Lake Cerknica
An intermittent oasis of peace
Lake Cerknica is one of the largest intermittent
lakes in Europe. It appears every year on the karst polje (plain),
caught between the Javorniki hills and the Bloke plateau on one side,
and Mount Slivnica on the other. During the dry season, the lake
disappears, which enables paddling, fishing, hiking or grass mowing in
the same area in just one year.
The lake normally stays on the Cerknica plain for about eight months a year. Water usually spreads over the surface of 20 km2, but at its fullest, the lake covers a surface of about 26 km2. When full, Lake Cerknica becomes the largest lake in Slovenia.