VRHNIKA

The District of Vrhnika with its 169km ² and 19.500 inhabitants encompasses the SW part of Ljubljana Barje (Marshes). Its boundaries strectch to the slopes of the Polhograjsko in Rovtarsko hills, as well as to the Pokojiška and Rakitniška plateaus. There is a row of isolated hillsstreching from Vrhnika towards Bevke. The SWside of Barjeis encircled by sloping territory, its peak being Ljubljanski vrh (813 m), and behind it the karst Pokojiška plateaus (menišija) with Vinji vrh (984 m) wich is mostly covered with fir trees. The lowlands extend towards the NW into the Podlipska Valley and toward the SE into the Borovnica alley.
Barje, the most unique sectionof the Ljubljana Basin, lies at 290 m asl. between the Alpine and the Dinaric maoutinranges and is the remains of a formar lakeinhabited by pile dwellers. In the second half of the 18^th century, the draining of the Barje marehes was begun. Today a thick layer of black marshy soil covers the ground.
Underground karst waters converge towards Barje from S side (Ljubljanica and bistra rivers), and surface rivers from the N and E sides (Podlipščica and Borovniščica). The climate is marked by hot summers and wet cold winters. Whereas the surrounding hills are bathed bay the sun, fog lingers over the masrshes.
A considerable section of the District is covered by fir trees, and the majority of fields and pastures lie on the edges of the marshes. Marsh flora is characteristic. Among wild creatures living here are deer, rabbit, partridge, quail and pheasant.
The administrative center of the district is the town Vrhnika (700 inhabitants) with its tree suburbs of Hrib, Vas and Breg. It`s a compact town located at the SW edge of Barje in the vicinity of the springs of the Ljubljanica river . Hear between Ljubljanski vrh and Ulovka (801 m), the shortest end the easiest access from the Ljubljana Basin opens across the forested plateaus of the Notranjska and Kras regionstoward the sea.
A considarable number of inhabitants are engaget in agriculture (dairy products).
Recently small industry has gained ground, and the majoritsy are employed in the leather and timber industries. The road network is well daveloped, and a modern expresway runs past Vrhnika to connect the inland with the sea. The Vienna - Trieste railway line runs through Borovnica and along the edge of the marshes.

District of Vrhnika

There are favourable natural conditions forthe development of tourism: the karst springs of the ljubljanica and the valley of the Retovje and Močilnik rivers, the picturesque glen with its impressive watherfalls and cascades at Pekel, ski slopes at Zaplana, Ulovka and Zabočevo, the overlook tower at Planina, atletic parks in several sattlements, and the swimming pool and fitnes center in Vrhnika. There are several marked trails: the E-7 YU Footpath, the notranjska mountain trail, the Slovene geological trail, the Vrhnika hills trail. and forest education trail.
There are also numerus historical structures: the Bistra Manor (a Casthusian monastery until 1782 and now the Tehnical Museum of Slovenia), the remains of a Roman defence tower at Turnovše, the remains of of thr Roman defense wall called Claustra Alpium Iuliarium, the remains of the railway viaduct built in 1856 at Borovnica. Culturalsites include the museum colletcion at the birthplace of Ivan Cankar, the monument to Ivan Cankar by Ivan Jurkovič, the monument to falled partisans by Boris kalan at drča, wooden sculptures entitled Man from the Marshes and Man and Woman from the Marshes by Tone Lapanje, the Monument to Karel Grabelšek by Jakob Brdar, and various intresting churches: the St. Paul parish church (1850), Holy Trinity (1680), and St. Leonard`s (first half of the 18<sup>th</sup> century) in Vrhnika; St. Nikolas at Kuren (1560), St. Margaret`s in Borovnica (mid 14^th century); St. Lawrence`s in Dragomer (second half of the 15 ^th century); St. Brikcija in Podlipa (1803); the Assumption of Mary in Smrečje. Other sites include the renovated granary in Verd, the renovated "Old Post Office" in Vrhnika (now ihe IUV Fashion Center), and many more.
Prominent men born in Vrhnika include writers Ivan Cankar and Karel Grabeljšek; painters Simon Ogrin, Jožef Petkovšek and Matej Sternen; modelist Stane Dremelj; and arhitect Ivan Jager.