Visitor Information
IDRIJA UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK
Upper Idrijca is the area of the Idrijca and Belca rivers and their tributaries together with their surroundings; and area of such geologic, geomorphologic, hidrologic, and botanical richness and of such a high level of natural preservation that it has been declared a landscape park since 1993. In the landscape park, you can discover its natural and cultural heritage, as well as enjoy in recreational activities.
Visitor Information
The Upper Idrijca Landscape Park is not only home to numerous plants and animals but to people, too. The inhabitants of Idrijska Bela and other hamlets welcome the visitors kindly; however, they expect them to respect what the park so generously offers.
The nature and the inhabitants will appreciate you journeying to the park by bike or on foot instead of taking your car, as well as cleaning after yourself and throwing the waste in the rubbish bins.
To contribute to preserving the favourable conditions for animal- and plant species and to help yourself and others have an unforgettable experience, respect the rules of behaviour during your stay. If you do not follow them, you may be fined.
Traffic and Parking
In the summer months of July and August, it is recommended to not enter the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park with motor vehicles. During the weekends, you are welcome to use the free bus that will take you to the centre of the park (Lajšt Bathing Area) from Idrija and Črni Vrh nad Idrijo, or use other sustainable modes of transport (cycling, hiking, etc.), Those who opt for motor vehicles should pay attention to keep their vehicles on the roads. Driving motor vehicles in Slovenia’s natural environment is prohibited by law.
Park only in designated spaces and public car parks. In the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park, it is prohibited to park on the roads.
Parking options for motor vehicles:
- Free parking in Idrija or Črni Vrh nad Idrijo, from where you can take the free bus to the park
- From July to August, in accordance with the DECISION on the change of the traffic regime of the Municipality of Idrija, parking in the Strug gorge is only allowed in marked spaces (with a P sign and a side parking regime).,
- 3 smaller car parks available at the Lajšt Parking Area. In July and August, during weekends and public holidays, between 00:00 and 24:00, parking is CHARGEABLE, at a rate of EUR 3 per hour of parking. Parking in the car parks is charged for all single and double-track motor vehicles. During the week, parking is free.
Pedestrians and cyclists, please note that the narrow road in the Strug gorge is also occupied by motor vehicles, so keep to the right and move in goose order.
Free Public Bus
During the Car Free Weekend, on 3 and 4 June 2023, and from 1 July to 31 August 2023, visitors will be offered a FREE BUS service on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays on the routes Idrija–Lajšt–Idrija and Črni Vrh–Lajšt–Črni Vrh.
*In bad weather the bus does not run.
Swimming
At the confluence of the Idrijca and Belca rivers in Idrijska Bela, there is a natural swimming area called Lajšt. There in also a bar with food offer. Visitors can rent picnic areas, and there are facilities such as a volleyball court, basketball court, and tables for table tennis. Sanitary facilities are also available at the location.
Wild Lake is a protected nature area where swimming and diving are prohibited under teh Decree declaring the Zgornja Idrijca Landscape Park.
Picnics
Picnics are allowed in three picnic areas in the Lajšt area, which must be reserved in advance. For reservations, please call 040 959 698 or email jan.fortuna@khfortuna.si.
All-day rental of a picnic area (equipped with barbecue, table and benches) is EUR 30,00.
WARNING: Using the picnic area is only possible with prior reservation! Open fire outside the regulated areas in the area of Lajšt and upstream on the Idrijca and Belca rivers is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.
Tenting, Camping and Campers
Tenting, camping and caravanning in the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park is NOT ALLOWED. Burning fire is also not allowed.
Please use the official RV stops for overnight stays. The nearest camper stop is Idrija.
Waste Disposal
In the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park, we are part of the natural environment and guests of nature. Like in other protected areas, NO LITTERING is allowed in the park.
The best way to dispose of litter is to take it outside the park and dispose of it separately in recycling bins. You can find also organised drop-off points outside the park at the Podroteja entry point, the Barbara car park in Idrija, etc. Of course, you can also dispose of your rubbish at organised recycling points in your home town.
Although there are two places in the Lajšt area with bins for separating rubbish, the bins fill up too quickly and it is difficult to ensure that they are emptied on a regular basis. At the same time, this is an area with wild animals which can dive into the contents of the bins searching for food and causing great damage to the environment. Once more you are kindly asked to take your rubbish out of the park. Instructions for waste separation in the Municipality of Idrija are available HERE.
