevski Rog, Gorjanci, Medvednica, Ivanščica; to the east you can see Klek; to the southeast the view extends over Mala Kapela and Gorski Kotar with Snježnik and Risnjak as far as the Gulf of Kvarner with the islands of Krk and Cres; to the south, over the Snežnik mountain chain, the Reka River valley and the Brkini Hills, the view of the entire Istria with Učka unfolds; to the southwest rises Slavnik; to the west you can see, far on the horizon, the Dolomites, the Carnic and Gailtal Alps and the Julian Alps with Mount Triglav, and in front of them the Trnovski Gozd plateau, Vremščica, Nanos and Javorniki; to the north there are vast views extending from the Karavanks to the Kamnik Alps and Pohorje, and closer from Loška Dolina to Lake Cerknica, Cerknica with Slivnica and the Bloke plateau. During the last Ice Age parts of Snežnik were covered with ice. Snežnik boasts interesting flora that is phytogeographically and ecologically extremely diverse. On Snežnik grow several plants that are rare in Slovenia or are even limited only to that area, as well as ecologically and floristically very diverse plant associations. Until recently the area above Ilirska Bistrica was covered by numerous karst meadows with the most typical associations of dwarf sedge and rock knapweed (Carici humilis-Centaureetum rupestris), which formed after habitats of ash, European hop hornbeam and pubescent oak (Fraxino orni-Ostryetum, Seslerio autumnalis-Ostryetum and Ostryo-Quercetum pubescentis) were clear-cut. Unfortunately, because of the gradual abandonment of pasture and mowing the meadows are being reclaimed by bush and forest too fast. Above the meadows spread vast Dinaric fir-beech forests (Omphalodo-Fagetum), while in numerous depressions where inversion occurs associations of spruce with blue-berried honeysuckle (Lonicero caeruleae-Piceetum) or with Hacquetia epipactis (Hacquetio-Piceetum) predominate. The Snežnik mountain chain is also known for rich fauna. Ruggedly inaccessible and relatively untouched forests give shelter to numerous animal species, among them to the three largest predators, i.e. the bear (Ursus arctos), the wolf (Canis lupus) and the lynx (Lynx lynx).

Tours: Snežnik is hidden in vast forests with only gravel roads or forest trails leading to it. The easiest access is through Ilirska Bistrica and then Sviščaki. The Drago Karolin Lodge on Veliki Snežnik is open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1st May through 31st July and from 1st September through 31st October, while in the winter only when weather conditions allow it. From 1st August through 1st September the lodge is open every day. Especially in the wintertime it is recommended to check with the keeper if the lodge is open. The keeper also prefers prior appointment for large groups.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

1. Sviščaki

Web: http://www.sviscaki.com/; http://www.hribi.net/izlet/sviscaki_sneznik_pes_pot/26/127/952

Sviščaki are a holiday resort in the heart of the Snežnik woods. Lying at 1242 metres above sea level, Sviščaki are accessible in all seasons. They are a place for your undisturbed conversation with nature. From Sviščaki you can also start your ascent of Mount Snežnik (1796 m).

Tours: In Sviščaki there is a mountain lodge offering traditional dishes as well as some accommodation and sports activities: boules, volleyball, rent-a-bike. In wintertime there are two ski tows operating and cross-country skiing and sledging is also possible. The ski run is 0.6 km long and the sledge run 0.2 km. You can also do off-piste skiing from Mount Snežnik. At the moment the holiday resort numbers a little more than 100 cottages. Sviščaki are also the start and end of a 4-kilometre long forest education trail marked with signs in the shape of a bear's paw. On the trail you learn about the flora and fauna of the Snežnik woods, the biodiversity of the karst water and about Grda Draga, one of the most scenic karstic-glacial ravines on Mount Snežnik. But if you have only one hour at your disposal, you can take a walk on the marked trail Pogled na Snežnik at the end of which you will be able to see Mount Snežnik in all its beauty.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority.

Cultural attractions

1. Škratelj's Homestead, 26 Kraška cesta, Divača

Tel: +386 (0)5 7310 949; Email: #EM#6d72646a446e6f69677d6f606d237d66#EM#; Web: http://www.muzejdivaca.si/

Škratelj's Homestead, located in the centre of Divača, is a fine example of traditional karst architecture. In 1992 it was declared an ethnological monument. Until the construction of the Southern Railway from Vienna to Trieste in 1857 and the railway to Pula in 1876 it served as an inn for carters, but then slowly fell into decay. In 2010 it was completely renovated and now it houses the Museum of Slovenian Film Actors.

Tours: Daily except Monday and Thursday (May–September: 11.00 am–6.00 pm; October–April: 10.00 am–5.00 pm), closed: 1st and 2nd January, Easter, 27th April, 1st May, 1st November, 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st December.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority of the homestead.

2. Railway Station of Divača

The development of Divača is closely connected to the (Southern) railway which caused the transformation of a small village into an important railway junction. At the railway station of Divača you can see quite a few interesting buildings that were built in the 19th century during the construction of the Southern Railway. The station is composed of 11 buildings that are partially or totally built from sculptured stone. At the station you can as well see a 17 m long locomotive from 1922 which drag train cargo 50 km/h on the railway line across Istria, the last time the 4th of May 1977. That was the end of the use of steam engines. The locomotive was renovated in 2005.

Tours: You can visit the station that is owned by the State of Slovenia at anytime.

Summarized after Štok (2009).

3. Water Cistern of the Southern Railway, part of the so-called »Imperial Well«, Divača

In 1857, the Austro-Hungarian Empire built the 577.2 km long Southern Railway from Vienna to Trieste. During its construction on the Karst plateau the engineers were faced with the problem of karst sinkholes and dolines as well as the supply of water, which was necessary for the propulsion of steam locomotives. Therefore, not far from the Divača train station, they built one of the two water cisterns walled with carved stones with a capacity of 545 m3 in which they captured springs of drinking water. From here water ran through a 38 km long aqueduct to train stations in Divača, Sežana and Prosecco. Today the Divača water cistern is a technical monument and part of the Divaški Prag water education trail.

Tours: At the moment you can visit the cistern only outside. You can get to it passing the old police station. The structure is owned by the State of Slovenia.

Written using web sources.

4. Karst Pond “Pri Vrabcih”, Dane pri Divači

Tel: +385 (0)5 763 10 81; Email: #EM#647377707073696a6d636b66694d696271787e3d777a7b#EM# (Mejame Tourist Culture and Sports Association)

This typical rainwater collector was built on common ground, in a hollow with clayey bottom that prevented water from seeping underground. It was used for watering cattle until the 1950s. Afterwards it dried out. Locals and members of the Gabrk Divača hunting club rebuilt it in 2006 within the 1001 Karst Ponds project. Today, birds, game and various insects quench their thirst in it. After many years, pleasant frog croaking can be heard from it and the reeds offer refuge to sparrows again. 

Tours: The Karst pond “Pri Vrabcih” lies near the gravel road leading from Pared past the Pr' Vrbinu tourist farm towards Matavun. It is also accessible from the opposite direction, from Matavun, where at the end of the village in the direction of Divača you turn left onto a gravel road marked with a sign of the Oštarija na Planinci pub. When you reach the bridge, turn right onto a gravel road and follow the signs for the Pr' Vrbinu tourist farm.

Written using information provided by the society; reviewed and confirmed by the society.

5. Communal Stone Well and Studenci, Dane pri Divači

Tel: +385 (0)5 763 10 81; Email: #EM#647377707073696a6d636b66694d696271787e3d777a7b#EM# (Mejame Tourist Culture and Sports Association)

Before the construction of house wells – which were initially four and then their number gradually increased between the 1930s and the 1970s – and before the construction of the aqueduct in the 1990s, the water supply of Dane pri Divači depended on the nearby water source below Stare Dane. Probably in the beginning of the 19th century, the villagers neatly caught this stream on the slope of the hill into two flow reservoirs. And so still today, water flows from the Guranji Studenec reservoir into the other, lower-lying reservoir, Dulanji Studenec. Until the construction of the aqueduct, when the constructor damaged the pipes, water flowed from the reservoirs through wooden and later cast-iron pipes to the communal stone well in the centre of the village. The well measures 7 m in depth and 6 m in width. The villagers could regulate the flow of water into the well with a valve that was placed near the well. When the well was full, they closed the valve and in this way accumulated water reserves in the reservoir. When water ran out, they opened the valve. From this vaulted underground cistern, constructed from a meter thick and finely worked stone blocks and from the outside stopped up with clay, the village women scooped water with jars and carried it home in wooden buckets on their heads. Near the stone well there was a trough, which was mainly used for washing laundry.

Written using the work by Kranjc (2005) and the information provided by the society; reviewed and confirmed by the society.

