The old town of Kranj rises above the 30-meter deep canyon of the river Kokra, the second deepest urban gorge in Europe. The green canyon in the middle of the town offers regeneration and relaxation in nature, just a few meters from the bustling urban life.
Listen to stories about the river and its gorge and take a tour with the local tourist guide. It will be easier for you to notice the mosaic of biotopes in water and by the water: In the river, on the shore, in the gravel, the river meadow and flood forest, on rocks, boulders and conglomerate walls. Such a diverse and dynamic area is a good hideaway and a comfortable home for many species of animals, as well as for the trees, shrubs and herbs.
On the way you can also walk through a high-stemmed orchard, you can see old varieties of apple trees, pear trees and plum trees, which are still highly appreciated by gourmets and for the distillation of liquor, because these resistant trees never had to be sprayed. The smell of wild garlic at the beginning of spring, flowering shrubs and singing birds invite you to linger on the benches and be inspired by this rich flora and fauna. Mills and sawmills used to be built on the river with its strong current; in the area of Kranj there were three of them. On the right bank, “v Pečeh”, stood a mill and an ironworks in the 18th century. They were carved into the rocks and could survive several centuries. In February 1915, they were destroyed by crumbling rocks, but their remains are still visible today.
Experience the Kokra Gorge with a guided tour. Click here.
On the banks of the Kokra, a public bath was opened in 1900, with separate sections for the ladies and gentlemen. The ladies had a special regime; they could bathe in their bath cabins, and only visit the public bath between 2 and 4 pm every day, but not on Sundays and public holidays. The public bath was well visited and was closed in the year of 1616, but reopened after the First World War. Even today, in hot summer days, many new visitors and explorers are drawn to swimming in green nature and in pure water.
Experience Kranj, where you can be with one foot in the city and with the other in the middle of nature!
- Location: Google Maps
- Guided tour: More information here
- Contact: Tourism and Culture Board Kranj / Glavni trg 2, 4000 Kranj / tel. 04 238 04 50 / info@visitkranj.com