In the past, churches had many roles. Besides their fundamental, spiritual one, they also acted as centres of village life and, on many occasions, village banks. Some of them were upgraded into fortifications for protection against the Ottoman raids.
When speaking of churches, we cannot overlook the numerous architectural marvels – the church of St. Wolfgang is famous for its three-leafed clover floor plan, and the churches of St. Peter in Dolenje Jezero and St. Vitus in Martinjak for their wooden painted ceilings.
Churches often feature remnants of the past. In the church of St. Peter, there is a chandelier that was crafted in the former glass workshop in the Javorniki hills, whereas the church of St. Stephen in Lipsenj is a specialty among churches because of its low bell tower. Also interesting are the ruins of the church of St. Cantianus in the Rakov Škocjan valley, and the church of St. Nicholas on Mount Slivnica.
Christian wayside shrines, too, have always played an important role. The shrine by the old road between Rakek and Cerknica was built to commemorate a battle between the Austro-Hungarian and French armies, whereas the shrine above Grahovo, dedicated to St. Florian and St. Nicholas, may indicate the location of a former church.
| Number of existing churches: | 38 |
| Oldest written reference to a church: | 1040 |
| Josephine reforms – dissolution of churches: | end of the 18th century |
| Arson of the church in Cerknica: | 1472 |
Many renowned professionals worked and lived in the area of the present-day Notranjska Park.
Many renowned professionals worked and lived in the area of the present-day Notranjska Park. Johann Weikhard von Valvasor (The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola) and Franz Anton von Steinberg (A Thorough Report on Lake Cerknica) put Lake Cerknica on the world map, and their works also serve as reference books on life in the past.
Because of its terrain, the Notranjska Regional Park has always acted as a vital strategic point, as important trade routes led through the area.
Because of its terrain, the Notranjska Regional Park has always acted as a vital strategic point, as important trade routes led through the area.
Like elsewhere, rural architecture has left a strong mark in the Notranjska region as well.
We have been left with some architectural evidence describing the life of former generations. In addition to mills and sawmills, we can also find hayracks, fruit-drying huts, wells and more. Even some of the houses and homesteads are preserved practically unchanged – some are still thatched.
