Limestone was stacked into a special lime-kiln, called apnenica, and the fire was lit up. This released carbon dioxide and produced burnt lime – calcium oxide (CaO). When the latter was sufficiently burnt, the kiln was left to cool for a few days. The burnt lime was then slaked with water in order to get slaked lime – calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2).
Similar to lime burning, charcoal burning was also very common in the Notranjska region, as the vast forests provided almost an unlimited amount of firewood. Organized charcoal burning started to develop towards the end of the 18th century. The largest consumers of charcoal were ironworks, but later it was mainly used in blacksmithing. Charcoal was made from all kinds of wood. A good charcoal-maker could derive about 100 kg of charcoal out of one cubic metre of beech wood, provided the procedure went well and the conditions were good. Charcoal burning reached its peak during both wars. The grave situation forced small owners to offer their plots of land to charcoal-makers, who exploited the forests inconsiderately.
| Chemical formula of limestone, raw material for lime: | CaCO3 |
| Chemical formula of burnt lime: | CaO |
| Chemical formula of slaked lime: | Ca(OH)2 |
| Time required for the entire lime-burning process: | 1 month |
| Usual efficency of charcoal burning: | 90 % |
Transport routes in the Notranjska region have always been important in terms of economy and communications because they were the intersection of routes in the direction from Trieste to Ljubljana, the Dolenjska region and Zagreb, the Kočevje and the Kvarner region.
Transportation of cargo developed as early as the Middle Ages and then gradually evolved in horse-drawn carriage driving (transportation services).
Blacksmithing was an important craft; there was at least one blacksmith in every larger village.
Blacksmithing was an important craft; there was at least one blacksmith in every larger village. When there were multiple blacksmiths in the same village, they would specialize either in toolmaking or horse shoeing.
In the past, flax growing and processing was widely spread in the Notranjska region and nearly every house had its own processing equipment.
In the past, flax growing and processing was widely spread in the Notranjska region and nearly every house had its own processing equipment.
The use of the drevak boat was first described by Valvasor; it was used in the Lož valley, on Lake Cerknica, the Planina plain and the Ljubljana Marshes.
The use of the drevak boat was first described by Valvasor; it was used in the Lož valley, on Lake Cerknica, the Planina plain and the Ljubljana Marshes.
Spirit was distilled from fruit grown in the high-trunk orchards in farmers' gardens.
For distillation, only the damaged fruit was ground; the rest was consumed. The ground fruit was then sealed in large barrels, soaked and allowed to ferment for about six weeks. When fermented enough, it was ready for distillation.
With the establishment of the border between Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the First World War, our lands suddenly found themselves in a border area.
With the establishment of the border between Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after World War I, our lands suddenly turned into a border region, which initiated the activity that has always thrived near borders: smuggling. The border ran directly along this area and the main smuggling routes to Italy led over the Javorniki hills.
In Slovenia and the Notranjska region especially, dormouse trapping is a centuries-old tradition.
The first records on trapping and consumption of dormice date back to the 13th century. Later on, the tradition was also described extensively by explorer and scholar Johann Weikhard von Valvasor.
