Bela krajina
SL: Južno od Gorjancev se med obmejno reko Kolpo in višjimi planotami v okolici razteza Bela krajina. Večinoma jo sestavlja nizek kraški ravnik. Belokranjski ravnik je izrazito valovita, vrtačasta in pretežno gozdnata pokrajina. Rečno omrežje je zaradi prevladujočega kraškega površja redko. Pokrajino od Hrvaške deli reka Kolpa, najpomembnejša reka znotraj pokrajine pa je Lahinja. Pokrajina je zaprta proti notranji Sloveniji in odprta proti panonski Hrvaški. Panonski vpliv se ne kaže le v podnebju, ampak tudi v običajih in narečju.
Je ena najbolj svojevrstnih slovenskih pokrajin, kjer so se ohranile številne etnološke posebnosti. Med najbolj znanimi so belokranjske pisanice in bela narodna noša. Za pokrajino je bilo v preteklosti značilno močno izseljevanje v tujino, ki se je začelo v drugi polovici 19. stoletja in zaradi katerega je do 1. svetovne vojne odšla tretjina prebivalstva. Najpomembnejša, ter hkrati največja kraja sta Črnomelj in Metlika. Tretji največji pa je Semič. Za nižji del Bele krajine sta značilna živinoreja in poljedelstvo, za obrobje pa vinogradništvo. O izvoru imena Bela krajina si še danes niso povsem na jasnem. Eni ga povezujejo z belo narodno nošo, drugi z brezami v belokranjskih steljnikih, tretji pa kar z belo barvo apnenca, ki marsikje štrli izpod prsti na kraškem površju.
Bela krajina je prava zakladnica ljudskega blaga in šeg, med katerimi je najbolj znano praznovanje zelenega Jurija. Zeleni Jurij ali spomladnik je mladenič skrit v mlado brezovo zelenje. Fantje ga vodijo od hiše do hiše in prepevajo ljudske pesmi.
Bela Krajina je kot pokrajina zanimiva, udeležite se lahko prireditev, njihovih običajev ali pa se sprehodite po naravi, smučate na bližnjih hribih ali pa si pripravite piknik na gozdni jasi. Med najbolj priljubljenimi pohodniškimi točkami so najvišji vrhovi Bele krajine: Mirna gora, Krašnji vrh in Smuk. Priporočamo tudi obisk kraških jam in izvira reke Krupe, ki je krajši pritok Lahinje.
ZANIMIVOST: Če imamo srečo lahko pri izviru Jelševnik srečamo črno človeško ribico – črnega močerila. Črna človeška ribica ali črni močeril je podvrsta človeške ribice. Odkrit je bil približno 300 let za belo podvrsto, leta 1986, v bližnjem izviru Dobličica, nekoliko kasneje pa še v izviru Jelševnik. Izvir Jelševnik je edino mesto, kjer lahko črnega močerila proučujemo v naravnem okolju. Živi le na območju Bele Krajine, je zaščiten in je zelo pomemben za Slovenijo.
EN:South of Gorjanci, Bela krajina stretches between the borders of the Kolpa river and the surrounding higher plains. It is mostly composed of a low karst plain. The Bela Krajina valley is an extremely wavy, irrigated and predominantly wooded landscape. Due to the prevailing karst surface, the river network is rare. River Kolpa divides region from Croatia and the most important river in the province is Lahinja. The region is closed towards inland Slovenia and is open to Pannonian Croatia. Pannonian influence is not only reflected in the climate, but also in customs and dialect.
It is one of the most unique Slovenian landscapes, where many ethnological features have been preserved. Among the best known are Bela krajina's Easter egg “Belokrajnska pisanica” and white folk costumes “Belokranjska narodna noša”. In the past, a significant emigration to the rest of the world was characteristic of the region, which began in the second half of the 19th century, and led to the emigration of a third of the population by the end of the 1st World War. The most important, and at the same time the largest towns, are Črnomelj and Metlika. The third largest is Semič. The lower part of Bela krajina is characterized by livestock farming, agriculture, and for the periphery wine-growing. The origin of the name Bela krajina is still not clear today. They connect it with a white folk costume, the other with birch trees in the Bela krajina fern areas, locally known as “steljniki”, and the third with a white color of limestone, which stretches from the soil on the karst surface.
Bela Krajina is a real treasure trove of human goods and customs, among which is the most famous celebration of Zeleni Jurij (Green George). Zeleni Jurij is a young man hidden in a young birch greenery. Guys lead him from house to house and sing folk songs.
Bela Krajina is interesting as a region, you can take part in events, their customs, or take a walk around nature, you can ski on the nearby hills or prepare a picnic on a forest glade. Among the most popular hiking spots are the highest peaks of Bela Krajina: Mirna gora, Krašnji vrh and Smuk. We also recommend visiting the karst caves and the source of the river Krupa. This short river about 2.5 km long joins river Lahinja in the town Gradac.
INTERESTING FACT: If we are lucky enough, at the water spring of Jelševnik we can see the black olm or proteus anguinus parkelj. Black olm is the only recognized subspecies of the olm. It was first found in 1986, in the nearby source of Dobličica, and a little later in the source of Jelševnik. The source of Jelševnik is the only place where we can study black olm in its natural environment. It lives only in the area of Bela Krajina, it is protected and is very important for Slovenia.