Regional Portrait of the Horjul Valley, Slovenia

Regional Portrait of the Horjul Valley

DESCRIPTION OF UNINHABITATED AREAS

Bordering mountains are covered by forests, that are above all economical and do not have a distinctive protective function; Suhi dol

except those on poor slopes which prevent landslides and erosion. Predominate are mixed forests, the beech tree being most common, accompained by the white beech, evergreen and pine. On relatively good slopes on carbonic soil , upon the foot of the hill, are beech trees. On acidic soil grows acidofilic beech and pine forests. At present there are mixed forests of beech, elm, naple, and ash trees.

At the bottom of the valley are meadows and lone trees. By the riverbed is water favourite vegetation, a composition of tree and shrubbery: alder, hazel, ash, willon and elm. On the brim of the valley and in deforestated parts of the hills are fields and orchards. Neglected farm surfaces are overgrown with shruberry and nut trees. In the forests which borders are the mixed hills, the most common is beech tree. The monocultural evergreen, which in some places just appears, looks strange in these places. sentjost

The forest edges hold an ecological meaning, therefore its preservation and restoration is important. The edges of the forests composed of shrubbery, protect existing potassium nitrate. Roadsides have been disturbed by extensive digging. The crumbling of the roads lining results in terrible traffic safety.

POPULATED AREAS

Inhabitated areas in the hilly areas which have not really spread out are majorities of vegetation above all fruit trees. The valley building was intensive and habitations spread out and are no longer condensed. With this village borders although very formal in the past, building disappeared. Because of how this visually appearred (positioning of upper rims of valleys, arrangement of habitations on this side, bordering farm areas above all meadows and fields) the arrangement between habitated areas and regions is very imporatnt, and development until now did not consider this scenario.

GARDENS AND COURTYARDS

Smrekarjeva hisa

In these habitated areas, valleys are characteristic, therefore gardens become more resemblant of cities. Parts of the gardens along roadsides consist of strange plants, fruit trees are mixed with coniferous trees and a lot of ground surfaces, concrete fences and supporting walls. Many designs, materials and colours do not achieve harmony.

On the hilly areas, the impact of cities is less, concerning the arrangement of surroundings. The economical use of gardens prevails, many are fruit trees, fences and strange plants are rare. Grass extends impartially, courtyards are gravel in some places, wood for the house is still saved and also water in backyards.

TYPES OF RESIDENCES

In the Horjul valley we meet two types of residences:

In the villay are following villages: Brezje, Podolnica, Zaklanec, Ljubgojna and Vrzdenec, the most joined together settlement being Horjul. They lie in a very competent position on the northern edge of the valley, on the best quality of farming land. Independant farms are situated in the narrow part of the valley between Dobrova and Brezje and in the southern edge of the extended valley under Horjul.

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In the hills are following villages: Šentjošt, Zazar, Butajnova and Planina, larger settlements are Lesno Brdo, Koreno and Samotorica. All the villages lie on a crest (Šentjošt, Koreno, Butajnova) or on flatter land (Zazar, Samotorica, Butajnova).

Regarding the arrangements of buildings in the settlements, all villages are in a way crowded. This means that the houses looking upon the road are placed unfairly. This ground plan is a reflection of spontancous development of villages along rural communication, however in a sense that the best quality farmland was least damaged. Due to this, density is high. The only village with linear floorplan is Vrzdenec, here farm houses are placed rectangularly on the main village road.

Churches lie outside of the villages in visible, out of place locations (ex. Koreno, Planina, Podolnica...) or on the brim of village centres (Lesno Brdo).

Kozolci - typical Slovenian hayracks are aburdant, and lie along the brim of villages, field road or the middle of villages themselves.

DEVELOPMENT OF SETTLEMENTS

Essentially, settlements have experienced spreading in the last 20-30 years; above all those that are closer to Ljubljana (Brezje and the valley between Dobrova and Brezje), and especially Horjul as the leading settlement in the Horjul valley. A lot of traffic now enters and from Ljubljana the more removed settlements have not experiences such a districtive development like those in the valley or have even preserved their first sizes. sentjost

Settlements have spread:

Problems with types of construction:

Tipical buildings in the Horjul valley are: