Rakov Škocjan Nature Trail

Map and Trail Stops descriptions are taken from book: Stanko Silan, Rakov Škocjan in naravoslovna učna pot (please, see reference No. 8 at References page)

Click Map to eglarge!

Topographic Map of Rakov Škocjan Nature Trail and stops.

Nature Trail Stops - short description

Here is short English description of all 14 stops with information boards (explanation at Nature Trail is in Slovenian only, some of boards are in bad state).

Stop No. 1: Little natural Bridge and Zelse Caves, with a magnificent view of several collapse dolines from above;

Stop No. 2: Old fir. This large tree is more than 200 years old.

Stop No. 3: The source of Rak river, under a high cliff; at the beginning of the valley and remains of Rak saw-mill.

Stop No. 4: Willows. White willows (Salix alba) grow thickly at Rak river bank, which is flooded often.

Stop No. 5: Old fir growth.

Stop No. 6: Old Pedinculate Oak or English oak (Quercus robur).

Stop No. 7: Forest associations near springs.

Stop No. 8a: Kotliči, where springs become large tributary of Rak river in the rainy season;

Stop No. 8b: Kotel, where high waters »boil« from the underground;

Stop No. 9: Spruce monoculture.

Stop No. 10: Srednja njiva field.

Stop No. 11: Ecosystems and typical animal species.

Stop No. 12: Big (Large) natural Bridge, where you can walk through the opening under a large arch in the dry season;

Stop No. 13: Tkalca Cave, viewpoint above the canyon in front of cave entrance;

Stop No. 14: Ruins of St. Kanzian church, which has been built close to the Big natural Bridge, with a great view of the lower part of the Rak valley on one side and canyon in front of Tkalca Cave at the other side.

Plants and plant associations

Rakov Škocjan valley is surrounded with Fir-Beach forests (Omphalodo-Fagetum or Abieti-Fagetum), Manna Ash and the Hop Hornbeam association (Ostryo carpinifoliae-Fraxinetum orni) grows at sunny, rocky cliffs, association of common oak and hornbeam (Carpino betuli - Quercetum roboris) is placed

lower, at more level and wet part of valley. Willows, Poplars and Common Alder grow thickly at river edge and often flooded parts of valley. Very explicit and clearly visible is the ecological boundary in the Rak river valley, dividing floodplain forest from the forest high enough to avoid usual flooding. Marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris), common fern in wet, sunny areas is an endangered species in Slovenia - you can still find it in the Rak river valley. For this area Dinaric type of plants is common. Many of them survived through Ice-ages and later populated other areas of Central Europe. Some of them are: Calamint (Calamintha grandiflora), Blue-eyed Mary (Omphalodes verna), Spurge-laurel (Daphne laureola)…

Animals - some endemic, all of them special

  • a genus of minute freshwater snails Belgrandiella kusceri (photo on the right side) and small cave snail acroloxus tetensi, have been found in Zelse Caves, spring Prunkovec and Kotel. They are endemic to underground sections of Ljubljanica river system. Small crustacean - shrimp Pseudocandona pretneri is a species found only in Rakov Skocjan. Also some other threatened or endangered animal species found their habitat there.
photo: Arne Hodalič
  • the Olm salamander or Proteus (Proteus anguinus),
  • the Long-fingered bat (Myotis capaccinii) – in the Notranjska regional park only seen in Zelse Caves,
  • bats Lesser Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and the Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) seen in caves of Rakovem Škocjanu,
  • the butterfly Scarce Fritillary (Hypodryas maturna),
  • a beetle Morimus funereus

Foreign travelers in Rakov Škocjan: historic view

Find out how have foreign travelers seen this interesting collapse valley in the past. They had considerably less information and knowledge about karst but have sometimes got great insight about natural phenomena they have met.

For short biographies and their portraits see subpage Foreign travelers - Who's who.

