Cultural Landscape

The characteristic image of the landscape in the Julian Alps has been modelled though thousands of years of human activity.

Cultural landscapes are spatially-limited areas which reflect a harmony of natural and man-made assets. The cultural landscapes of the national park are primarily characterised by natural, even extreme, phenomena and forms, which have been shaped by the presence of man and traditional, mostly agricultural use of land. In the park we can observe alpine valleys with a disjointed settlement structure, various settlement patterns, alps (mountain pastures), hummocky meadows, vernacular architecture, ownership structure and construction elements in open areas.

Cultural landscapes also include exceptional landscape forms valuable for their diversity, harmonious character, exposure, architectural elements, symbolic value, historical importance and experimental value and have as such gained international acclaim. Valuable cultural landscapes in the park include the heads of alpine valleys, the pastures Viševnik, Javornik, Laz, Dedno polje, Zajamniki and Sleme, Za Skalo; the settlements Studor with toplarji, Bavšica, Log pod Mangartom and Strmec, and the remains from the First World War.