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Krupa - Natural monument
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Krupa - Natural Monument

The Krupa River Spring

The Krupa River springs amid the northern part of fhe low karst plateau of Bela krajina. Its powerful sources appear under the 30-metre-high crag with typically broken tectonic structure. The source of the Krupa is the most powerful in Bela krajina; its absolute minimum flow amounts to 400 l per second and its average minimum flow reaches 1000 l per second. Most other sources give only 50 l per second, the only exception being the source of the Doblicica with 150 l of water per second. The Krupa cut a distinctive river bed which forms canyons in some parts of the karst plateau. The 2,5 km long Krupa eventually joins the Lahinja. Difference in altitude between the source of the Krupa and the mouth of the river amounts to 6 m; this enabled four mills and two sawmills to operate in the past.

History

The area along the river was already populated in prehistoric times, which is evidenced by the only known Old Stone Age cave settlement in Bela krajina - Judovska hiša and by the finds from the prehistoric settlement in Moverna vas. During the Middle Ages Krupa Castle on the right bank of the Krupa played a significant role in the economy of Bela krajina. A good kilometre from the Krupa source stands the Baroque pilgrimage church of the Holy Trinity at Vinji Vrh. In Klošter - near the point where the Krupa flows into the Lahinja - there stands the former pilgrimage Mary's church.

In 1997 the Krupa and the protected area were declared a national monument.

Hydrogeology of the Krupa Hinterland
The Krupa hinterland includes the edge of the high Dinaric crests of the Kocevski Rog, the Radoha, the Gorjanci and the shallow karst area with the karst plateau and its typical potholes. There are some karst, subterranean streams sinking into the Krupa hinterland: the Bajer in Rozni Dol, the Recica near Vrcice, the Ponikve under the Mirna gora and the Reka on the Gorjanci. Their subterranean connections were proved by means of water colouring. The surface of the slopes of the Gorjanci consists mostly of variably permeable early cretacious flysch. In the western part of the Krupa hinterland water sinks at the Dolenjske Toplice fault, at the Zuzemberk fault and at the meeting point of the triassic dolomite and the cretacious limestone.

Natural and Cultural Heritage

The source of the Krupa is the only known place in Slovenia where the cave mussel Congeria kusceri has been found. Some endemic species of cave snails and the biggest cave vertebrate Proteus anguinus can also be seen here.

The source of the Krupa and its surroundings represent a unique natural and cultural heritage of the Semic community and Bela krajina as well. The acknowledgement of the natural monument and its active protection offer new opportunities for development, since the surrounding area of the river is of great educational, tourist and recreational significance.

The nature trail is marked with direction signs and explanatory signboards; resting places have also been prepared. The tour lasts 4 hours.

Recommended directions:
  • Tri roke - Lebica - the plaque memorial - Malikovec - Tri roke (1,5h);
  • Stranska vas - the source of the Krupa - Judovska hiša - the location of the Krupa Castle - Medvednica - the church of the Holy Trinity - Vodenica - Stranska vas (2h);
  • Tri roke - Lebica - the plaque memorial - Malikovec - Vodenica - the church of the Holy Trinity - Tri roke (4h)

The people of Bela krajina have managed to preserve some areas of the karst landscape which bear witness to their way of life in the past and their dependence on nature. The nature trail winds through the shallow karst in the immediate hinterland of the Krupa river and along the Krupa itself. The broken karst landscape with numerous sinkholes, small springs, stony commons, "steljniki" (meadows covered in fern), bright fern forests, naturally preserved hombeam forests and the Krupa river is an exception classroom in the open.

There are three small karst caves which are features of particular interest: the flooded cave Lebica, the cave Malikovec and the cave Judovska hiša which is the only known palaeolithic cave settlement in Bela krajina. The shallow nature of the karst landscape is evidenced by the several metres deep Vodenica sinkhole with a permanent spring and the Medvednica sinkhole. The major natural monument of the nature trail is the Krupa river which rises at a picturesque karst source under a 30-metre-high crag. The 2,5 km long Krupa eventually joins the Lahinja. At some points the river bed is carved into a narrow canyon which makes it impossible to walk along the river.

The path also includes some objects of cultural heritage: the St Michael's Church and the plague memorial in Trata and the Baroque church of the Holy Trinity at Vinji Vrh. The area along the Krupa river was already populated in prehistoric times, which is evidenced by the finds from the prehistoric settlement in Moverna vas and from the karst cave Judovska hiša. During the Middle Ages Krupa Castle on the right bank of the Krupa played a significant role in the economy of Bela krajina. However, only the location of the castle and the ruins of the outbuilding are still visible today. In Kloster - at the point where the Krupa flows into the Lahinja - there stands the St Mary's Church with a graveyard. The meagre nature of the karst landscape and the difficult life of the locals in the past are evidenced by the surviving "stezine" (stony paths which led cattle to the meadows). Parts of these paths can still be seen in Trata near Semic.