6. Karst Pond »V Lasatkah«, Pared 

7. Kačiče Ice Pit, Pared

Ice pits are underground structures in which ice was kept as late as the early 20th century. They are a special feature of the immovable cultural heritage of the area of Kras, Brkini and Trnovski gozd and are tightly connected with the economic development of Triest in the 18th and 19th century. The most famous of all is the »Kačiče ice pit«, which is also a listed monument and belongs to a type of ice pits designed for storing ice for sale. This second largest ice pit in Europe situated 450 m above sea level was built around 1860 by Neapolitan grocer Amodeo Theres who owed ships in Trieste for transportation of groceries to Egypt. For that he needed large quantities of ice. He asked his engineer to find a proper location for the ice pit. He chose Pared because of the constant fresh breeze from Mount Snežnik, the proximity of the road Triest-Bazovica-Lokev-Divača-Postojna, limestone country with plenty of stone and sinkholes for construction and with thermal inversion and the proximity of aqueous Brkini. Amodeo built the ice pit with the financial support of Countess Karolina Mercandil from Vienna. They built it in a natural sinkhole, walled it so that they constructed 4 stone rings at the bottom for extra solidness and covered it with a double thatched and later pantile flat and cone-shaped roof that added extra thermal isolation in summertime. A monumental column that supported the roof is still preserved in the middle of the structure. The ice pit was 20 m wide and over 10 m deep. Its capacity was 2000 tons of ice. For the acquirement of ice they built a kilometre long aqueduct from Kačiče to Dane that was supplied from surrounding springs. The water was collected in the near sinkhole in a special cistern built for this purpose. The ice was chopped up also from seven ponds near Pared and Dane and additionally bought. The interior was accessible by staircase and lowered the ice cut into cubes. The cubes were strewn with leaves or straw to prevent sticking. A metre and a half thick layer of straw was placed on top for the insulation of the ice so that the ice would last until the end of summer. The doors of the ice pit were closed on the 15th of March. The ice was lifted from the pit with pulleys and transported early in the morning to Trieste on carts. The beginning and the end of ice trade each year was celebrated. Each 6th of May the first carts transported ice to Triest. The caravan was composed up to 60 carts at time. It was a huge celebration. The arrival of the ice to Triest also marked the upcoming summer. When the ice pit was emptied a feast with dancing was organized. It is estimated that the ice pit employed up to 200 people and as such represented an important economic activity in the area. Amodeo also sold ice. Some of the major clients of the ice pit were Triest’s fish market, hospital and Dreher who was at that time one of the biggest breweries in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The ice pit was closed in 1907 when the ammonia refrigerants became widely used. Today the ice pit is privately owned.

Tours: The access to the ice pit is not properly set up. Tours are only possible on one's own responsibility.

Written using the owner’s summary that as well confirmed it.

8. Belaj Homestead 1839 with Karst herb gardern, Kačiče 13

Tel: +386 (0)41 697 737; Email: #EM#696f646c4467636b69636f7d65237d66#EM#; Web: http://www.belajevi.si; FB: belajeva domačija

Experience the authentic life style on the margins of park Škocjanske jame 170 years ago. Visit the homestead from the 1st half of the 19th century and learn more about cultural heritage and herbs of the area. Belaj Homestead is today inhabited by the 6th of all 9 family generations. It used to be home of the wealthiest farmers of the village who were renowned fruit growers and inn owners. They were selling their harvests in Triest and in 1898 received an award of the Emperor King’s Agricultural Society for their progressive farming. We can follow the development of the farm buildings through the dates carved on the stone portals from 1839 till 1900. From the main entrance a sandstone courtyard surrounded by a dry stone wall which used to be the main place for peasant work opens. Today this pleasant ambient is used for visitors to take rest under wooden trellis while observing the rural swallows that during summer nest at the homestead. The house was soon provided with water out of its own well (“štirna”) which was of exceptional importance here in the dry Karst area and only the wealthiest farmers could afford it. The buildings on the farm are oriented towards the sun and protect the farmyard from heavy winds (“burja”). The farm’s main curiosity is the stone paved “black kitchen” in the “old house” with the extended part (“spahnjenca”) and open fireplace. The baker’s oven is preserved in its original state. You will be most likely taken by surprise by the height of the doors in the interior and by other original architectural and ethnological details (furniture, tools) that tell the story of life, work and culture of inhabitants of the region where the limestone area of Karst passes on to flysch area of Brkini.
We prepared a Karst herb garden at the farm and we invite you to take a walk among vivid colours and seductive scents of approximately 100 medicinal herbs, spices and other plants on more than 500 m2. Fruit trees and a high dry stone wall surrounding the garden give shelter to plants and a resting place to various inhabitants of the garden. You can sit under the crown of a young cherry tree or wooden trellis supporting vine and rest while enjoying the marvellous treasury of nature. The more curious can learn the basics on Marii Thurn’s biodynamic production and permaculture. After the visit a degustation of herb drinks will take place.

Tours: At the Belaj Homestead you can visit an authentic homestead of the region with a courtyard surrounded by a dry stone wall from the 1st half of the 19th century, a herb garden with approximately 100 kinds of herbs, spices and other plants, ethnological collection, presentation of spirits distilling and the nesting place of rural swallows when they do not nest. Visitors have printed guidebooks in different languages on their disposal for visiting the homestead and herb garden. The visits to the homestead and herb garden are possible from May till November from Wednesday till Sunday between 9.00 and 12.00 as well as between 15.00 and 18.00, the other days by appointment. You can visit the homestead only between March and May from Thursday till Sunday between 9.00 and 12.00 as well as between 14.00 and 17.00, other days by appointment. Group visits must always make an appointment. From October till March the visit of the homestead is possible only by appointment.

Written by the owner.

9. Church of the Birth of Mary, Kačiče

Tel: +386 (0)5 767 00 43 (Parish Office, Lokev 121)

The oldest dates that can be found in this church are from the 17th century. It seems that this was the period that most of the work was done in it even though the Gothic presbytery implies earlier times. The church is surrounded by typical stone walls. The last modifications of it were made in the time of Joseph II. This is confirmed by the date 1784 found on the bell tower. The roof above the main entrance also dates in the same period. The church has three altars. The two laterals are dedicated to St Sebastian, the protector against contagious diseases, and St Urban, the patron of vineyards. In the years 1788 and 1800 plague broke out and more than 100 people died in the parish. The survivors made a vote to go on a pilgrimage every year on the Ember Saturday to the Holy Mother in Kačiče. St Urban on the other lateral altar on the other hand reminds the past times when the church was surrounded by vineyards which were destroyed by the wine pest. On the main altar there is a statue of Mary and Jesus made in the past century in Munich. On the Assumption Day of 1890 the statue was placed and blessed in this church in Kačiče. The church is one of many Slovene Mary’s pilgrimage churches.

Tours: The visit of the interior of the church is possible during masses. For groups the visits are possible anytime on appointment with the parish office.

Written using web sources and in agreement with the parish priest.

10. Way Mark by Kaliči, Matavun

The way mark from the 19th century is located on the crossing of the old road which starts from Matavun and here divides in two directions: one towards Dolnje Ležeče and the other towards Lokev. If you take a look on the way mark you can see on one side a carved writing PER (C)ORGNAL(E), which means towards Lokev, and on the other PER LESHEZHE, which shows the direction towards Dolnje Ležeče.

Tours: You will find the way mark if you will follow the marked Bike Route around the Park by foot or by bike.

Written by the managing authority of the Park.

11. Spahnjenca Pr Vncki, Matavun 10

Tel: +386 (0)5 763 30 73; Email: #EM#70732c756a666d6e267d6b666d7f6f4f777c737a783b757875#EM#

The listed Pr Vncki homestead, the home of cave guides, which got its start before the 19th century and acquired its present-day form after 1911, is an example of native vernacular architecture of the eastern part of the Divaški Prag region, which today lives its second life as a small restaurant with accommodation. Originally the extreme left part of the building was a cowshed and the top floor was a barn. To the right was then added a residential building with a dislocated hearth (the last surviving in the area). The house had residential rooms only on the ground floor, which was an atypical (perhaps older) arrangement of rooms. Under the house a stone-walled cellar was built. Further to the right there was a separate pigsty, with a well (»štjrna«) dominating the space between the house and the sty. The whole was completed by a walled exterior living space (borjač). Such a dwelling was adapted to farming (agriculture or stockbreeding) and was the heart of a small farm of ca 10 ha of land, typical of the area. We recommend you take a tour of the above-mentioned dislocated hearth or »spahnjenca«. It is a room with an open fireplace and often also with a wood-fired oven and a pig cauldron added to the kitchen-diner, which is found in vernacular architecture of the 19th century in Goriško, Istria and the Karst. At this homestead it was used until the 1920s.

Tours: Tours of »spahnjenca« are possible during the opening hours of the restaurant with accommodation. Out of season prior appointment is preferred.

Written by the managing authority of the Park.

12. Pr Betanci Slate Roofing, 2 Betanja

Tel: +386 (0)5 763 30 06, +386 (0)41 345 877; Email: #EM#707360667064686461496d666d646221737e7f#EM#; 

Web: www.prbetanci.si

The Pr Betanci homestead is a cultural monument. The date 1605 cut in a window stone frame bears evidence that its beginnings date back to the 17th century. According to the oral tradition it was the first homestead in the village and so the hamlet was named after it. The access to its courtyard (»borjač«) is closed by a stone wall with a portal (»kalona«). The smaller residential unit by the path is the lowest and has a gable roof covered with pantiles. The central and at the same time the oldest part has a gable roof covered with limestone slates. The final unit was originally an outbuilding with a gable roof covered with pantiles. In 2007 the renovated farm reopened its doors as a tourist farm with a pub and accommodation. It is especially interesting because of its karstic limestone slate roof, which, compared to thatch, is more durable, fireproof and resistant to bora gusts, but with its almost 20 tons of weight also requires a massive wooden construction and strong supporting walls. Because of the legendary shortage of wood in the Karst, the stone roof was above standard and was mainly used in wealthy residential buildings.