Citations below are taken from book: FOREIGN TRAVELLERS IN THE SLOVENE KARST 1486–1900 by Trevor R. Shaw (please, see reference No. 9 at References page)

Richard Pococke and Jeremiah Milles in 1737

“ Concerning two subterraneous outlets of the lake (Cerkinca) before mentioned called Velka Karlouza and Mala Karlouza, I must add that, joining together underground, they run for about two English miles, and then come out in a small meadow encompassed on every side with wood, and having run about half an English mile further, pass under a most wonderful natural bridge formed in a rock, which is about two hundred feet high from the ground and one hundred and twenty feet high and a hundred wide, thence at the end of which it runs thro’ a smaller passage for about three English miles, coming out near the village of Planina before mentioned, where it joins with a river called the Untz of which I shall hereafter speak. …” (From Jeremiah Milles’s letter, dated 26 July, 1737).

John James Tobin in 1828

October 14th, 1828, Caves of St. Kanzian:

“Sir Humphry again went out shooting in the morning, and I went to see the caves of St. Kanzian, with a lad, who spoke a little German, as a guide. These caves are situated about four miles from Zirknitz, and are merely large and deep natural caverns, through which a small river runs, which again appears about half a mile further, in a beautiful fertile valley, through which it flows for a short distance, when it passes under a natural bridge of rock, on the other side of which it disappears, an does not again rise till near Adelsberg (Postojna). Although it has here no particular name, it is probably the same as the Laibach river, and may take its rise from lake of Zirknitz. The natural bridge under which it flows before its disappearance, is a fine arch of rock, from thirty to forty feet in height, covered with trees on the top, between which are seen the remains of an old church, dedicated to St. Kanzian.”

Franz Kraus in 1887

(F. Kraus, Hölenfahrten in Krain, Mitt. Der Seton für Hölenkunde des Österreichischen Touristen Club Jg.6, Nr., 4, 1887, pp. 46*47)

“The next day was occupied with visit to the wonderful cave systems in the Haasberg forests, through which the river Rack flows. Schiml calls them ‘the caves next to the natural bridge of St. Canzian’, but because the name St. Canzian leads to confusion with the better known St. Canzian near Divacca, Mr. Putick calls them ’the Fürst Windischgraetz caves in the Haasberg forest’. … These caves are among the most interesting and remarkable phenomena of the karst, making them worthy of a thorough visit, especially since the generous efforts of Prince Hugo von Windischgraetz made them accessible. … The interest of the princely family in them is shown by the fact that Princes Hugo and Ernst and Princess Clementine (probably misprint for Princess Christiana) accompanied us on our excursion, during which we sometimes came to difficult places which the members of the noble family passed so easily that one realized that they were not newcomers in cave matters. … The length of the main cave could be over 3 km. A dry side cave with nice dripstone formations was named Prince Ernst Grotte by Mr. Putick. … It is in the process of being made accessible, because Prince Hugo expressed his wish to director Reismueller that this to be done quickly. The Mathilde Grotte nearby had been festively lighted. This beautiful little stalactite cave is not normally open to the public. (translated by Rudolph Reinbacher).

William Putick

(W. Putick, Führer in die Grotten ind Höhlen…, 1892, p. 56)

“Here is a Princess Chirstiana Grotte, a Princess Alexandra Grotte and a Prince Ernst Grotte which are reached by good paths. The first of these is protected by a locked gate to prevent damage to the dripstone formations. The other caves are freely accessible. Prince Hugo Grotte leads almost 1000 m up river towards the caves where the water leaves the Cerknica lake. That is why boats are needed to visti the upper reaches.” (translated by Rudolph Reinbacher).

Franz Kraus in 1891

this, more popular account provides only a little more than his first and Putick’s. He refers to the paths leading through the collapse dolines by Mali most to Zelške jame; (F. Kraus, Der Karst, p. 290 in Die österreichische-ungarische Monarchie in Wort und Bild. – Kärnten und Krain, 1891):

“The paths made by the owner (Fürst Hugo Windischgrätz) are so good that any lady can use them. … On almost level paths one goes through a series of (underground) halls that are each so short that no artificial light is needed. The Prince Ernst Grote, a side cave 100 m long with beautiful dripstone formations, can be visited with dry feet. The big river cave can be passed only by boat; there is no path there because water reaches the walls on both sides. (translated by Rudolph Reinbacher)