The Krka, Dolenjska's green river

A river that builds rock

What sets the Krka apart is tufa. Novo Mesto’s tourist board explains that it’s the only Slovenian river that deposits tufa in its bed, because its catchment is almost entirely carbonate rock and the climate helps the carbonate settle out. The result is barriers, steps, little dams and islets, about a hundred along the river, so it looks different round every bend.

The best place to see this is just upstream of Otočec, where tree-covered tufa islands split the water into several channels. It’s the view at the top of this guide and, for me, the loveliest stretch of the river.

From karst to floodplain

The Krka rises in Suha Krajina, runs south-east, turns north-east and passes through Novo Mesto before entering the Krško basin and joining the Sava near Brežice. In its upper and middle course it’s a karst river, fed almost entirely by springs. From Otočec downstream it changes character, a floodplain opens up and the river spills over with every flood, sometimes several times a year.

The upper valley once had dozens of mills and sawmills; today only the Štupnik mill at Zagradec still works. Further downstream, at Kostanjevica na Krki, the river wraps round the only Slovenian town built on a river island.

What can you do on the River Krka?

Plenty, and nearly all of it unhurried. The tourist board suggests paddling Novo Mesto’s river bend by board, boat, raft or canoe to see the Breg, and in Posavje it recommends kayaking and paddleboarding along the foot of the Gorjanci hills. For a swim, the tourist board points to Žužemberk, Straža and Kostanjevica, and there are walking and cycling routes along the banks.

For anglers it’s one of the country’s important rivers. Novo Mesto’s tourist board lists 38 fish species in the Krka, with brown trout, rainbow trout and grayling as the main catches.

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Beavers, otters and castles

The whole river, source to mouth, is in the Natura 2000 network. It’s a refuge for many birds, especially in winter, and for the two most threatened riverside mammals in Europe, the otter and the beaver; the tourist board estimates around 30 beaver families along its banks.

History left its mark too. In Valvasor’s day there were around 65 castles and manors in the valley, so many that it became known as the valley of castles. Many have gone, but Otočec and Kostanjevica are still standing and open to visitors.

A day on the Krka from Novo mesto

I’d spend a full day from Novo Mesto, with an hour’s paddle around the river bend, lunch in town and the afternoon at Otočec, walking among the tufa islands. With more time, I’d head down to Kostanjevica for a swim and carry on to where the Krka meets the Sava. It’s one of Slovenia’s rivers best enjoyed slowly, and the best way into the whole of Dolenjska.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Krka River on GetYourGuide.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Novo mesto for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.