Tours: The limestone slate roof can be best viewed from the wall surrounding the church of St Cantianus in Škocjan.

Written by the managing authority of the Park.

13. Mill Ruins in Dol, Betanja

From Betanja the path goes into descent to the Reka river that used to live a special life in the past. People living in this area built flower mills and saw mills by the Great Water (Reka’s name given it by local people) and named the valley before the sinkhole The Valley of Mills. The second from the sinkhole was the Strmulin mill from the 19th century operating till the middle of the 20th century. It was situated on the right side of the river bank near the water canal after the dam in Malni. The last owner was the Žnidarčič family from Betanja. The whole complex was composed out of the mill (4 pairs of millstones and 6 mill wheels) connected across a wooden footbridge with the building of the stamping mill for barley, stall for feed and rest the cattle dragging the corn to the mill (“mišnik”) and the millers homestead. This was composed of 4 objects (outbuilding, residential building, pigsty, stable). Even though the mill was one of the biggest in Vreme’s Valley, the main source of income of the family was still agriculture. The mill closed down in 1954. The family left the homestead after the great flood in 1965. Today only some walls remains of the mill.

Tours: The ruins of the mill are located near the Hiking Trail along the Reka River. The access is only by foot.

Written by the managing authority of the Park.

14. Pr Nanetovh, 8 Matavun

Tel: +386 (0)5 708 21 04; Email: #EM#686871622a6a626b616a64647f79674f6062783d737a60396b70#EM#, Web: www.hisa-odlicnosti-bok.si

The house is a cultural monument of national importance dating back to at least 1819, but perhaps it is even older. The first known owner was, from the 1840s, Franc Josip Mahorčič (1817–1883), son of the mayor of Naklo Josip Mahorčič, after whom the Mahorčič Cave was named in 1819. In this house, the first publicans were his son Aleksander (1849–1907) and his wife Marija Dobrovoljny. After her husband's death she sold the homestead to her relative Julijana Mahorčič, married name Gombač – »Janezva«, from Matavun, who bought it for one of her sons, Ivan Gombač (1847–1907). From 1912 on, Ivan, together with his wife Marija (»Marica«; 1884–1972), the daughter of mayor Ivan Dujc from Loka at Zavrhek, and their daughter Ana Marija (»Ankica«; 1913–2001) continued the catering business and began renting rooms to holidaymakers, especially to those from Trieste. During that period, various local families occasionally spent time here as well, as there was plenty of space. Before 1926, the building behind the house, famous for its stone »gank« (covered balcony or external corridor), was for some time the seat of the Naklo municipality, which was then one of the biggest municipalities in the Karst. For a short period of time between the two World Wars the building served as a sanatorium for lung patients. After World War II the pub was first rented by the Risnik catering company from Divača (HTG Sežana) and later by Franc Gombač from Naklo. During that period the courtyard was the venue of travelling cinema shows, dances and folk plays while local men passionately played boules and cards there. During the school year the pub hosted teachers who taught at the primary school in Škocjan, active from 1845 to 1962. In 1967, the pub was closed due to bad conditions by order of the inspection. Despite the closure of the pub, Ms. Ana lived in the house until her death in 2001. In 2006 the building was purchased by the Škocjan Caves Park. After an exemplary restoration it now houses a promotion and congress centre boasting restored and reconstructed wall paintings.

Tours: A tour of the house and the exhibition space is possible by appointment. The building with the stone »gank« now houses the Žnidarčič Suits.

Written by the managing authority of the Park. 

15. Kozara Mine Gallery, Matavun

Among the elders of the place a memory of a thread of hard coal (anthracite) on Kozara that could be exploited lives on. The neighbour Slavko Žnidarčič remembers that on this spot used to be a 150 m long mine gallery that was afterwards filled up with earth. In this gallery he himself saw threads of hard coal in Matavun. In his opinion local smiths dug coal in this gallery for their own needs.

Tours: Former entrance to the supposed mine gallery is located on the path from the information centre to the Mahorčičeva and Mariničeva jama Cave.

Based on information gathered in conversations with locals. 

16. Church of St Helena, Gradišče pri Divači

Tel: +386 (0)5 763 26 80 (Ivan Bernetič, 1 Gradišče); +386 (0)5 767 00 43 (Parish Office, 121 Lokev); W: 3d images

A Gothic-Renaissance church with frescoes from the end of the 15th century on the nave walls depicting the coming of the Magi and the Passion of Christ. They were painted by John of Kastav's workshop who also painted the frescoes in the famous Church of the Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje. The frescoes in Gradišče are considered among experts to be the very best work of this local Istrian group of painters, in which they managed to capture the culture of the area through their visual art.

Tours: By appointment at Ivan Bernetič. For groups the visits are possible anytime on appointment with the parish office.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives and in agreement with the parish priest. 

17. Školj Castle or Neukoffel, Famlje pri Divači (good view)

Besides Prem Castle, Školj Castle is considered the most preserved medieval castle complex in the valley of the Reka River. It is depicted in The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola (Slava vojvodine Kranjske); at the time, the Austrian state provincial official baron Rosetti, married to baroness Petači (in Italian Petazzi), resided in it.

Tours: The castle is closed for tours. You can walk round its grounds as part of the hike along the marked mountain path from Betanja to Škoflje.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives.

18. Dujc Mill Ruins, Škoflje

Tel: + 386 (0)5 762 53 05

77 years old owner of this mill Rudi Dujc that died in the year 1986 was the last active miller on the Reka river as he still milled if necessary for people from the surroundings. He said that this mill preserved to nowadays as a ruin is 100 years old. In 1890 it burned in a fire and was reconstructed soon afterwards. The last adaptation was done in 1821 by the father of the last owner Jakob Dujc. In 1932 flood took away the straw made roof that was afterwards replaced with tiles. The water running through the mill stream fell down 4 mill wheels in cement made water channels that pushed 4 pairs of millstones. 2 pairs were used for white flour and 2 for the rest. In a small building near the mill a stamping mill for barley was located. If before 1930 people would bring the corn to the mill by themselves, after the miller’s family took care of the transportation of the flour to surrounding villagers. During the War of Liberation (2nd WW) the mill worked for partisans as well. What is curious about this mill is that the patron who protects it is believed to be St. Kancijan. In the old miller’s homestead in the village a touristic farm providing food and accommodation is now located.

Tours: If you follow the signs for the camp site and racetrack-stop, you will sweep down the village to a plain river bank at the edge of which you will find the Dujc’s mill ruins.

Summarized after Habe (1990).

19. Mine Shaft and Gallery at the Fishers Cottage (Ribiška koča) and Mine Shaft by the Administrative Building of the Vreme Mine, Famlje and Vremski Britof

Tel: +386 (0)31 817 676; +386 (0)31 894 229; Email: #EM#696f646c44736963666027716d66626e74783c607d#EM#(Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sport Association)

Coal deposits near Vremski Britof were known of as early as 1757. The first to use the coal from these parts was a sugar refinery in Rijeka, which in 1778 obtained a mining right for three pits in the Famlje, Vremski Britof and Gabrk area. During the Illyrian Provinces, the Vremski Britof mine was managed by the French (with the capital from France, Trieste and Rijeka); they were followed by the Germans, Austrians and Italians. The mine had problems with water; the shafts were often flooded because mining was done below the level of the Reka River. In Vremski Britof, coal mining was done 60 to 65 metres below ground, in Zavrhek even 180 metres below ground, and coal was brought out from the mine with capstans or a steam pump. The mine was expanded primarily in the period from 1894 to 1904 and after World War II in Yugoslavia when it became state-owned. New pits named Adria I, II, III, IV, Jadran I… were opened. The coal found here was anthracite with a high heating value of up to 35,000 kJ. The Germans heated boilers with it, while the Austrians used it in obtaining uranium. Blacksmiths from Trieste were buying it, and later the Celje zinc factory, the Jesenice steelworks and the Salonit Anhovo cement plant. After World War II miners were 20- to 50-year-old men. They were locals and miners from Bela Krajina and Raše who had passed the mining exam. They worked in three eight-hour shifts. The expected amount of coal dug up was one to two carts of coal per two workers in one shift. A full cart weighed 500 kg. The miners worked mostly lying on their backs dressed in special protective clothes because the mine was always wet. Water pumps were constantly on, pumping water from the shafts. There is still a silo in front of the mine in Britof into which coal was tipped. A special cart was used for this purpose. When it reached the top, it toppled over; because its motion and the sound resembled that of a mechanical hammer, it was called »norc«, which is an informal expression for this type of hammer. Up to 60 miners were employed there in those times, and they mined up to 7,000 tons of coal per year, which was the highest amount in the history of the mine. During that time the whole area of Vremska Dolina lived by mining more or less. There was at least one miner in almost every family. The unit in Zavrhek was closed down in 1955, while the one in Vremski Britof was shut down in 1964.

