Notranjska park lies entirely within the borders of the Municipality of Cerknica and covers as much as 222 km² of naturally exceptionally rich and carefully protected space. Here diverse karst habitats, wetlands of global significance, forest and grassland ecosystems intertwine with a cultural landscape that reflects centuries-long coexistence between humans and nature.
The park was established in 2002 by decree of the Municipality of Cerknica with the clear aim: to protect, preserve and research the natural and cultural values of this unique area.
Among its most valuable features are:
Wetlands, such as Lake Cerknica, are crucial for drinking water, flood protection, groundwater recharge, climate regulation and the conservation of biodiversity.
And these precious habitats around the world are rapidly disappearing. Therefore, the Notranjska Park area is protected at four levels.
The Municipality of Cerknica is the founder and administrator of the Notranjska park. The local approach enables close cooperation with residents, farmers, non-governmental organizations, and researchers. The park is a living area where people and nature learn to coexist.
Within local protection, natural values of local significance have also been recognized. In the area of the Municipality of Cerknica there are 74 natural values of local significance, which due to the park's karst location are mostly geomorphological and hydrogeological types. The specific geomorphological and hydrogeological character also results in a high biodiversity, therefore more than 30 natural values have also been designated as botanical, zoological, or ecosystem types. In 1992, by the Decree on the proclamation of trees and avenues as natural monuments, 27 trees and 4 avenues were protected.
Within the park area there are 50 natural values of national significance. Among the most characteristic are:
Among the natural values of national significance are also natural values with an underground geomorphological layer, which we include as caves, abysses, rock shelters and other underground geomorphological forms. In the Notranjska Regional Park there are 472 of them.
At the national level there is also the protection of Rakova kotlina near Rakek (Rakov Škocjan), which was protected as a landscape park by a state decision as early as 1949.
We protect biodiversity at the national level in ecologically important areas, which largely overlap with Natura 2000 areas. The exception is the central area of the habitat of large carnivores, which covers the entire park area and is intended for the protection of the brown bear, wolf and lynx.
The park area is part of the European ecological network Natura 2000, designed to preserve European endangered species and habitats. In the Municipality of Cerknica Natura 2000 covers 9,813 hectares (a little over 40% of the municipality's area). The park area encompasses 9 Natura 2000 sites. Within the park boundaries lie two Natura 2000 sites entirely, designated under the Habitats Directive, and one site designated under the Birds Directive. Larger areas, such as Krimsko hribovje – Menišija, Javorniki – Snežnik and Kočevsko, due to the way they were defined extend into the park only partially.
Under the Birds Directive, three Natura 2000 areas are defined: Lake Cerknica, Planina plain, where we primarily protect wetlands bird species, such as corncrake (Crex crex), barred warbler (Sylvia nisoria), great bittern (Botaurus stellaris), ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), and the Snežnik – Pivka area, intended mainly for the protection of forest bird species: white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus), Ural owl (Strix uralensis), Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) and others.
Under the Habitats Directive, six areas have been defined. In the Notranjska triangle area, which stretches from Križna Cave through Cerknica plain and Javorniki and Rakov Škocjan to Planina plain, we protect grassland, wetland, subterranean habitat types and forest and the species associated with them, such as large carnivores, bats, proteus and amphibians. In the Javorniki – Snežnik area we mainly protect Illyrian beech forests, large carnivores, bats, Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) and beech cerambycid beetle (Morimus funereus). Kozje stene near Slivnica and Bezuljak are smaller areas that lie entirely within the park. Kozje stene are defined for the protection of carbonate rocky areas with vegetation in rock crevices with the endemic Carniolan primrose (Primula carniolica), Bezuljak for the protection of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). The Krimsko hribovje – Menišija and Kočevsko extend only partially into the park; they are forest areas where we protect forest species and habitat types.
Conservation measures under Natura 2000 are not intended to exclude people, but to promote harmonious land use where sustainable farming, forest management and tourism develop in harmony with nature.
In 2006, the area of Lake Cerknica, Rakov Škocjan and Križna cave became one of Slovenia's three Ramsar sites. This means that these wetlands were recognized as internationally important for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems.
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty that aims to conserve wetlands and use their resources prudently. It has been signed by more than 160 countries. It emphasizes the importance of wetlands not only as habitats but also because of their role in mitigating climate change, the cycling of water and carbon, and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.
The Ramsar definition of wetlands is very broad – it includes both natural and human-made wetland ecosystems, such as rice fields, salt pans and fish ponds. The inclusion of Lake Cerknica, Rakov Škocjan and Križna cave on this list represents international recognition of the area's exceptional natural value, further reinforcing the need for its long-term protection.
The Notranjska Regional Park, with the project “Improvement of Natura 2000 statuses with renaturation of Stržen's riverbed on intermittent Lake Cerknica,” according to the expert jury in 2022, won in the category for the protection of species and habitat types in Natura 2000 areas. In 2024, however, with the same project, it was also one of the 26 finalists for the European Natura 2000 Award. The Natura 2000 Award rewards excellence in the management of Natura 2000 areas and highlights the importance of this network for nature conservation for local communities and the economy in the European Union.
The implementation of extensive nature conservation projects exceeds the financial capacity of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing by the European Union.
The implementation of large-scale conservation projects exceeds the financial capabilities of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing from the European Union.
