The mid-conference excursion will lead us to some of the most fascinating parts of the Dinaric Karst with a rich variety of karstic phenomena and diverse landscapes. For walks of up to an hour, light hiking gear is recommended. We will visit three areas:
CERKNICA LAKE
The Cerknica Lake lies on the bottom of a large polje and is the largest intermittent karst lake in Slovenia covering 29 km2 in its full extent. During dry summers it almost completely dries out revealing impressive sinks scattered all over the ground. Being one of the largest Slovenian wetlands, it hosts many bird species and is an important site for other fauna and flora. We will make a short stop at the NW part of the lake where the director of the Notranjska Park, Mr. Valentin Schein, will give a short introduction. We will have a closer look at what will be at that time of the year probably a dry polje, and visit some of the large sinks at the entrance to the Karlovice Caves.
RAKOV ŠKOCJAN
Rakov Škocjan is a typical karst valley, about 2.5 km long and featuring many karst phenomena, a resurgence and a sink cave, each with its own stone bridge. The area is predominantly covered by Dinaric birch forest with some wet meadows near the river. These woods are still home of the three large predators of Europe: lynx, wolf and bear. They are shy animals and are unlikely to be seen during our visit. We will descend to the entrance of the cave called Zelške Jame bellow the Small Bridge, and will be greeted by a warm meal upon return. After lunch, you will have time to explore the area on your own with an optional visit to the Large Bridge.
ŠKOCJAN CAVES
The Škocjan Caves represent one of the most famous cave systems in Slovenia. It is proclaimed UNESCO World heritage site since 1986, and a subterranean wetland under the Ramsar Convention since 1999. The main cave is approximately six kilometers long with an impressive, over 100 m deep underground canyon, and large chambers. Equally impressive is the karstic landscape surrounding the cave and the typical villages of Škocjan at the brink of one of the dolines. Although the cave fauna is not among the richest in Slovenia, this is well compensated by a great diversity of flora and fauna at the surface. An interplay of warm air exiting the cave in winter and cold air accumulating at the bottom of deep dolines enables mixing of boreoalpine glacial relicts and Mediterranean flora and fauna. After a short introduction by the director of the Škocjan Caves Park, Dr. Gordana Beltram, we will visit the cave via a tourist path (no caving gear and light required). The rest of the day will be available to visit other attractions in the Park area, followed by a social dinner.
The price for the excursion is included in the registration fee. It covers all transportation and admittance costs, lunch, dinner, and basic insurance.
