Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park

The Marsh Windows Trail – Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park

Mysterious springs in the middle of the Ljubljana Marshes.

The Barjanska okna trail offers an insight into the springs on the border between the moor and the bog. The viewing platform at the Strahomerski okna trail presents the soil profiles on the moor and the bog, as well as illustrations that help you learn why and how the moor windows were formed. The trail is suitable for walking or cycling. One of the trail’s starting points is in Podkraj, and the other is along the Jevšnik canal and the Iška River.

Access:

From the village of Podkraj, opposite Bar Pr Anzelc, turn onto the road towards Lipe. At the bend, a signpost leads you to a gravel path, which takes you to a viewing platform by the springs. After visiting the springs, continue along the gravel path, which joins the Okljuk trail by the Iška River (the intercity passenger bus line no. 40 Ig-Strahomer-Iška Loka-Ig will take you to the village of Podkraj).
From the Kolišče refreshment bar in Lipe, follow the path along the Iška River – Okljuk, where a signpost directs you to the Barjanska Okna Trail (city bus no. 19B will take you there).

Length and terrain of the trail: From Podkraj to the Jevšnik Canal along the Iška River: 1.7 km, mostly macadam trail

Marking and shade:
The trail is marked with signposts and 4 information points, as there is no shade on most of the trail, sun protection is recommended in the summer.

Starting point of the route:
Google map Instructions

What they say about Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park at the ljubljanskobarje.si

The Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park is located in the Ljubljana Marshes, which lie in central Slovenia and are the southernmost part of the Ljubljana Basin. The Ljubljana Marshes Landscape Park area is the largest area of wetland grassland with a system of borders and forest, shrub and water areas in Slovenia.

Due to the method of cultivation (extensively mowed meadows), a high biodiversity has been preserved. There are two groups of prehistoric pile dwellings in the area of the landscape park, which are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

You can discover the attractions of the Ljubljana Marshes on your own, or you can also be accompanied by our guides.

NATURE PARK ON THE EDGE OF THE CITY – PDF

A space of constant change

The Ljubljana Marshes are a place of constant change.
The first changes in this area took place independently of man: lake – swamp – marsh. With his activities over the last two hundred years, man has transformed the marshes into a cultural landscape. But even these large-scale interventions cannot stop natural processes such as annual floods and subsidence.

The Ljubljana Marshes are the second most altered landscape in Slovenia.
Massive drainage works and the construction of transport links enabled settlement and farming in the central part of the Marshes. Once the largest and southernmost high bog in Europe, it was transformed into meadows, fields, hedgerows and a dense network of drainage channels.

The marsh mosaic of different habitats is home to many species.
Meadow bird species nest in the wet meadows and numerous butterflies forage. Drainage channels are crucial for the development of dragonflies and amphibians. Alders and willows along the edges of the plots provide a migration corridor, shelter, habitat and food source for reptiles, birds, amphibians and mammals. Shrubs in the borders provide pasture for pollinators, which are also important for cultivated crops in the fields.