Because of the high level of wetness, the rugged landscape, the infertile soil and the long-lasting fog, plans had been made to drain the Ljubljansko barje for centuries. The pioneer of the drainage works, Franc Matej Zorn, who ordered the excavation of the first ditches in the middle of the 18th century, was even awarded the honorary title of knight by the then ruler Maria Theresa.
Only within a few years, wheat, oats, corn and beans were successfully grown on the estate “torn” out of the marsh using drainage works. Following this model, a dense network of drainage ditches was excavated throughout the Ljubljansko barje in the following decades.
Despite long-standing efforts to drain the Ljubljansko barje, the endeavour has never proven completely successful. The area has retained its wetland character, and the newly created mosaic of diverse habitats has created the present-day image of the Ljubljansko barje, in which many plant and animal species have found their habitat.
The map from 1780 is the oldest detailed map of the Ljubljansko barje.
Diggers excavating ditches along the Ig Road (Ižanska cesta).
The network of ditches in the Ljubljansko barje is a total of 5,000 kilometres long. If you were to place them one after the other, you could travel all the way to China!
The appearance of the Ljubljansko barje has changed considerably over time.
Check out why the area is considered one of the most changed landscapes in Slovenia!
The network of drainage ditches is nowadays the central habitat of many species bound to the aquatic environment. These include species that either reproduce or develop in water. Find them!