Tours: Only a tour of the area around the shafts and the outside of the administrative building is available. The Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sports Association plans to make a memorial room in the former administrative building.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives; reviewed and confirmed by the Association. 

20. Way Mark at the Famlje Junction

On the junction from Famlje towards Škoflje a stone way mark engraved with date 1889 that shows the directions towards Senožeče, Vreme, Škoflje and Triest can be found.

Tours: The stone is located on the Famlje junction on the main road Vremski Britof-Matavun.

Prepared after sightseeing.

21. Church of St Tomas, Famlje

Tel: +386 (0)5 767 00 43 (Parish Office, 121 Lokev)

Gothic church already mentioned in 1526. It is known for the paintings of North Italian (Furlanian) style of painting of the early 15th century that decorate its presbytery.

Tours: The visit of the interior of the church is possible during masses. For groups the visits are possible anytime on appointment with the parish office.

Written using web sources and in agreement with the parish priest.

22. Pepi Mill Ruins, Famlje

The mill is situated under the village of Famlje and was together with the residential building, stall and farmhouse in Famlje Žnidarčič family’s property. In 1910 the mill was bought by the grandfather of the current owner Franc Žnidarčič and restored. It is a known fact that previous owners were from Volče, but also the City of Triest is mentioned as the one who was giving it for rent. Water mill with wheels had a stone for the stamping mill and 5 pairs of millstones for flour mill (2 for white flour and 3 for the rest: fodder, oat, maize etc.). Before the 2nd WW the last miller Jože Žnidarčič - Pepi (1903-1965) transported corn and flour to his customers, whereas after the war people brought corn to the mill by themselves. Mostly buckwheat and wheat from Senožeče, Gabrče, Dolenja vas, Famlje, Špilje, Britof and Goriče was milled here. The mill worked till 1962.

Tours: The mill is located on the Hiking Trail along the Reka River and can be reached only by foot.

Written using the information gathered in conversation with Albert Žnidarčič and Brkini ’81 (1982). 

23. Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (Cerkev Marije Vnebovzete), Vremski Britof

Tel: +386 (0)5 767 00 43 (Lokev Parish Office, 121 Lokev)

A massive Gothic parish church originally dating back to the 15th century was reconstructed to Baroque style in the 17th century. The gothic chancel decorated with frescoes deemed to be of exceptional quality for Slovene territory is from the second half of the 15th century, which makes them the oldest frescoes in the valley of the Reka River. The master from Vremski Britof painted them under the influence of Salzburg masters. The Gothic sculpture of a standing Mary with Jesus made by the Ljubljana workshop is also from the 15th century. In addition, the church boasts high-quality paintings by Antonio Paroli, an 18th century painter from Gorizia. This was a pilgrimage church located at the crossroads of the road leading to the Brkini Hills, and the road leading along the Reka River from the coast inland. Glagolitic inscriptions bear evidence of people making pilgrimages to this place as early as the 15th century. In the church, members of families from the now demolished neighbouring mansions on Školj, Tukališče and Stranje are buried. A church of St George from 1665, the ruins of which are still preserved, was located nearby, in the place where the chapel stands now. A former chaplaincy is now the seat of one of the five male drug abuse rehabilitation centres in Slovenia called »Community Encounter« founded by Don Pierino.

Tours: The visit of the interior of the church is possible during masses. For groups the visits are possible anytime on appointment with the parish office.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives and in agreement with the parish priest.

24. Ravnikar's Shop and Post Office, Vremski Britof

Tel: +386 (0)31 817 676, +386 (0)31 894 229; Email: #EM#696f646c44736963666027716d66626e74783c607d#EM#(Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sports Association)

In 1978, a project group of Slovene architects led by Vojteh Ravnikar and consisting of Vojteh Ravnikar himself, Marko Dekleva, Matjaž Garzarolli and Egon Vatovec designed the placement of a post office and a shop within a former farm with an outbuilding and a courtyard which was adjacent to the village church. Both buildings originally constituted the edge of the village, which the project group tried to preserve through its interesting intervention. This project represented the beginnings of development renovations in Slovenia and was the first big project of Ravnikar that was executed; it also set the main characteristics of his architecture and made him a representative of postmodernist approach, which at that time had not yet been established in Slovenia. Ravnikar's architecture which took into account the local environment was dubbed the wall concept, also because of the project in Vremski Britof. Ravnikar said of the project: "A funny creation. Our first project, the smallest one, yet I had to deal with more dimensions in it than in any other project of mine."

Tours: A tour of the exterior is possible at all times. A tour of the interior is possible during the opening times of the shop and post office.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Association.

25. Završnik Castle or Schwarzenegg, Podgrad pri Vremah (good view)

Završnik Castle dates back to the turn of the 12th century. The ownership of the tower-like castle passed from the Patriarchate of Aquileia to the Counts of Gorizia. From 1398 it was the seat of the Counts of Gorizia administration and the judicial seat for the Karst and Istria regions (from Sežana to Buzet and Klana). The last owners were Counts Petazzi who took over the castle in the 17th century. The Gothic succursal church of St John the Baptist there also dates back to that time. The castle was abandoned at the end of the 18th century, today only its ruins remain.

Tours: A part of the walls is all that has been left of the castle situated at a beautiful lookout point.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives.

26. Valajsovi Homestead, Ostrovica 11

Tel: +39 349 890 37 60 (Eliana Ruth Jimenez Camacho); Email: #EM#656d6b626a646566656869636334374f777c737a783b757875#EM#

Valajsovi Homestead is located at the utmost south east edge of the small village of Ostrovica in Brkini region. It dates back at the end of the 19th century and was home to various important villagers, mayors included. They were known for their diligence and inventiveness. They owned vineyards located towards the village of Padež and sold wine to the local inn in Artviže. Beside that they dried plums, produced apples, pears, picked up mushrooms and wood and sold it in Triest or even Gorica. In a shed they crushed apples from farmers from quite vast surroundings as they owned one of only two apple crushers in the Brkini region. The residential building is made out of local stone, covered by ridged roof made of tiles and has two portals through which you enter the main hall on ground floor. From there you can access to the kitchen with open fireplace, baker’s oven and kettle for preparing pigs’ food. On the other side of the main hall there was a vaulted store room with wooden staircase leading to the upper floor. The store room was divided into two rooms after the 2nd WW. One of them was used for the new kitchen. From the store room you can access vaulted wine rooms for making and storing wine (“kanave”). Through the window of one of these rooms they were able to ladle out water in winter time. On the upper floor it was possible to access from the hall into the bed rooms. Above the store room and wine rooms there was the area for storing hay which they used for filling up the attic of the residential building as well. The right side of the courtyard is closed with ground floor outbuildings.

Tours: The visit of the homestead with a preserved open fireplace is possible by appointment with the owner whose contacts are written above.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives.

27. Succursal Church of the Sad Mother of God (Cerkev Žalostne Matere božje) and a Fort Tower, Dolenja Vas

Tel: +386 (0)5 765 50 61 (Senožeče Parish Office, 48 Senožeče)

The church dates back to the 15th century and is decorated with frescoes from different periods. The chancel from 1460 is painted with frescoes depicting Christ in mandorla, Fathers of the Church and symbols of the Evangelists. The walls and the triumphal arch are decorated with late Gothic frescoes from 1510 depicting apostles, the birth of Christ, the death of Mary, the Annunciation, and Cain and Abel. Next to the church is a well-preserved fort with a stand-alone fort tower with portholes on four storeys. In the tower, the surrounding homesteads used to keep food.

Tours: A tour of the interior of the church is possible only during the service.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives.

28. Senožeče (castle hill, turnpike, the Adria Brewery. stone troughs)

In the past, an important thoroughfare from the coast inland led through Senožeče. Mentioned in the 12th century for the first time, this was a rapidly developing town mainly due to cart driving. It became a market town early; the important thoroughfare – called the imperial road – was protected by the castle (now demolished) on the hill above the town. In the 17th century, the Porzia aristocratic family built a mansion called Snosetsch at the foot of the castle hill. The mansion, now in ruins too, was also the seat of the county court. The preserved turnpike from the beginning of the 13th century brings to mind the heavy traffic through Senožeče where at first the lords of Duino and other owners after them collected tolls for transported goods; numerous pubs for cart drivers were built, trade flourished, fairs were organized. When the Southern Railway was built through Divača, traffic subsided and the town quietened down. Senožeče became famous again in the second half of the 19th century due to the Adria Brewery, one of the most well-known breweries in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the second oldest brewery in Slovenian territory, which went out of business after World War I. In 1911, it produced as much as 35,000 hectolitres of beer and could compete with the Union and Laško breweries. A massive administrative building by the main road and the two ponds at the end of the village presumably used for ice production needed for the cooling of the beer are all that has been left of it. On the lower town square is another beautiful reminder of the past: the renovated stone troughs (a fountain) with drinkable water which were used for watering cattle and doing the laundry. It was at the fountain that the first waterworks in town, built as early as 1865, ended.

Tours: Treat yourself to a stroll through the town, a Karst sleeping beauty still waiting for the prince to wake her up from a hundred-year sleep. From the building of the once impressive Adria brewery by the main road, head right into the town past the renovated troughs, turn left to the turnpike, and then ascend to the old castle. The ponds are accessible from the main road at the end of the village by following the sign.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives; reviewed and confirmed by the local community.

