Page 148 - Koderman, Miha, and Vuk Tvrtko Opačić. Eds. 2020. Challenges of tourism development in protected areas of Croatia and Slovenia. Koper, Zagreb: University of Primorska Press, Croatian Geographical Society
P. 148
challenges of tourism development in protected areas of croatia and slovenia
Introduction
The hamlet Sviščaki is located in the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica and
represents one of the largest second home settlements in the region of
Notranjska (Gosar, 1987, 258), as well as in southwestern Slovenia. Sviščaki
is not an independent settlement, rather it is integrated into the settlement
Snežnik, which extends over 95 km2, together with the hamlets Gomanci
and Mašun, as well as individual cottages on Snežnik Plateau that belong to
foresters, hunters, or vacationers. In the wider area of Snežnik Plateau, there
are also other second home settlements, for example in Rakov Škocjan,
Gorenje Jezero, and Leskova Dolina.
Snežnik Plateau is a high and forested karst plateau located in the
south of Slovenia; it is most often discussed together with the neighbour-
ing and somewhat lower area of Javorniki. Considering the altitude and
the topographical features of land relief, the best name that has emerged
for the unified area of Snežnik and Javorniki is Snežnik-Javorniki Plateau
(Snežniško-javorniška planota). Geographers tend to use various names for
this area. Klemenčič (1959), Melik (1960), Lovrenčak (1976) and Gams (1986)
called it the Snežnik-Javorniki Mountain Range (Snežniško-javorniško po-
gorje) or Mountains (gorovje), while Lovrenčak (1976) also used the names
Snežnik Mountain Range (Snežniško pogorje) and Snežnik-Javorniki
Plateau (Snežniško-javorniška planota). Melik (1960) named the whole
area Snežnik; Gams (1983), Perko and Orožen Adamič (1998) as well as
Senegačnik (2012) called it Javorniki and Snežnik, while Gams, Kladnik,
and Orožen Adamič (1995) also used the names Snežnik and Javorniki.
These different names indicate the evident existence of two orographic
toponyms, where Javorniki occupies the northern part of the region, while
Snežnik Plateau or Snežnik extends to the south (Zupančič, 1998, 334). The
borderline separating them runs through dry valleys and larger karst de-
pressions between Knežak, Mašun, Leskova Dolina, and Loško Polje. In the
northeast, Snežnik Plateau is delimited by Cerknica Polje and Lož Polje,
while in the west and southwest, it descends across steep slopes into the val-
ley of the Reka River, and continues into the large wooded area of Gorski
Kotar in Croatia further to the south (Kovačič, 2001; 2003). The core of
Snežnik Plateau, where we find the Sviščaki second home settlement, is a
high area ranging from 1,200 to 1,796 m a.s.l., which is the altitude of the
Plateau’s highest peak: Veliki Snežnik (Klemenčič, 1959). The total area of
the predominantly wooded and mostly uninhabited Snežnik-Javorniki
Plateau is 458 km2 (Zupančič, 1998, 334).
146
Introduction
The hamlet Sviščaki is located in the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica and
represents one of the largest second home settlements in the region of
Notranjska (Gosar, 1987, 258), as well as in southwestern Slovenia. Sviščaki
is not an independent settlement, rather it is integrated into the settlement
Snežnik, which extends over 95 km2, together with the hamlets Gomanci
and Mašun, as well as individual cottages on Snežnik Plateau that belong to
foresters, hunters, or vacationers. In the wider area of Snežnik Plateau, there
are also other second home settlements, for example in Rakov Škocjan,
Gorenje Jezero, and Leskova Dolina.
Snežnik Plateau is a high and forested karst plateau located in the
south of Slovenia; it is most often discussed together with the neighbour-
ing and somewhat lower area of Javorniki. Considering the altitude and
the topographical features of land relief, the best name that has emerged
for the unified area of Snežnik and Javorniki is Snežnik-Javorniki Plateau
(Snežniško-javorniška planota). Geographers tend to use various names for
this area. Klemenčič (1959), Melik (1960), Lovrenčak (1976) and Gams (1986)
called it the Snežnik-Javorniki Mountain Range (Snežniško-javorniško po-
gorje) or Mountains (gorovje), while Lovrenčak (1976) also used the names
Snežnik Mountain Range (Snežniško pogorje) and Snežnik-Javorniki
Plateau (Snežniško-javorniška planota). Melik (1960) named the whole
area Snežnik; Gams (1983), Perko and Orožen Adamič (1998) as well as
Senegačnik (2012) called it Javorniki and Snežnik, while Gams, Kladnik,
and Orožen Adamič (1995) also used the names Snežnik and Javorniki.
These different names indicate the evident existence of two orographic
toponyms, where Javorniki occupies the northern part of the region, while
Snežnik Plateau or Snežnik extends to the south (Zupančič, 1998, 334). The
borderline separating them runs through dry valleys and larger karst de-
pressions between Knežak, Mašun, Leskova Dolina, and Loško Polje. In the
northeast, Snežnik Plateau is delimited by Cerknica Polje and Lož Polje,
while in the west and southwest, it descends across steep slopes into the val-
ley of the Reka River, and continues into the large wooded area of Gorski
Kotar in Croatia further to the south (Kovačič, 2001; 2003). The core of
Snežnik Plateau, where we find the Sviščaki second home settlement, is a
high area ranging from 1,200 to 1,796 m a.s.l., which is the altitude of the
Plateau’s highest peak: Veliki Snežnik (Klemenčič, 1959). The total area of
the predominantly wooded and mostly uninhabited Snežnik-Javorniki
Plateau is 458 km2 (Zupančič, 1998, 334).
146
