Rakek: Holiday Apartment, Kunaver Trail and Rakov Škocjan

Rakek combines a distinctive hiking trail with the karst valley of Rakov Škocjan and a multifaceted local history. The Kunaver Trail begins at Rakek railway station, leads through the town and continues to the natural bridges of the Rakov Škocjan valley. Along the route, the railway station, settlement and landscape come together in a clear sequence.

Hiking

The Kunaver Trail crosses the fields of Rakek and the Stražnik hill, passing through fir and beech forests to the Small Natural Bridge. The route is well marked; the Rakek Tourist Association organizes regular hikes on it in summer and winter. A separate hiking event is the Kunaverjev pohod: it follows a 14 km moderately difficult circular route from Rakek via Stražnik to Rakov Škocjan, is classified as moderately difficult and takes place once a year. Thus, the area around Rakek offers both a marked trail and an annually recurring circular route with a clearly specified length and difficulty level.

Nature

In the wider regional area, Rakov Škocjan is a karst valley at the northern foot of the Javorniki mountains. It was formed by the subsidence and collapse of the roof of a karst cave. The valley contains the 42 m-high Small Natural Bridge and the 37 m-high Great Natural Bridge. The two formations are among the valley’s most distinctive landscape features and give the connection between Rakek and Rakov Škocjan a clear natural focus.

A nature trail also passes through Rakov Škocjan, leading past the ruins of the Church of St. Kancijan. The valley also contains a natural-history educational trail with information boards. Landscape formations, natural-history features and historical traces are therefore found here in separate but closely adjacent trail contexts.

Culture

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rakek is part of the town’s history. It is listed in Slovenia’s register of immovable sacral architectural heritage. The present building was created by expanding and remodeling the former Church of St. Ulrich between 1934 and 1938, based on the ideas of Jože Plečnik. Jože Valentinčič ultimately carried out the work on the church according to Plečnik’s ideas. Above the main altar is a fresco on a gold background by Mirko Šubic.

The park in Rakek is likewise listed in Slovenia’s register as garden-architectural heritage. Outside the town, the tree-lined avenue between Unec and Rakek forms part of Slovenia’s immovable cultural heritage. Thus, in and around Rakek, sacral architectural history, designed green spaces and a historically shaped landscape come together.

History

The railway station building in Rakek, where the Kunaver Trail begins, formerly had another function: it also housed the court and was once considered the center of the town. Today, the building houses rooms used by local associations. Rakek’s development began after the railway connection between Vienna and Trieste was completed in 1857. The railway station therefore represents both the building’s former local importance and the historical changes associated with the railway connection.

On Site

For a practical local point of contact, the Ivana Matičič Library Unit in Rakek is available. It offers four user computers with internet access, Wi-Fi and an event room.

The included services, price components, as well as booking and cancellation conditions can likewise be compared before making a decision. The same points should be checked for a holiday home. This keeps the specific features of each offer separate from Rakek’s landscape and cultural highlights.

Other destinations

Kozarišče, Žerovnica, Nova Vas, Stari Trg Pri Ložu, Dane, Runarsko, Gorenje Jezero, Cerknica

To the overarching travel overview: Cerknica.