Medieval castles (remnants)

Planinsko polje is a flat-floored karst basin in Inner Carniola, between Postojna and Cerknica, and it is one of the best examples in Europe of a type of landscape known as a polje. A polje is a large depression in limestone country with a flat bottom and steep sides, and the water that drains into it often has no surface outlet, so that in wet seasons the floor floods and becomes a temporary lake. On Planinsko polje, the water comes together in the underground passages of Planina Cave, where the Pivka and Rak streams meet, and emerges as the Unica river, which flows across the plain before sinking again at the far end. The polje has been farmed for centuries in rhythm with the floods.

The position of the plain, on an ancient route between the Adriatic coast and the interior, made it a place of strategic importance in the Middle Ages, and fortified places once stood around its edge. The surviving remains are mostly fragments of walls and towers on the hills above the villages, overgrown with trees and shrubs, and they have no visitor facilities, so exploring them is a matter of walking and looking. The best known is the old fortress above the village of Planina, where traces of the defences can still be found among the woods and fields. Not far away, on the edge of the village, stands a later manor house, which shows how the castles of the Middle Ages gave way to more comfortable residences in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Walking up to these remains rewards visitors with views. From the hill slopes, the polje spreads out below like a green floor, with the Unica winding through meadows, the village roofs and the church towers, and the forested ridges of Javorniki rising beyond. In spring, when floods may cover the lower fields, the view is especially striking, and in late summer the meadows are golden. The paths are not marked everywhere, and the ground can be steep and slippery, so good shoes and some care are needed, and it is best to ask locally about the route.

Other sights in the area make a full day. The River Unica and its springs are popular for walks, Putick's Wells are historic wells of the village, and the Novoletni Slotrail offers a longer walk through the landscape. Planina Cave, one of the most beautiful water caves in the country, lies close to the village and can be visited on guided tours, and Rakov Škocjan and Lake Cerknica are a short drive away. The region is easy to reach from Postojna, and it suits visitors who enjoy quiet places with a story.