Retovje Springs

Retovje Springs is a group of springs that join to form the Big Ljubljanica River (Slovene: Velika Ljubljanica).

Big Spring during a dry period.

Name

The name Retovje and names like it (e.g., Retje, Dolnje Retje) are derived from the Slovene common noun retje 'powerful karst spring' from the root *vrětje 'springing, gushing'.[1][2] The generic term okence in the Slovene name of two springs at the site is a diminutive of the common noun okno (literally, 'window') in the secondary meaning 'spring, place where groundwater surfaces'.[2][3]

Geography
Little Spring during a dry period

The springs are located in the Retovje Valley, a steephead valley near Verd south of Vrhnika. The springs include:

  • Walnut Spring (Pod Orehom)
  • Cliff Spring (Pod skalo, Pod steno)
  • Big Spring (Veliko okence)
  • Little Spring (Malo okence)

Big Spring and Little Spring are the two most powerful springs in the group. After almost 1 km, the Big Ljubljanica joins the Little Ljubljanica (Slovene: Mala Ljubljanica) to form the Ljubljanica River.

Exploration

The karst springs and sumps at Retovje were first studied in 1939 by the Kuščer brothers.[4] Big Spring has been explored to a length of 270 m and a depth of 25 m, and Little Spring to a length of 305 m and depth of 45 m.[4]

References
  1. Snoj, Marko. 2003. Slovenski etimološki slovar. 2nd edition. Ljubljana: Modrijan, p. 353.
  2. Pavlovec, Rajko. 2006. "Domači kraški izrazi z Ljubljanskega barja." Geografski vestnik 78(1):61–64.
  3. Bezlaj, France. 1982. Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika, vol. 2. Ljubljana: Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, p. 245.
  4. Retovje. DEDI - Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem. (in Slovene)



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