Drive around a lake that is a natural phenomenon of sorts, as its water disappears each autumn, leaving the lake dry until the winter rainy season. For an overview of the lake’s unusual hydrological system, you will first browse a museum with a scale working model of Lake Cerknica, showing how each year it drains into the porous karst that lies beneath the lakebed. A leisurely walk around the shore will add another dimension to your understanding of this well-known “intermittent lake,” as it’s known geologically. When full, the lake is the largest in Slovenia. Much of the flora and fauna changes seasonally with the water level. Regardless of when you visit, you can expect to see flowering orchids, medicinal plants, and countless birds, all of which the naturalist will describe in fascinating detail. More than half of Europe’s bird species have been spotted there at one time or another.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Follow a naturalist around an unusual “intermittent lake” that completely drains each year.
• View a scale model of Lake Cerknica that shows how its hydrological system works.
• Enjoy the flora and fauna that thrives around the lake as the naturalist describes them.
HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.