29. Špital, Dolnje Vreme

Tel: +386 (0)31 817 676; +386 (0)31 894 229; Email: #EM#696f646c44736963666027716d66626e74783c607d#EM# (Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sports Association)

Between 1839 and 1857, the Austrian Empire was building the Southern Railway to connect Vienna and Trieste. The work, which was mainly manual, was physically tiring and lasted 70 hours a week. Workers' living conditions in terms of sanitation and housing were poor. Workers suffered from typhus, pneumonia, fever, dropsy, strokes, injuries at work etc. In 1855 there was an outbreak of cholera. Outbreaks of contagious diseases were frequent because of the shortage of drinking water. Workers were not only falling ill, they were also dying. As early as 1853, a medical hut and a cemetery were built for the workers above the village of Dolnje Vreme, in the section Pivka–Divača. The data about the deceased, kept by the parish of Vremski Britof, show that around 155 workers and their wives and children, of different nationalities and aged between 13 and 68, are interred in Špital. Besides Slovenians, there are also Croats, Italians, Czechs, Hungarians and »workers with German family names«. After the inauguration of the railway on July 27, 1857, the cemetery was slowly sinking into oblivion. In time it got overgrown with bushes. Only the cast-iron cross remained. In 2014 the villagers of Dolnje Vreme restored it. Since then, the locals have been commemorating those who are interred there with a yearly Holy Mass.

30. Water Pump Draga, Gornje Ležeče

Tel: +386 (0)5 731 16 45 (Kraški vodovod, Oskar Čebulec)

After the 1st WW the traffic on the Southern Railway started to increase and with it the need for water for steam locomotive. Water reservoirs named Tajhi near the village of Gornje Ležeče were not enough anymore. This is why the Italians added the water from Reka river to the aqueduct. They did it by building the water pump Draga under Gornje Ležeče railway station near the Cerkvenik mill. The pump supplemented the already existing water reservoir system so that it pushed additional water from the river to them, 2 km far and 165,5 m high. The original equipment of the pump is still intact. It is composed of 2 centrifugal pumps from 1917 and a diesel motor for their drive from 1928. The water pump was supplied with diesel fuel through a special pipeline from Gornje Ležeče railway station where the fuel was poured in the pipeline directly from tank wagons. This is supposed to be the first pipeline in our country. In 1970 the water pump and the whole water installation was taken over by the regional water supplying firm Kraški vodovod Sežana which prolonged the aqueduct for 6 km to Padež, because of the then polluted water in the Reka river. In 1971 they activated a new pumping site for water supply of users from Gornje Ležeče, Divača, Sežana till the national border. In February 1997 the system of public water supply was shut down. In 1984 the Brestovica aqueduct with best quality and less expensive water for Karst was finished.

Summarized after Štok (2009).

31. Tajhi, Gornje Ležeče

Tel: +386 (0)5 731 16 45 (Kraški vodovod, Oskar Čebulec)

In the beginning of the 2nd half of the 19th century when the Southern Railway from Ljubljana to Triest was built the water supply in this region depended on wells and springs. Due to daily necessity of up to 700 m3 of water per steam locomotive the stations and signalman’s cabins on the Sothern Railway were supplied with drinkable water which was used also by near households via progressive water installations. While digging the tunnels among Košana Valley and Vremski Britof numerous threads of water and springs were found and 2 big water reservoirs near Gornje Ležeče for collecting this water were built. The northern reservoir – Tajh is situated 12 km above the Gornje Ležeče railway station and can accumulate up to 5800 m3 of water. The southern Tajh on the other hand can keep up to 14 271 m3 of water and is situated 22 m above the railway station. The water from these 2 reservoires was connected by a pipeline to the aqueduct Gornje Ležeče-Nabrežina which is the oldest aqueduct on Karst. The water station of Gornje Ležeče supplied with water all the consumers near the railway line from Gornje Ležeče to Nabrežina and after 1950 till the state border near Sežana.

Tours: You can walk to the Tajhi which are owned by Slovenian Railways by your own.

Summarized after Štok (2009).

32. Church of St Florian, Buje

Tel: +386 (0)31 385 386 (Veronika Morelj); +386 (0)5 753 00 16 (Parish Office, 78 Dolnja Košana)

Buje’s church dates in the 17th century. Its patron is St Florian the patron saint of firemen whose day is the 4th of May. The holy-water basin is dated 1670, where as the portal 1705. The church’s interiors are Baroque. Until 1936 it had a stone roof that was afterwards replaced with tiles. The last renovation including new façade and roof was done between 2004 and 2005.

Tours: The visit of the interior of the church is possible during masses or by appointment at Veronika Morelj.

Written using web sources and in agreement with the villagers.

33. Suhorje (good view)

You enter the village, a settlement monument of national importance, past a stone memorial which is a former cemetery beacon from the second half of the 17th century. The village church of St Nicholas dates back to the 17th century. A roadside village on a ridge with a beautiful view of its surroundings consists of homesteads built from marl. Buildings date back to the period from the 18th to the 20th century. Three elongated one-storey homesteads Nos. 14, 16 and 17, which are built from sandstone blocks, have a three-part design and simple stone-cutting details, are declared a cultural monument. The village is also known for the custom of »tepežkanje« (spanking) on Holy Innocents' Day (28th December), a children's custom that survived here, yet in villages around it died out after World War II.

Tours: We recommend a stroll round the village on a ridge with beautiful views from spring to autumn.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives.

34. Artillery Fort on Primož Hill, Park of Millitary History Pivka

Tel: +386 (0)5 721 21 80: Email: #EM#74606c682a756f7163684a78656262217e7466#EM#; Web: http://www.parkvojaskezgodovine.si/

Between World War I and World War II the Italians built a 1,850 km long Alpine Wall from the Gulf of Genova to the Gulf of Rijeka. The blockade fortification line built around Pivka was part of it. There were fourteen machine gun forts and one artillery fort built in total. The artillery fort on Primož Hill was one of the most fortified points on the former Italian-Yugoslav border. This was the commanding fort of the fortification line. There are about 500 metres of tunnels in the fort; battle stations, an ammunition depot, and living quarters are preserved inside.

Tours: You can take the Circular Path of Military History from the Park of Military History on your own. A guided tour of the underground fort on Primož Hill is led by a member of the staff of the Park of Military History according to the schedule published on the website. Prior appointment is recommended. There is an admission fee.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority of the fort. 

35. Šilentabor (hill-fort and castle ruins, the Church of St Martin) (good view)

Tel: +386 (0)5 757 52 54 (Zagorje Parish Office, 113 Zagorje); Email: #EM#6e68696c2a7672756967696a7e4d7d667f7d3c7d7161#EM#

Šilentabor was populated as early as the prehistoric and Roman periods. In the Middle Ages, one of the largest forts against invading Turks was built here. In 1471, the barons Raunach from the nearby Raunach (Ravne) mansion started to build a fortified noble castle and a refuge from the Turkish raids next to it. It was built at the time when large-scale raids of Turkish troops on the Karst and Istria began, and it was intensely populated mostly in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1635, one of the most important battles of the last great peasant uprising in Slovenian territory took place below the castle, in which the ducal army with the help of the Uskoks defeated a group of around 600 rebel peasants. On the top of the hill is also the beautiful Church of St Martin with fresco remains from the 15th century. This originally Romanesque church houses the tombs of the members of the Raunach family. Due to favourable winds, there is also a paragliding and hand gliding take-off site there.

Tours: The village of Šilentabor is located on the hill of the same name. It can be accessed from different directions – from Zagorje, Pivka, or Narin. At the same time, it is part of the Circular Path of Military History which leads from the Park of Military History in Pivka over Šilentabor and through the village of Narin back to the starting point. The western edge offers a magnificent view of the Košanska Dolina valley, the Brkini Hills, and Italy. A tour of the church interior is available by appointment only; contact the parish priest in Zagorje or the caretaker Mrs. Ivanka Lenarčič, 6 Šilentabor (Tel: +386 (0)5 757 55 06).

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the parish priest.

36. Turn pri Premu Mansion or Radelšek, 13 Gornja Bitnja

Tel: +386 (0)41 928 823 (Franjo Penko); Email: #EM#6973676d652b76626662653a3f4d696271787e3d777a7b#EM#

As one of the two unfortified mansions, Turn pri Premu or Radelšek was probably built at the beginning of the 14th century near Prem in the territory of the Prem manorial estate. Both mansions were used as a dwelling place for Gorizia ministerials, and were named after Ratečevo Brdo. Up until the end of the 17th century they were owned by the owners of the Prem manorial estate. The following families are mentioned: the Raunach (the governors of Trieste), Petač (in Italian Petazzi), Franceschi, Leban, and Danyj noble families, and the Gerli, Dekleva, Kontura, and Špilar families from Ostrožno Brdo. During World War II the mansion was used as lodging for Italian soldiers; after the war the estate and the mansion were nationalized. After 1994, the ownership of the nationalized mansion passed to the Farming Co-operative. When the co-operative went bankrupt in 1995, the married couple Franjo and Irena Penko bought it and started breeding sheep there. In front of the mansion, there is a preserved well with a stone crown. »Kal« – an artificial pond used for watering cattle – in front of the main facade adds to the special charm of the complex.

