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Ponds and Lakes of Slovenia

velkavrh26. 11. 2019 11:24:11

I haven't noticed this title yet and it might be fine if we post trips and views of various ponds and lakes across wide Slovenia under this title. There are really countless ponds and lakes in Slovenia. The high mountain ones have a special charm, there are quite a few. The kings of lakes are of course Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. Last but not least, we also have drying-up lakes. We have many lakes created by human action. In former clay pits there are countless lakes and ponds across Slovenia. By damming rivers we have them too. Last but not least, we have lots of ponds that arose due to fish farming. Many ponds and also lakes are included in landscape parks, Natura 2000 etc.

So I will post ponds and lakes under this title from now on and not those that I have already visited in past decades myself or through various associations.

Yesterday Škofja Loka retirees incorporated in PD Škofja Loka in two retiree groups - Torkovci and Ponedeljkovci - had a final trip and hike around Vrbje Pond, which is right next to Žalec. Vrbje Pond falls under Landscape Park Vrbje Pond. The park is included in Natura 2000 area. Around the pond there are roughly three paths - Educational ecological path, Heart path and Hop path.

First we drove to Šempeter to Rimljan inn for coffee and tea, then we did a hike around Vrbje Pond and walked around the pond where three paths run. We somehow combined all three into one hike and walked about an hour and a half. It starts at the parking lot where there is INFO point of Vrbje Pond Landscape Park with panels and pleasant inn. Inn opens at ten in the morning. At that time the pond is drained and offers a somewhat sad appearance. Here and there some puddles and through them wade more solitary gray and white herons and various ducks. Fish were caught and moved to nearby other ponds. At the beginning the path leads past various wooden sculptures, on the left the Dravinja river roars past us, well regulated and here cannot cross the banks. Then it turns right past plantation areas where they produce green gold - hops. Somewhere here agricultural cooperative (don't know exactly which) has mother plantation of wildlings which they were just pruning to then grow bases for grafting various fruits. As I wrote we walked an hour and a half. Then we drove to Žalec and viewed Eco Museum of Hop Growing and Brewing of Slovenia, arranged in former four-story hop dryer building. Next to it is the beekeeping museum. Next to the museum is also a plantation of medicinal plants and aromatics. Next to it is also the center for growing hop seedlings - institute.