2. UNICA - Planinsko polje

... than just geomorphologica features

There are no fields at Planinsko polje, just wet meadows. Planinsko polje is the North-Westrn-most habitat of Scilla litardierei, plant endemic to Dinaric karst poljes. Some other interesting plants also found agreeable habitats here: summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), Siberian iris (I. sibirica). At more humid locations Menyanthes trifoliata grows. In the early summer meadows are very colourful, with many orchids (Orchis palustris), Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) and some others. Maybe the most imposing of all is Illyrian Gladiolus (Gladiolus illyricus). Interesting species at Planinsko polje, especially where meadows are not fertilized, are too numerous to list here.

Cultivated fields and settlements are located in narrow stripe of land above floodplain. Largest settlement is Planina, at the foothills of Grmada (873 m). Well preserved, large carters houses are remider of the time between 1st and 2nd world war, when Planina has been important Yugoslavian border outpost at the main road from Ljubljana to Triest. When highway has been built at the other side of the Planinsko polje, traffic in the town has calmed.

There are ruins of Haasberg castle above Skratovka sources. Castle has been built at the end of 12th century. It has been one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Slovenian territory. Castle has been burned down at the end of the second world war. Ruins now can't reveal the beauty and might of the old building.

Remains of Mali grad (small castle) are just above the Planina Cave pocket valley. Only the round castle tower remained and has been restored. Tower is known as Ravbar tower.

endemitu dinarskih kraških polj, ki ima tu svoje najbolj severozahodno rastišče. Tudi nekatere druge zanimive rastline so tukaj našle ugodne pogoje za uspevanje: pomladanski veliki zvonček (Leucojum aestivum), vodna perunika (Iris pseudacorus), sibirska perunika (Iris sibirica). Na vlažnejših lokacijah raste navadni mrzličnik ali grenka deteljica (Menyanthes trifoliata). Pisani zgodnjepoletni travniki so posejani s številnimi kukavicami: močvirska kukavica (Orchis palustris), pegasta prstasta kukavica (Dactylorhiza maculata) in nekaj drugimi. Morda najbolj izstopajoč je ilirski meček (Gladiolus illyricus). Zanimivih vrst je na Planinskem polju, posebej kjer travniki niso gnojeni, preveč, da bi jih podrobno navajali.

Obdelana polja in naselja so nanizana na ozkem pasu med poljem in hribom, nad nivojem poplavne ravnice. Največje naselje je Planina, v vznožju Grmade (873 m). Dobro ohranjene, velike furmanske hiše so spomin na čas med svetovnima vojnama, ko je bila Planina pomembna mejna postojanka stare Jugoslavije, na cesti med Ljubljano in Trstom. Vse večji promet je po izgradnji avtoceste ostal na drugi stani Planinskega polja, mesto pa je ostalo izven glavnih tokov.

Nad izviri Škratovke so ruševine gradu Haasberg. Grad je bil zgrajen konec 12. stoletja. Bil je eden najlepših baročnih stavb pri nas. Pogorel je konec druge svetovne vojne. Danes ruševina ne morejo več razkriti lepote in moči starega objekta.

Ostanki Malega gradu stoje tik nad zatrepno dolino z vhodom v Planinsko jamo. Od gradu je ostal le okrogli stolp, ki so ga obnovili. Poznan je kot Ravbarjev stolp.