Tours: A tour of the »black kitchen«, also called "šiša", (an old rural type of kitchen with an open hearth), the farm, the dairy and of domestic animals is available by appointment.

Written using web sources (Ivan Stopar); reviewed and confirmed by the owner.

37. Village of Prem and Prem Castle with the Church of St Helena (good view)

Tel: +386 (0)41 307 354; +386 (0)51 674 352 Email: #EM#677363672975746265497a64677f6f65797f61787d78636d7d733770736d7b6d0e524b#EM#

Prem is a clustered village on a ridge in the northeastern part of the Brkini Hills with all the features of typical Brkini architecture. The centre of the village, which is a settlement monument of national importance, is for the most part huddled up in two rows on the saddle between the castle on the one and the parish church of St Helena on the other side of the ridge. Legend has it that the castle and its name date back to the Roman times when this hill was the seat of a permanent camp set up to reinforce the Roman defence blockade line (Roman fort Castra Prima). The castle was first mentioned in a document from 1213, but it had been built a few decades before that. It was owned by the patriarchs of Aquileia, the noblemen of Duino, the Walsees of the Habsburgs, the Porzia aristocratic family, and finally by Bruno Zuccolini, a doctor from Trieste, who was the last owner in the 20th century. After World War II the ownership of the castle passed to the municipality of Ilirska Bistrica. The castle consists of a Romanesque two-storey residential part, a chapel dedicated to St Margareta, a Gothic residential building, and Renaissance walls with a round tower by the entrance. The Church of St Helena dates back to 1866. It was built in a Pseudo-Romanesque style with distinctive Baroque features. The main altar is decorated with a painting of St Helena by P. Kumel from 1856. The church is well-known for the murals by Tone Kralj from 1921. The birth house of Dragotin Kette, a poet of the Slovene fin de siècle literature, is located on the edge of the village below the church. You can also take a hike along the Kette Memorial Trail connecting Trnovo and Prem.

Tours: A tour of the interior of the castle and of the birth house of Dragotin Kette is available from Easter to October on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm. On weekdays and during wintertime tours are available by appointment. There is a small admission fee (€1,5 – €2). A tour of the church is possible during the service.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality and Museum. 

38. Church of St John the Baptist, Smrje

Tel: +386 (0)5 714 74 64 (Vida Mršnik); +386 (0)5 714 71 23 (Parish Office, 84 Prem)

The church of St John the Baptist in Smrje was built in 1644. The massive nave’s vault from the 17th century leans on quadratic pilasters. The main stone altar in Classicism style from 1800 is complemented with statues made by Capovilla’s family stonecutting workshop from Reka (Croatia). The painting Baptism in Jordan is done by A. Herrlein in 1799. The top of the bell tower is made of stone volutes dating in the beginning of the 19th century.

Tours: The visit of the interior of the church is possible during masses or by appointment at Vida Mršnik.

Written using web sources and in agreement with the local community.

39. The Old Town Centre of Ilirska Bistrica (settlement monument, Hodnik Mill, Gradina, the Hill of Freedom (Hrib svobode)

Tel: +386 (0)41 307 354, +386 (0)51 674 352; Email: #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM#(Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica)

The Ilirska Bistrica region has been populated since the Iron Age. Gradina (Feistritz), a fortified post from the late Roman period (later a medieval castle) situated on a rock hill dominates the town. The special feature of Ilirska Bistrica is the old town centre combining vernacular architecture from the 19th century with commercial business, and administrative buildings. The mills and sawmills in the old town centre date back to the period from the 17th to the 20th century, but they were mentioned as early as the first half of the 15th century. Sawmilling, which boomed with the arrival of railway to Ilirska Bistrica (the Pivka–Rijeka line) in 1873, was especially important for the town. Today the mills and sawmills in the town centre are abandoned. Only the Hodnik mill has been renovated and is open to the public. The impressive Sušec waterfall is another attraction in the old town centre. Ilirska Bistrica is also known as the cradle of quality music groups playing folk music (Volk Folk, Bistrške Škuorke...); there is a convent and a school of the sisters of Notre Dame (1888–) there who continue the tradition of educating girls; it is the birthplace of the beekeeper Anton Žnideršič who designed the AŽ hive; every year it stages a carnival masquerade; it has one of the oldest still open youth clubs in Slovenia (MKNŽ); and it is also home to the 284 fallen soldiers of the 4th Yugoslav Army, of the 3rd Overseas Brigade and local soldiers resting on the Hill of Freedom. In memory of them a monumental memorial designed by the academically trained sculptor Janez Lenassi and the architect Živa Baraga has been erected.

Tours: Guided tours and a tour of the Hodnik mill are available by appointment; call the numbers or send an email to the address above.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality and Museum. 

1. Museum of Slovenian Film Actors, 26 Kraška cesta, Divača

Tel: +386 (0)5 7310 949; Email: #EM#6d72646a446e6f69677d6f606d237d66#EM#; Web: http://www.muzejdivaca.si/

The museum comprises a permanent exhibition dedicated to Ita Rina, an internationally renowned silent film actress of Slovenian descent, a permanent exhibition dedicated to Slovenian film actors, a multipurpose hall, an open-air cinema, and a courtyard with an outdoor bar.

Tours: Daily except Mondays and Thursdays (May–September: 11.00 am–6.00 pm; October–April: 10.00 am–5.00 pm), Closed on: 1st and 2nd January, Easter, 27th April, 1st May, 1st November, 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st December.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the museum. 

2. Birth House of the Magajna Brothers, 7 Gornje Vreme

Tel: +386 (0)5 714 62 15 (Ivko Spetič)

The renovated birth house of the writers Bogomir and France Magajna, now owned by their nephew Ivko Spetič Magajna, is located in the centre of the village of Gornje Vreme. Bogomir was a writer, also of children's books, a columnist and a psychiatrist. He is known among children for his story about Brkonja Čeljustnik, a giant living in the Škocjan Caves. His older brother France was an editor, a journalist, a writer and a fruit grower. He is known among locals for his popular stories »Žalostne zgodbe veselih Kraševcev« (Sad Stories of the Happy Karst People).

Tours: A tour of the memorial room by appointment only.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the owner. 

3. Žagar Saw and Mill, 1 Buje, Vremski Britof

Tel: +386 (0)5 762 00 68, +386 (0)31 470 496; Email: #EM#7a60656276456472626c24656979#EM#; Web: http://www.zagar.buje.net/

In the past, numerous water mills and sawmills were built along the river bed of the Reka River and its tributaries. Milling started fading out with the emergence of industrialization in the second half of the 20th century, and by the 1990s it had died out. At the 400-year-old Žagar homestead you can still see a beautifully renovated mill, a sawmill, a 100-year-old electrical wiring, and one of the few hydroelectric power stations on the Reka River, all of which the owners will be glad to show you, and will spice your visit with a multimedia presentation of the homestead through centuries in a stone vaulted wine cellar from 1588. Visit them. You won't regret it.

Tours: A guided tour of the saw and mill, and a multimedia presentation of the homestead for groups by appointment.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the owner. 

4. Ethnological Collection of Zdravko Čuk, 83 Senožeče

Tel: +386 (0)5 765 50 34

In the centre of Senožeče, the collector Zdravko Čuk keeps an interesting ethnological collection containing a great many objects which bear evidence of life in these parts.

Tours: Only a part of the ethnological collection is available for viewing, and exclusively for the truly interested. By appointment only.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the owner.

5. Šobčeva Homestead, 18 Kal

Tel: +386 (0)31 380 372; Email: #EM#696f646c447669656b6c7c6a2169616271727b79753b657e#EM#; Web: http://www.sobceva-domacija.si/

Šobčeva homestead is located in the stonemasonry village of Kal pri Pivki. The homestead dates back to the 16th century. For centuries, this large estate with vast forests was a hospitable stop for transporters, dealers, carters and smugglers who rested there on their way to the coast or back inland. At the homestead, you can still view a big stone hearth and a wood-fired oven that could bake over thirty loaves of bread at a time. The oldest and most precious part is »spahnjenca«, a dislocated extension to the house with a hearth, preserved in its original state and covered with roof-slates, where you will be served homemade delicacies by the fire.

Tours: A guided tour of the homestead, catering with homemade delicacies, or a workshop for school children or adults is available by appointment. Contact the owner at the number or email address stated above.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the owner. 

6. Park of Military History Pivka, 51 Kolodvorska cesta

Tel: +386 (0)5721 21 80, +386 (0)31 775 002;
Email: #EM#74606c682a756f7163684a78656262217e7466#EM#; Web: http://www.parkvojaskezgodovine.si/

The Park of Military History Pivka is a unique museum and tourist centre in Central Europe which offers its visitors an insight into the varied historical events in this part of the world. Thus in Pivka, the rich heritage of military history in the Postojna Gate area (in the world also known as the Italo-Illyrian Gate) is presented; this includes a large national collection of tanks and artillery, the P-913 Zeta pocket submarine, a military helicopter, and a plane. The T-55 tank certainly holds a special place in the collection because this was the tank that on 26th June 1991 drove onto the Slovenian streets from the barracks in which the Park of Military History now resides, and thus started the aggression of the Yugoslav army against the Republic of Slovenia that had just gained independence. These events give the location of the Park an important symbolic meaning; it was here that the war for independence of Slovenia began. At the same time, that was also the first armed conflict in Europe after World War II. From the Park it is also possible to access the Circular Path of Military History, which leads past the former underground fort on Primož Hill, through the village of Šilentabor where the largest fort against invading Turks used to stand, and through the village of Narin, a popular tourist spot, back to the starting point.

