The Gorjanci are Dolenjska’s biggest mountain range, extending along Slovenia’s southern border. Their highest point, Trdinov Vrh (Trdina’s Peak) lies at an elevation of 1,178 metres. The Gorjanci are characterised by an unusual mixture of Pannonian and karst landscape features. The area is covered by extensive beech forests with some surviving remnants of old-growth forest and the famous Gorjanci meadows. Numerous springs make the area an important source of drinking water for the Novo Mesto Basin. The Gorjanci are not only a natural attraction, they are a treasure trove of folk tradition, immortalised by Janez Trdina in his work Tales and Legends of the Gorjanci Hills.
The relatively impenetrable and impassable hills are covered by extensive beech forests. The pre-Dinaric high-mountain beech forest that crowns the summits of the Gorjanci is relatively rare in Slovenia. For centuries the impassable forests were only used as a local supply of timber and for charcoal burning. Two areas of old-growth forest – on Ravna Gora and below Trdinov Vrh – are preserved as a nature reserve and excluded from forest management processes. The Ravna Gora and Trdinov Vrh old-growth forest areas have been legally protected since 1980. The Kobila forest reserve is located in the valley of the Kobila stream.
Another important element of the landscape and ecology of the Gorjanci are the meadows that punctuate the forest on the northern slopes. Home to many rare plant species, these areas of dry grassland were formed through clearance of the forest for mowing and grazing. During the flowering season they are distinguished by lushness, an abundance of species and a rich variety of colours. Several species of wild orchids grow here. Other notable Gorjanci flora include the yellow-flowered Pannonian clover, the Carniolan wallflower, the Croatian pink, the Carniolan lily and the lady’s slipper orchid.
The numerous springs (Minutnik, Gospodična, Jordanov Studenec) and streams (Klamfer, Pendirjevka, Kobila, Sušica) in the narrow, deeply indented valleys are one of the area’s valuable resources.
The natural features of the Gorjanci have been complemented since prehistoric times by changing settlement patterns, including the coexistence of Slovenes and Uskoks (the historical German name for the Gorjanci is, in fact, Uskokengebirge, or Uskok Mountains). Economic exploitation of the extensive forests began in 1838 when a forest glasshouse was built near Dolž. More intensive development began after the First World War with the construction of a steam-powered sawmill in an area that became known as Fabrika (meaning “factory”), which was served by a forest railway, and a sawmill belonging to Pleterje Charterhouse in the valley of the Kobila.
The national border between Slovenia and Croatia runs along the ridge of the Gorjanci. On the Croatian side, where the Gorjanci are known as Žumberačka gora (Žumberak Mountains), the Žumberak–Samobor Hills Nature Park was founded in 1999. On the Slovenian side there are plans to grant protected landscape status to the central part of the Gorjanci.
The Gorjanci are an important area for recreation. With numerous marked hiking trails and mountain paths and two permanently staffed mountain huts – the Gospodična mountain hut and the Miklavž mountain lodge – they are a popular destination for hikers and hillwalkers. The Dolenjska region’s most visited range of hills, including Trdinov Vrh are part of (or the end point of) numerous hiking trails. Longest of all, at around 150 kilometres, is the Trdina Trail, which starts in Novo Mesto and runs through the most beautiful parts of Dolenjska, as described in his writings by Janez Trdina.