Pivka: Lake Landscape, Nature and Culture

Pivka offers travellers nature and culture to suit different travel plans. The Pivška presihajoča jezera Landscape Park defines the natural side of the area, the DINA Pivka Centre offers insights into wildlife, and Park vojaške zgodovine Pivka focuses on military history. The surrounding area also has the Ekomuzej Pivških presihajočih jezer, hiking and cycling routes, and cultural offerings. If you are looking for a hotel in Pivka, distinguishing between these highlights can help you plan: consider whether lakes and trails or museums, film and art will play a bigger part in your stay.

Landscape and Trails

The Pivška presihajoča jezera Landscape Park encompasses 17 intermittent lakes. They are spread across the entire Pivka Basin, over a distance of 15 kilometres as the crow flies. Conditions change seasonally, so the time of year matters when planning a visit.

In the area around Pivka, the Ekomuzej Pivških presihajočih jezer explains the lakes and how they formed through an interactive display. It covers the area’s distinctive geological structure and uneven distribution of rainfall. The Ekomuzej is also an access point to the landscape park and a starting point for hiking and cycling routes. A mobile app guides visitors along trails between the Pivka lakes.

The well-marked 91-kilometre Velika Krpanova pot begins at Pivka railway station; maps for the route are available at the Ekomuzej. By contrast, the Kolesarska pot gradov begins at Park vojaške zgodovine Pivka. The starting points therefore vary by tour: the hiking route starts at the railway station, while the cycling route starts at the park.

Nature Interpretation, History and Culture

The DINA Pivka Centre shares information about bears, wolves and lynxes across ten interactive stations. Virtual and augmented reality technologies let visitors explore how animals and people perceive the world, as well as animal tracks. Alongside the animal species, the focus is therefore also on perception and tracking.

Park vojaške zgodovine Pivka is a museum and visitor centre on the site of the former Italian barracks in Hrastje pri Pivki. Its extensive collection includes tanks and artillery, an aircraft collection, the Second World War steam locomotive 33-110, and the P-913 Zeta sabotage submarine. A themed educational trail leads from the park to the Alpski zid fortifications on the nearby Primož hill. During a guided tour of the underground fortification, visitors can see 500 metres of preserved underground tunnels.

Film and visual art are also part of the cultural offering. Krpanov dom has a modern cinema auditorium with films for children and adults. Pivka House of Culture is the central gallery for contemporary visual art in the area between Ljubljana and Koper. The arthouse cinema programme at Kino Pivka is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. You can therefore explore a range of cultural highlights, including films, contemporary art and arthouse cinema.

Getting There and Planning

Pivka is connected to Ljubljana by a direct, regular train service. Check the current timetable before travelling. Before setting out, also check the route markings and maps for Velika Krpanova pot, as well as the conditions for Kolesarska pot gradov. You should also check in advance whether maps and the app are available, and whether a guided tour at Primož can be arranged.

Discover more destinations: Veliko Ubeljsko, Prestranek, Predjama, Planina, Narin, Postojna, Stara Vas, Hruševje.

Back to the main travel overview: Postojna.