Notranjska

 Author: Arhiv Postonjska jama 

At first sight you might not see all that Notranjska (former Inner Carniola) has to offer, as so much of this region remains hidden below the ground. Through layers of porous limestone, water has formed a complex labyrinth of caves, precipices, underground lakes and galleries with incredible stalactites forming a unique underworld kingdom. This landscape has nothing to match it in the entire world, an area littered with Karst rock holes, Karst fields and Karst rivers which disappear underground and reappear in a completely different and unpredictable location.

In the mysterious Močilnik near Vrhnika, the river of seven names – Ljubljanica River, has its source and flows through the Ljubljana Marshes. From the margin of the Marshes there are several valleys extending towards Notranjska, among them the valley of Bistra with the former monastery of Carthusian monks Bistra and today transformed into a fascinating Tehnical Museum. You can enjoy a beautiful view of Vrhnika, the birth place of the great Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar, from the top of the surrounding hills at Menišije, the health resort Rakitne, or from the hills of Polhov Gradec.

To reach the middle part of Notranjska, you have to cross the Logatec plain and get to Logatec. The Planinsko polje plain, the most characteristic Karst plain, has a lot of unusual karst phenomena. One of them is Rakov Škocjan, where the waters from the Planinsko and Cerkniško Fields flow under an incredible natural bridge and into the depths of the earth. Another karst phenomenon is the Cerknica Lake, the largest disappearing lake in Europe. On the same field that is filled with kilometres of water in the Winter, it runs completely dry in the Summer. In this very lake at different times of the year you can fish, walk, pick flowers and even ice skate, all in the same year! You can get a most beautiful view of one of nature's true miracles from the nearby beauty spot of Slivnica, where according to ancient beliefs, witches gather. The pretty town of Cerknica is especially interesting during the Carnival season, attracting visitors from near and far to take part in its traditional Carnival procession.

The most wooded part of Notranjska is the Bloška planota plateau, where skiing was invented and is called Bloke skis. On Bloke plateau, the Bloke mass skiing competition takes place every year. On the remote foothills of Snežnik mountain you will find a romantic castle, also called Snežnik, (snow mountain), now transformed into a thoroughly interesting museum, and a great starting point for all mountain trails to Veliki Snežnik, with its special Alpine vegetation.

Ilirska Bistrica is a former market town, where sawmills have been operating for centuries. The Bistrica river, which flows from Snežniško pogorje, then turns into the Reka River, carves out its narrow valley between Vremščica and Brkini.

The main town of Notranjska is Postojna, known all over the world for its wonderful Postojna Cave, where an underground world is revealed in all its majesty. Visitors are transported by special cave train to the illuminated fairytale stalactites and cavities. Near the cave there is the stunning Predjamski Castle, built onto the side of a steep cliff face with rocky walls. Discover the legend about the robber baron Erazem Predjamski. Today Postojna also houses the Kasrt Research Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Notranjska Museum.