Tours: From June to September daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. In May and October Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. In March, April and November Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm. In January, February and December at 10.00 am, 12.00 am, and 2.00 pm. Closed on 1st, 2nd January, Easter and 25th December. There is an admission fee.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the park. 

7. Museum Collection of the Koper Regional Museum, Prem Castle

Tel: +386 (0)51 674 352, +386 (0)5 711 23 35, +386 (0)41 307 354;
Email: #EM#677363672975746265497a64677f6f65797f61787d78636d7d733770736d7b6d0e524b#EM#, #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM#(Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica)

From 2008 a permanent exhibition on prehistoric hill forts and castles in the Reka River basin has been on display at Prem Castle; visitors can also view an exhibition of historical maps and charts from the 15th through to the 19th centuries.

Tours: The castle is open from Easter to October on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm. On weekdays and during wintertime the castle can be visited by appointment only. There is an admission fee. (€1,5 – €2)

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Museum. 

8. Dragotin Kette's Birth House, 83 Prem

Tel: +386 (0)51 674 352, +386 (0)5 711 23 35, +386 (0)41 307 354;
Email: #EM#677363672975746265497a64677f6f65797f61787d78636d7d733770736d7b6d0e524b#EM#, #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM#(Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica)

The birth house of Dragotin Kette (Prem, 19th January 1876 – Ljubljana, 26th April 1899), a poet of the Slovene fin de siècle literature, is located on the edge of the village below the church. Kette was born in the former primary school. His father Filip was a teacher and organist there. The two-storey school building from 1826 has been preserved and is used as a memorial house.

Tours: Tours are available by appointment; the tour price is included in the price of the ticket for Prem Castle.

Written using the sources from the Škocjan Caves Park archives; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality and Museum. 

9. Ethnological Collection of Rudolf Valenčil, 6 Podstenje

Tel: +386 (0)5 714 74 45

Mr Valenčič is an admirer of everything old. Through the years he carefully collected, organised and displayed a lot of agricultural tools at his homestead. He also owns an old kitchen, his own wooden sculptures and carnival masks of “podstenjski fjhtarji” which he fabricated himself out of lime wood in order to revive an already dying local custom. The most characteristic figure is the bloody leg with which elders would scare children in the past.

Tours: Mr Valenčič is usually at home, but if you want to be sure not to come in front of a locked door make an appointment before. His homestead is situated near the village church of St Anthony of Padua.

Based on information gathered in conversations with the owner who confirmed it.

10. Novak Mill, 75c Topolc

Tel: +386 (0)5 71 45 987, +386 (0)51 332 973; Email: #EM#6e60766277642863677f6d6a624d7d667f7d3c7d7161#EM#;
Web: http://www.novakov-mlin.net/

The Novak homestead with one of the few preserved watermills on the Reka River is located in the village of Smrje by the Reka River. The house dates back to 1856, but the saw and mill were built before that. The 14-hectare estate enabled the owners to make a living farming and milling grain. Because of frequent flooding, the Novak house was built a bit further away from the river. The buildings of the homestead were built from flysch stone and originally covered with pantiles, but those were later replaced with asbestos-cement roofing slates. A canal called »mlinščica« in which the amount of water going to the mill could be controlled leads alongside the riverbed up to the mill. The sawmill, which is no longer there, was on the other side of the canal. A pigsty was next to a barn, and a bit further on was a composting toilet made of planks.

Tours: You can get a tour of the »black kitchen« (an old rural type of kitchen with an open hearth), the watermill and the homestead, and a guided tour of the ethnological collection for large groups by appointment.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the owner.

11. Hodnik Mill with a Sawmill, 5 Trg mašala Tita, Ilirska Bistrica

Tel: +386 (0)5 711 23 15, +386 (0)41 307 354;
Email: #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM#(Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica)

The Hodnik mill with a sawmill is the only such mill in Ilirska Bistrica that has been preserved until today. The owners have opened it to the public and put a small ethnological collection on display. The original mill was built as early as the 17th century, and was replaced by a new one in the 19th century; around the same time, in 1855, the space above it was also turned into a flat. The Hodnik mill was considered the second biggest in Ilirska Bistrica. The owner Hodnik kept abreast of the times, so in 1935 he had water turbines installed, one to propel the mill and the other to power the saw. After World War II, before he had a chance to erect a roller mill, the mill was nationalized. The mill was in operation until 1970.

Tours: The Hodnik mill is located in the centre of the town, across the street from the Maksa Samsa Library. You can get a tour with a local tourist guide by appointment.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality and Museum.

1. Divača Karst Natural Education Trail

A 4.8 km long trail takes you around Risnik, a very picturesque collapse doline, and past the Triglavca rock shelter to the Divača Cave. Along the trail there are six stops with information boards which will help you learn about the diverse plant and animal life.

Tours: The trail starts in Divača near the crossroads of the Koper–Ljubljana and the Divača–Ilirska Bistrica roads. The hike takes 2–3 hours. You can take the hike on your own or guided by one of the members of the Divača caving club or the district forester, both by appointment. A folded leaflet of the trail is available from the caving club or the Municipality of Divača.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the caving club. 

2. Divaški kolesarski krog Bike Route

Tel: +386 (0)5 731 09 30 (Municipality of Divača); Web: http://www.divaca.si/mma_bin.php?id=2006021711062368

The Divaški kolesarski krog bike route starts at the Divača railway station and leads to the Škocjan Caves, Rodik, Artviže, Barka, and the Vremska Dolina valley. And then through Škoflje and Famlje, over Gabrk to Senožeče, Laže, Goli Vrh, Dolenja Vas, and over Čebulovica back to Divača.

Tours: This 59 km long bike route suitable for mountain and trekking bikes can be divided into two shorter route sections: a southern one to the Brkini Hills and a northern one to the Senožeško Podolje area.

3. Djestence Forest Educational Trail (GUP Djenstence)

Tel: +386 (0)41 657 889 (Marjan Tomažič); +386 (0) 41 204 137 (Niko Meden); Email: #EM#4d607069656b285367646b71656e4e7577623c747b63386471#EM#, #EM#6b6c67776d6f6729656c6e6e624d696271787e3d777a7b#EM#;
Web: http://www.zgs.gov.si/?id=364

The first biomass forest educational trail of Primorska region was set up by Slovenia Forest Service and Vrhe - Vremščica Forest Owners Society for wood as renewable energy source popularisation purpose. This is why on the trail we first of all learn about 25 tree and bush species and their wood which is presented on the educational panel “Let us Discover the Wood!”. The role of forest in human life evolved during centuries. We can learn about it by examining the change in the abundance of forests in the Senožeče area on the educational panel “Living Capital?”. On the trail we also learn about landscape ecosystems diversity, the forest role in the environment and the forest – wildlife – man connection.

Tours: To take a walk on the 2,8 km long circular educational trail takes approximately two hours. It is composed of 25 thematic panels which are explained only in Slovene. Even though probably you will not be able to understand the panels’ explanations, it is a nice walk through the woods east of the village of Senožeče. The trail starts behind Metež on an old road walled in with dry stone walls between the Old Castel and Dobravšnje Top till the Djestence Top, passing a pine tree plantation and meadows in Jamniki and turning into a full-grown heterogeneous forest till the Curk stream. The trail ends behind the Stari Grad Inn. You can visit the trail by yourself. Also a professional forester’s guided tour is possible by previous appointment on the contacts published above.

Written using web sources and the leaflet.

4. Hiking Trail along the Reka River Gorge

Before entering the Škocjan caves, the Reka River created a three-kilometre-long picturesque gorge that starts between Škoflje and Vremski Britof. Shallow at first, the valley deepens into a narrow gorge with almost a hundred-metre-high precipitous walls. The gorge was most probably formed when cave ceilings collapsed. A well-maintained hiking trail leads along the gorge.

Tours: You can set out on the two-hour hike in Matavun and continue through Škocjan and Betanja to the Reka River and then along the river to the Škoflje bridge, or the other way around.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the managing authority of the Park. 

7 km long non demanding bike route turns from the information centre of the park Škocjanske jame on the main road towards Divača and than on the macadam road to Dolnje Ležeče. From there you continue along the main road till Gradišče pri Divači where you can visit the Church of St Helena. From the village you fallow the macadam road towards the main road again on which you soon turn right towards Betanja where you can rest on the tourist farm and then return to the information centre of the park Škocjanske jame by passing Škocjan and its church, museum exhibitions and Vnck homestead.

Tours: The route takes app an hour and shows quite a number of small treasures.

Summerised after Počkar (2010) and authorized by the management authority of the Park.

