Cerknica: Slivnica, Karst Lake and Tabor

Cerknica combines a distinctive karst landscape with a notable history. The Karst Lake can often dry up in summer, creating opportunities for hiking and observing this unusual drying process. The natural areas of Notranjska Regional Park are freely accessible. At the same time, trails lead up Slivnica, while an anti-Ottoman Tabor complex and a Krpan statue in the town centre recall different chapters of local history.

Nature

Access to the natural areas of Notranjska Regional Park is free of charge. The Kuharca viewing platform is located along the Drvošec Trail. For blind and visually impaired visitors, it features adapted educational stations with descriptions in Braille, as well as tactile and audio resources. The Otočec observation tower, which is 10 m high, also stands along the Drvošec Trail.

The trails reveal different aspects of the landscape. The marked mountain hiking trail to Slivnica begins at the bowling alley in Cerknica. The Slivnica Trail offers views of the Javorniki Hills and Lake Cerknica. The Witch Cave lies below the summit of Slivnica. According to local tradition, witches cooked up storms and natural disasters there.

Trails

The Drvošec Trail runs for 3.7 km in one direction between the Rešeto sinkholes and a point approximately 500 m before the bridge near the village of Otok. Another connection is the Carthusian Trail, which leads through Cerknica and over the bridge to the anti-Ottoman Tabor of Cerknica.

Cerknica can also be incorporated into cycling routes. The Kosec cycling route runs along the foot of Slivnica above Martinjak and reaches Cerknica after approximately 4 km.

A guided birdwatching tour begins at Lake Cerknica, at the Museum of Lake Cerknica in the village of Dolenje Jezero, and continues with an ornithologist. Participants can borrow binoculars free of charge before the walk begins.

Culture

A square with a church shapes the townscape in the historic centre of Cerknica. This square developed around former anti-Ottoman Tabor fortifications. The anti-Ottoman Tabor in Cerknica is considered one of the largest and most heavily fortified Tabor complexes in Slovenia. Jurčkov Tabor survives as a defensive tower within the preserved stone walls of the complex; the remains of the anti-Ottoman Tabor complex are among the best preserved in Slovenia.

There is also a Krpan statue in the centre of Cerknica, symbolising survival. The Jezerski hram Museum displays a living model of Lake Cerknica as well as an ethnological collection. The Museum of Lake Cerknica combines scientific explanations, folk traditions and multimedia storytelling.

Kulturni dom Cerknica offers high-quality film screenings for children and young people, which can be accompanied by discussions with a film education coordinator. The centre also runs film education programmes for kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools.

History

The church in Cerknica is first mentioned in written sources in 1265. A document dated 28 January 1630 provides evidence of a highly developed shoemaking trade. The shoemakers were organised in the Brotherhood of Saint Anne of Shoemakers, which existed until 1922 and also became independent under guild law.

During the carnival season, the Pustno društvo Cerknica takes over the rule of Cerknica every year and transforms the town into Butale. During the traditional Pust v Cerknici carnival, large and small carnival figures and masks parade through the streets of Cerknica, or Butale.

If you need up-to-date information, the Tourist Information Center Cerknica provides information on accommodation, cuisine, sights relating to the natural and cultural heritage, and activities such as fishing, cave visits, birdwatching and bear watching, horse riding, hiking and cycling. Another local page: Rakek.

For the higher-level travel overview: Municipality of Cerknica.