Upstream from Lajšt, in the upper reaches of the Idrijca and Belca rivers, no bins are installed. Please respect the TAKE AWAY WHAT YOU BROUGHT system.
Event Organisation
A public event is any organised gathering of persons for the purpose of cultural, sporting, entertainment, educational, religious or other activities, with a specific organiser and a predetermined programme, in which participation is open to everyone, unconditionally or subject to certain conditions.
As a protected area, the primary goal of the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park is the protection of nature and its conservation, but it is also attractive for sport and recreational activities and various public sporting and other events. These are allowed in the park, but must be carried out in accordance with the protection regime of the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park in order to minimise the disturbance to nature and its visitors.
Instructions and guidelines for organising public sporting events in the area of the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park are available HERE.
For more information, do not hesitate to reach out to us:
Idrija Municipality
+ 386 5 37 34 500
obcina.idrija@idrija.si
Idrija Tourism Board
+ 386 5 37 34 070
info@geopark-idrija.si
Animal and Plant Protection
By entering the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park, you have also entered the home of many rare, important, and protected species of flora and fauna. Just as you expect visitors to behave in your home, animals and plants expect you – their visitors – to behave in their natural habitat.
To help maintain favourable conditions for animal and plant species, please observe the PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS during your visit:
- Collecting plants or parts of plants for commercial purposes,
- Hunting and gathering of animals, except for fishing and hunting management,
- Excessive noise,
- Pollution of any kind, and
- Any other activity likely to cause significant damage to the protected area.
Reporting Changes
Have you noticed a fallen tree, a broken fence, a destroyed protected plant area, wrongly parked vehicles, signs of vandalism, etc.?
As visitors to the park or those who carry out activities in the area, you are certainly its best and most critical observers, so please let us know what you see. There are two ways to do this:
- Via Word form (download)
- Via online form: https://forms.gle/Apm99X82azsJjYmX9
Thank you in advance for your help!
Paying for Parking with the EasyPark App
You can pay for parking through a pay machine (no fee), located at the bar at Lajšt, using your credit card or coins; through the EasyPark mobile app; or via SMS (with a fee).
Paying for parking through the EasyPark mobile app
Take a look at short VIDEO instructions.
There are two possibilities of paying for the parking through the EasyPark parking system (https://easypark.si/en):
- EasyPark mobile app: You have to download the app to your phone and register. Once you park your vehicle, the phone will automatically locate the area where you have parked. You can also manually locate your parking by typing the parking area code in the app (in our case, it is 1101) or the name of the parking (“Naravno kopališče Lajšt”). Set the time you wish to park there and click on “START parking”. 10 minutes before your parking expires, the app will send you a reminder and you will be able to remotely renew parking. When you wish to end parking, you must do so by clicking on “STOP parkign”. The app will effectuate payment at the end of your parking time. No pre-payment is needed. The app will require you to provide your credit card details (Mastercard, Visa, Diners, Amex) or PayPal only once. When your parking ends, you will receive an e-mail with the invoice, which you can also download from https://easypark.si/sl.
- via SMS: By sending an SMS message, you will pay for the parking through your mobile service provider *. The Lajšt Natural Swimming Area parking code is 1101. Send: PARKING AREA CODE [space] complete REGISTRATION NUMBER [space] #TIME OF PARKING to +386 31 20 90 20.
IMPORTANT: The time of parking begins when you receive an SMS confirmation from your service provider.
10 minutes before your parking expires, you will receive an SMS reminder that your parking is about to expire. By answering “YES”, you will remotely renew parking for one hour. Make sure to answer the SMS in time as it has a time limitation. If you are late answering the SMS, you must begin the process of paying for parking anew. If you do not wish to renew parking, do not answer to the reminder.
* Paying for parking is possible with every service provider except for Hofer
User help is available via phone at +386 5 88 88 023 (Monday through Saturday between 8 AM and 8 PM) or via e-mail at: pomoc@easypark.net.
Useful links:
Landscape Park Management
In 1993, Idrija Municipality issued a decree declaring the area of Upper Idrijca a landscape park. In 2020, the park was appointed a manager: the Idrija Tourism Board. In 2022, the first Management Plan for the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park was adopted.
+ Decree declaring the Upper Idrijca Landscape Park (.pdf)
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