Rak Škocjan

Big Natural Bridge in Rak Škocjan

The ruins of St. Cantianus's Church

Rak Creek

Rak Škocjan (Slovene: Rakov Škocjan; pronounced [ˈɾaːkɔu̯ ʃkɔˈtsjaːn]) is a valley and a landscape park, part of Inner Carniola Regional Park in southwestern Slovenia. Administratively, it belongs to the settlement of Rakov Škocjan. Rak Škocjan has been protected since 1949 and is the oldest landscape park in Slovenia.

Geography

There are two natural bridges in Rak Škocjan, Little Natural Bridge (Slovene: Mali naravni most) and about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) downstream, to the west, Big Natural Bridge (Slovene: Veliki naravni most). Rak Creek traverses the valley and enters the cave Weaver's Cave at its western side. It reappears again in Planina Cave. Above the valley, in the vicinity of Big Natural Bridge, stand the ruins of St. Cantianus's Church, built in the early 17th century in the late Gothic style.^[1] This area is also an Iron Age archaeological site.^[2]

The valley itself is enclosed on all sides by sheer cliffs, which can reach as high as 300 m (980 ft).^[3]

Name

The name Rakov Škocjan literally means 'Škocjan on Rak Creek'. Like other places named Škocjan, the name is a contraction of *šent Kǫcьjanъ 'Saint Cantianus', referring to the patron saint of the local church.^[4] The name of the area is an artificial coinage; the name Rakovska kotlina 'Rak Basin' was initially suggested in 1949. The name Rakov Škocjan 'Rak Škocjan' first appeared in the mid-1960s, and it gradually took hold by the 1980s alongside other names for the area, including Rakova dolina 'Rak Valley' and Dolina Raka 'Rak Valley'.^[5] In Slovene, the valley shares its name with the settlement of Rakov Škocjan.

Gallery

• 
  Painting of Rak Škocjan
• 
  Zelše Caves, upstream view
• 
  Zelše Caves, upstream view at high water level
• 
  Upstream view of Big Natural Bridge
• 
  Little Natural Bridge
• 
  Little Natural Bridge, seen from below

See also

• Škocjan Caves Regional Park

References

1. Savnik, Roman (1968). Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 1. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije. p. 53.
2. "9251: Rakov Škocjan - Arheološko najdišče sv. Kancijan" [9251: Rak Škocjan – St. Cantianus Archaeological Site]. Register nepremične kulturne dediščine [Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage] (in Slovenian). Ministry of Culture, Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
3. Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 312. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
4. Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 413.
5. Ferk, Mateja; Stepišnik, Uroš (2011). Geomorfološke značilnosti Rakovega Škocjana. Ljubljana: Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU. p. 14.

45°47′9.14″N 14°17′56.58″E