Rakov Skocjan is situated between Planinsko and Cerknica field. Skocjan was first mentioned in the 15th century. It got the name after St. Kancijan Church. In the book The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola from the year 1689 we trace the first noted description of the Rak valley. After the second world war, when the territory was still under Italy, they built barracks and circular road and made plans for the caves. In Rakov Skocjan flows underground stream Rak, which is the precursor of the river Ljubljanica. It is the karst valley, which was made when the roof of the underworld tunnel was destroyed. From the former arch they stayed only the Great natural bridge and Little natural bridge. Rakov Skocjan is 6 kilometres long and is the natural pearl of the Notranjska Region. From the year 1949 is protected as the landscape park. After the valley goes marked circular naturalistic way, where can be seen the most important natural and cultural remarkableness. The valley has its logical beginning in the affluent, east side with the Little natural bridge, where the brook Rak springs from the Zelske jame Caves. There also begins the naturalistic teaching path. After the visit of the sinks leads way by the right bank of the brook, opposite of the hotel crosses the wooden footbridge and continues it in the left side of the riverbed to the Great natural bridge and sinkhole Tkalca Cave. Afterwards the path goes up to the ruins of the St. Kancijan Church, where it ends. It is 3 kilometres long.
Photos
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of Little Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of Little Natural Bridge]()
View of Little Natural Bridge
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of collapsed cave near Little Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of collapsed cave near Little Natural Bridge]()
View of collapsed cave near Little Natural Br...
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Middle collapsed cave on the way to the collapsed cave under Little Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Middle collapsed cave on the way to the collapsed cave under Little Natural Bridge]()
Middle collapsed cave on the way to the colla...
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Stony bridge and cave in background Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Stony bridge and cave in background]()
Stony bridge and cave in background
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Brook Rak and stony bridge in Rakov Skocjan Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Brook Rak and stony bridge in Rakov Skocjan]()
Brook Rak and stony bridge in Rakov Skocjan
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Cave that leads to the collapsed cave under Little Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Cave that leads to the collapsed cave under Little Natural Bridge]()
Cave that leads to the collapsed cave under L...
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of the cave under Little Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> View of the cave under Little Natural Bridge]()
View of the cave under Little Natural Bridge
![Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Path to the Zelske jame Caves Rakov Skocjan - Little Natural Bridge <br> Path to the Zelske jame Caves]()
Path to the Zelske jame Caves
![Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Large old fir tree Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Large old fir tree]()
Large old fir tree
![Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Sawmill ruins Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Sawmill ruins]()
Sawmill ruins
![Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Remains of the dam Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Remains of the dam]()
Remains of the dam
![Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Brook Rak near its spring Rakov Skocjan - Large old fir tree, Rak spring and sawmill ruins <br> Brook Rak near its spring]()
Brook Rak near its spring
![Rakov Skocjan - Rakov Skocjan <br> Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand Rakov Skocjan - Rakov Skocjan <br> Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand]()
Rakov Skocjan
![Rakov Skocjan - Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand <br> Brook Rak in Rakov Skocjan Rakov Skocjan - Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand <br> Brook Rak in Rakov Skocjan]()
Brook Rak in Rakov Skocjan
![Rakov Skocjan - Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand <br> Brook Rak and footbridge Rakov Skocjan - Riparian flooded forests - willow trees, Old fir stand <br> Brook Rak and footbridge]()
Brook Rak and footbridge
![Rakov Skocjan - Old oak dob, Forest plants groups <br> Rakov Skocjan - Old oak - dob Rakov Skocjan - Old oak dob, Forest plants groups <br> Rakov Skocjan - Old oak - dob]()
Rakov Skocjan - Old oak - dob
![Rakov Skocjan - Old oak dob, Forest plants groups <br> Hotel Rakov Skocjan Rakov Skocjan - Old oak dob, Forest plants groups <br> Hotel Rakov Skocjan]()
Hotel Rakov Skocjan
![Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici, Sinkhole - Kotel <br> Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici, Sinkhole - Kotel <br> Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici]()
Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici
![Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici, Sinkhole - Kotel <br> Rakov Skocjan - Sinkhole - Kotel Rakov Skocjan - Karst springs - Kotlici, Sinkhole - Kotel <br> Rakov Skocjan - Sinkhole - Kotel]()
Rakov Skocjan - Sinkhole - Kotel
![Rakov Skocjan - Pine monoculture, Middle field, Ecosystem <br> Ecosystems and typical species of animals Rakov Skocjan - Pine monoculture, Middle field, Ecosystem <br> Ecosystems and typical species of animals]()
Ecosystems and typical species of animals
![Rakov Skocjan - Big Natural Bridge <br> Big Natural Bridge and river Rak below Rakov Skocjan - Big Natural Bridge <br> Big Natural Bridge and river Rak below]()
Big Natural Bridge and river Rak below
![Rakov Skocjan - Tkalca Cave <br> View to the other entrance into Tkalca Cave that can be seen from Big Natural Bridge Rakov Skocjan - Tkalca Cave <br> View to the other entrance into Tkalca Cave that can be seen from Big Natural Bridge]()
View to the other entrance into Tkalca Cave t...
![Rakov Skocjan - Ruins of St. Kancijan Church <br> Forester's cottage Rakov Skocjan Rakov Skocjan - Ruins of St. Kancijan Church <br> Forester's cottage Rakov Skocjan]()
Forester's cottage Rakov Skocjan
Data
Municipality: CERKNICA (11491 population)
Settlements in the municipality:
Cerknica (4061 population), Rakek (2140), Begunje pri Cerknici (727), Unec (580), Grahovo (484),
Dolenja vas (471), Martinjak (290), Dolenje Jezero (238), Ivanje selo (210), Slivice (182), Žerovnica (180), Selšček (154), Lipsenj (125), Gorenje Jezero (122), Bločice (109), Zelše (100), Bezuljak (90), Podskrajnik (88), Goričice (88), Bloška Polica (84), Kožljek (69), Topol pri Begunjah (65), Dobec (62), Kremenca (59), Osredek (54), Hruškarje (47), Gorenje Otave (46), Sveti Vid (43), Podslivnica (33), Štrukljeva vas (32), Bečaje (32), Ravne (31), Ponikve (27), Dolenje Otave (26), Brezje (26), Otonica (26), Župeno (25), Otok (22), Cajnarje (20), Mahneti (17), Jeršiče (17), Slugovo (17), Laze pri Gorenjem Jezeru (16), Tavžlje (15), Lešnjake (15), Rakov Škocjan (14), Pikovnik (12), Krušče (11), Zala (11), Milava (10), Stražišče (10), Hribljane (8), Reparje (8), Beč (7), Pirmane (7), Kržišče (6), Zahrib (5), Rudolfovo (5), Čohovo (4), Koščake (3), Gora (2), Korošče (2), Kranjče (1), Ščurkovo (0), Zibovnik (0)