Rakek: Kunaver Trail, Karst Valley and Cultural Heritage

The Kunaver Trail begins at Rakek railway station; it leads through Rakek and onwards to the natural bridges of the Rakov Škocjan valley.

Hiking

The Kunaver Trail runs across the fields of Rakek and over Stražnik Hill, passing through fir and beech forests to the Small Natural Bridge. The trail is well marked; the Rakek Tourist Association organizes regular hikes along it in summer and winter. The Kunaverjev pohod follows a 14 km circular route rated as moderately difficult, from Rakek via Stražnik to Rakov Škocjan, and takes place once a year. Route length, difficulty level and event frequency are separate points of comparison; they help organize the hiking options by time and format. This means that the fixed circular route, the moderate rating and the annual date can be considered alongside the regularly organized hikes.

Nature

In the wider regional area, Rakov Škocjan is a karst valley at the northern foot of the Javorniki; it was formed by the subsidence and collapse of the roof of a karst cave. In the wider regional area, Rakov Škocjan contains the 42 m-high Small Natural Bridge and the 37 m-high Great Natural Bridge. In the wider regional area, the educational trail route through Rakov Škocjan passes the ruins of the Church of St. Cantius; a nature education trail with information boards also runs there. The information on the formation, heights and educational trails offers different perspectives on Rakov Škocjan.

Culture

In Rakek, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is listed in the Slovenian register of immovable sacred architectural heritage. It was created through the extension and reconstruction of 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 executed according to Plečnik’s ideas. Above the main altar is a fresco on a golden background by Mirko Šubic. The park in Rakek is also listed in the Slovenian register as garden-architectural heritage. The tree-lined avenue between Unec and Rakek is part of Slovenia’s immovable cultural heritage. The building history, the golden fresco background and the entries in the heritage registers highlight different aspects of the cultural heritage.

History

Rakek’s railway station building, which formerly also housed the court and was once considered the center of the settlement, now houses rooms used by local associations. Rakek began to develop after the railway connection between Vienna and Trieste was completed in 1857.

Orientation

The Ivana Matičič library unit in Rakek offers four user computers with internet access, Wi-Fi and an event room.

For a hotel comparison in Rakek, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered separately. Travel dates define the desired period, the room category describes the type of accommodation booked, and cancellation conditions represent a separate contractual aspect. This keeps three different pieces of information readable side by side, without combining the town’s nature, hiking and cultural topics into a single selection.

Other places

Radlek, Cerknica, Žerovnica, Grahovo, Nova Vas, Runarsko, Markovec, Dane

To the higher-level travel overview: Cerknica.