Ljubljana Marsh

Wetlands in central Slovenia

The western rim of the Ljubljana Marsh, viewed from St. Anne Hill above Podpeč

The Ljubljana Marsh (Slovene: Ljubljansko barje), located south of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is the largest marsh in the country. It covers 163 square kilometres (63 sq mi) or 0.8% of the Slovene territory. It is administered by the municipalities of Borovnica, Brezovica, Ljubljana, Ig, Log-Dragomer, Škofljica and Vrhnika.[1]

## Biodiversity

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The Ljubljana Marsh is a place of great biodiversity. Since 2008, the major part of the Ljubljana Marsh, covering an area of 135 km2 (52 sq mi), has been protected as a landscape park. The most preserved parts had been already before protected as nature reserves and as natural monuments.[2]

## History

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Monument on the Iščica River

German-language plaque

Monument to the first road through the marsh

The Ljubljana Marsh was inhabited in prehistoric times, when it was a shallow lake. Prehistoric pile dwellings and the oldest wooden wheel in the world are among the most notable archaeological findings from the marshland.[3] Excavations in the area were led by Tatjana Bregant from 1969.[4] Since 2011, the area of pile dwellings near Ig has been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5]

The first road through the marsh, connecting Ljubljana to Studenec (now Ig), was begun in 1825 and completed in 1827. The work was carried out under Mayor Johann Nepomuk Hradeczky (1775–1846) and the provincial governor, Baron Joseph Camillo von Schmidburg (1779–1846). Emperor Francis I of Austria and Empress Caroline Augusta of Bavaria inspected the road in 1830, and a monument was erected to the achievement in 1833.[6]

## Hamlets

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The marshland includes a number of hamlets that belong to the city of Ljubljana: Ilovica, Volar, Pri Strahu, Pri Maranzu, Kožuh, and Havptmance (from north to south). Ilovica was settled relatively late, starting in 1838, and had only six farms by 1860. Volar lies between the Iščica and Ljubljanica rivers and was settled after 1830, when it was also officially designated Karolinska zemlja (German: Karolinengrund), literally 'Caroline's land', in honor of Caroline Augusta of Bavaria. Kožuh lies further south, and Havptmance east of Kožuh. Havptmance (also spelled Haupt\- and -man(i)ca or -manice) was already mentioned as a place in the 18th century and was settled in the 1870s, when peat extraction was a major economic activity. The name Havptmance probably refers to the fact that the provincial governor (German: Landeshauptmann) had his hunting grounds in the area.[7]

* Kožuh

* Havptmance

## Recreational and tourist site

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A balloon landing in the marsh

The Ljubljana Marsh is very popular among balloonists.

Accident

On 23 August 2012, a pilot without a valid pilot certificate caused the 2012 balloon crash which occurred on the Ljubljana Marsh, with several people dead and a number of passengers severely burned and injured. New, stricter protocol for pilots was introduced by the authorities to make balloon trips safe.[8]

## References

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1. ^ Home
2. ^ Ljubljansko barje je območje Natura 2000
3. ^ Najstarejše kolo z osjo na svetu - 5150 let
4. ^ "Bregant, Tatjana (1932–2002) - Slovenska biografija". www.slovenska-biografija.si. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
5. ^ Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
6. ^ Inscription on roadside monument in Ilovica.
7. ^ Savnik, Roman, ed. 1971. Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 2. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, p. 317.
8. ^ "Množična nesreča zaradi strmoglavljenja balona (23.8.2012)" [Massive Accident due to a Balloon Crash (23 August 2012)]. Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief of the Republic of Slovenia.

## External links

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* Media related to Ljubljana Marshes at Wikimedia Commons

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Hydrography of Slovenia

Rivers|

* Bača
* Bolska
* Čabranka
* Dragonja
* Drava
* Dravinja
* Dreta
* Framski potok
* Gradaščica
* Hudinja
* Idrijca
* Iška
* Kamnik Bistrica
* Kerka
* Kokra
* Koritnica
* Krka
* Kolpa
* Krupa
* Lahinja
* Ledava
* Ljubljanica
* Ložnica
* Meža
* Mirna
* Mislinja
* Mura
* Nadiža
* Nevljica
* Oplotniščica
* Paka
* Pesnica
* Pivka
* Polskava
* Pšata
* Radulja
* Reka
* Rinža
* Rižana
* Sava
* Sava Bohinjka
* Sava Dolinka
* Savinja
* Soča
* Sora
* Sotla
* Ščavnica
* Temenica
* Triglav Bistrica
* Tržič Bistrica
* Vipava
* Voglajna

Streams|

* Aslivka
* Besnica
* Big Božna
* Borovniščica
* Črnec
* Davščica
* Dobličica
* Glinščica
* Kobilje Creek
* Logaščica
* Nadiža
* Obrh
* Rak
* Reka
* Tunjščica

Waterfalls|

* Javornik Falls
* Peričnik Falls
* Rinka Falls

Lakes|

* Black Lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley
* Lake Bled
* Lake Bohinj
* Lake Cerknica
* Lake Gradišče
* Lake Kreda
* Lake Palčje
* Lake Ptuj
* Lake Trboje
* Lake Žovnek
* Wild Lake

Wetlands|

* Ljubljana Marsh
* Sečovlje Saltworks
* Škocjan Caves

Sea|

* Adriatic Sea

River valleys|

* Log Koritnica Valley
* Logar Valley
* Radovna Valley
* Rak Škocjan
* Soča Valley
* Trenta Valley
* Triglav Lakes Valley
* Tuhinj Valley
* Upper Sava Valley
* Vipava Valley

Canyons and gorges|

* Bistrica Gorge
* Dovžan Gorge
* Hell Gorge
* Iška Gorge
* Ribnica Gorge
* Vintgar Gorge

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

45°59′14.71″N 14°27′14″E﻿ / ﻿45.9874194°N 14.45389°E﻿ / 45.9874194; 14.45389
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