6. From Cattle to Game

Tel: +386 (0)37 817 676 (Mirjam Frankovič Franetič, Famlje);
Web: http://tksdurbanscica.wordpress.com/

In the past, »kali« – depressions to collect rainwater for watering cattle – or Karst ponds started to deteriorate because cattle breeding had been abandoned in villages. The decrease in number of ponds caused the decrease in number of plant and animal species. The disappearance of any plant or animal species represents an irreparable loss both to nature and the humankind. From Cattle to Game circular trail connects revitalized Karst ponds at the foot of Vremščica, near Goriče pri Famljah and Školj Castle, and the one in Famlje.

Tours: The circular trail is marked with a frog sign and takes two hours to complete. There are no guided tours. Take the trail on your own on foot or by bike.

Written using the leaflet. 

7. Trail of Water Treasures

Tel: +386 (0)37 817 676 (Mirjam Frankovič Franetič, Famlje), +386 (0)31 652 769
(Joško Valečič, Dane); Email: #EM#696f646c44736963666027716d66626e74783c607d#EM#; Web: http://www.vodni-zakladi.si

The trail connects Famlje and Dane pri Divači. It leads past numerous revitalized Karst ponds which were once used for watering cattle; today they are home to a wide variety of water plants and animals. You will see the biggest »ledenica« (a pit for storing ice) in Slovenia, the well-known Reka River gorge, Karst wells, a water reservoir, a natural water spring, brooks, and many other tiny gems of nature that too often remain hidden from the modern traveller.

Tours: Designed as a one-way trail, it mostly leads along reinforced footpaths, dirt and gravel roads. No need for a guided tour, simply follow the sings. The trail is 12 km long and takes about 5 hours to complete.

Written using web sources and the leaflet.

8. Brkini Fruit Road

Tel: +386 (0)5 710 02 60 (Brkini Fruit Growers Society); Email: #EM#64606c6a6e606a66267f6567674d69603e7a7569673b657e#EM#;
Web: http://www.sadjarji.eu/

Brkini is a region where orchards thrive as high as 700 m above sea level. Plenty of sunshine, flysch soil, a rather severe climate, and an adequate amount of precipitation contribute to a high quality of fruit. The Brkini Fruit Road was established to attract as many customers and visitors to Brkini fruit farms as possible, directly increasing fruit sales and the sales of other farm produce and products.

Tours: You can go along the fruit road by bike or by car. A brochure presenting individual farms is available at: http://www.sadjarji.eu/index.php/sl/brkini-in-sadjarstvo/brosura.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality.

9. Magajna's Trail

Tel: +386 (0)31 817 676, +386 (0)31 894 229; Email: #EM#696f646c44736963666027716d66626e74783c607d#EM#(Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sports Association);
Web: http://tksdurbanscica.wordpress.com

The memorial circular trail dedicated to the writer and psychiatrist Dr Bogomir Magajna from Gornje Vreme starts at the Vreme Sports Centre in Famlje and continues through Vremski Britof to Gornje Vreme, past Magajna's birth house, along a wide forest road above Gornje Vreme to the road below Vremščica leading to Neverke and Pivka. Then it crosses the road and continues along a wide forest road towards the top of Vremščica. From the top, the trail leads along a marked mountain path, along the ridge and past the train carriage of the Timav Hunting Family. It crosses the road again and goes down along a forest path, and then along the road through tunnels to Dolnje Vreme, past a plague memorial, and onwards to the finish at the Vreme Sports Centre.

Tours: The trail is marked with a stylized portrait of Magajna's literary hero named Brkonja Čeljustnik, and it takes over 4 hours to complete. Every spring the Urbanščica Tourist Culture and Sports Association organizes a traditional hike along Magajna's Trail. The price of the entry fee includes a folded leaflet, a card, a cup of tea, a plate of »jota« (a type of stew) and bread, which hikers get at the finish line.

10. Trail around the Locations of the Zalesje Partisan Hospital

Tel: +386 (0)40 789 350 (Local Community of Ostrožno Brdo), +386 (0)5 714 71 81 (Ivan Valenčič);
Web: http://www2.arnes.si/~ltrebe2/brkinipohod08.htm

The Zalesje partisan hospital in the Brkini region was continuously in operation from 15th November 1943 to 17th January 1945. Around 220 wounded and ill persons were treated at this hospital. At first it was erected in Padež, but in March 1944 it was relocated to Boršt, northeast of the Šmagurje farm in the vicinity of Ostrožno Brdo. It consisted of hospital cabins with 20 beds, a room for a doctor, and a warehouse for medical supplies and equipment. Hideouts with 12 beds, an operating theatre and a kitchen were built separately. The hospital was built, and supplies for the patients and staff were provided by the villagers of Ostrožno Brdo. At the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945 enemy offensives were frequent, for this reason the hospital had to be moved again and again. On 17th January 1945, the hospital was shut down and joined with the hospital below Snežnik.

Tours: The marked trail which you can walk by yourself starts by the church of St Anthony of Padua in Ostrožno Brdo. In the village school there is an exhibition on the matter. In April, the local community of Ostrožno Brdo organizes a hike that leads past the monument to the Zalesje hospital in Boršt. You can find the map of the trail by following the link published above.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality.

11. Kette Memorial Trail

Tel: +386 (0)5 714 26 39 (Vojko Čeligoj, Kette Memorial Trail Society), +386 (0)5 711 23 15 (Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica); Email: #EM#74606c69652b75666260646a4c6462666262797239777f646c6b73787d336d76#EM#

The Kette Memorial Trail connects Trnovo and Prem, two important places in the short life of Dragotin Kette, a poet of the Slovene fin de siècle literature and the most famous son of the region of Ilirska Bistrica. Start your hike in front of the Dragotin Kette Primary School, continue through Trnovo past the former primary school where Kette's father was a teacher for a while; then head down the Kette Street, and past the birth house of his mother and his uncle's house. At the hamlet of Rečica, cross the bridge over the Reka River and head towards Zarečje along the asphalt road. The end of hard asphalt is only a good 500 metres away. Turn right over the Posrtev stream and continue along a more quiet gravel road. You are now walking along the valley of the Reka River. When you reach the Novak homestead, you are almost halfway through the trail. Here you can view the Novak mill, provided you have arranged a tour with the owner. Continue to the Brejščkov stream which flows over the dirt road, so you have to jump over it. The road climbs up and you reach a meadow. Turn left there to the village of Smrje. Go past the church, through the village to the roadside chapel, and there at the crossroads leave the asphalt and turn left. Then follows a rather steep climb among fruit trees up to Prem. When you reach the asphalt road towards Obrovo, you are a good kilometre away from the beginning of the village. Go around the left side of the Church of St Helena and a little further down you will reach Kette's birth house. A guidebook with the description of the trail is available. Hikers can print two checkpoint stamps in it, the first one at the Novak mill and the second one at the former primary school in Prem.

Tours: You can take the hike on your own or with a guide. For guided tours call the numbers or send an email to the address above. The undemanding one-way trail from Trnovo to Prem takes three to four hours of moderate walking to complete (not counting the return hike). It is therefore recommended that you reserve a whole day for a visit to the trail.

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the Municipality and Museum.

12. Sviščaki Forest Education Trail

Tel: +386 (0)5 700 06 10 (Slovenia Forest Service, Postojna Regional Unit);

Web: http://www.zgs.gov.si/?id=403

The Snežnik mountain range together with the regions of Kočevska and Gorski Kotar makes up one of the largest dense forest areas in Europe. The education trail presents the significance of the Snežnik forests and the hamlet of Sviščaki. The main aim of the trail is to help people understand the role of the forest and the processes that go on in it. It emphasizes the multiple role of forests and the often conflicting interests of different users of the forest space. The Sviščaki Forest Education Trail is about 4.3 km long and circular – it starts and ends near the mountain lodge in the hamlet of Sviščaki (consisting of weekend cottages). There are ten information boards along the trail. It takes three to four hours to complete on foot. It is marked with a yellow print of a bear's paw on a red circle.

Tours: A guided tour can be organized for groups by appointment (call the number above). The trail can be accessed by one of the following roads: Ilirska Bistrica–Sviščaki, Postojna–Knežak–Mašun–Sviščaki, or Stari Trg–Leskova Dolina–Sviščaki road. GPS coordinates: X = 453,700 Y = 47,980 Z = 1240

Written using web sources; reviewed and confirmed by the municipality.

13. Circular Path of Military History

Tel: +386 (0)5 721 21 80: Email: #EM#74606c682a756f7163684a78656262217e7466#EM#; Web: http://www.parkvojaskezgodovine.si/

For those who would like to learn about history in a pristine nature, the Circular Path of Military History is the right choice. Along the path, hikers may view a former Italian fort on Primož Hill, which used to be the most fortified point on the former Italian–Yugoslav border. There are about 500 metres of tunnels in the fort; battle stations, an ammunition depot, and living quarters are preserved inside. From the fort, the circular path leads to the village of Šilentabor where the largest fort against invading Turks used to stand. Through the village of Narin, a popular tourist spot, visitors then come back to the starting point – to the Park of Military History Pivka.

Tours: You can take the Circular Path of Military History from the Park of Military History on your own. A guided tour of the underground fort on Primož Hill is led by a member of the staff of the Park of Military History according to the schedule published on the website. Prior appointment is recommended. There is an admission fee.

Written by the managing authority of the Park of Military History.