Portoval is an area of urban woodland in Novo Mesto, west of the old town centre, and the largest green space in the city. The name Portoval is thought to derive from the word portowald meaning “town wood”. Portoval is defined as a predominantly forested area with a relatively high degree of natural conservation. Given the lesser emphasis on timber production, it functions as an urban woodland park.
The role of the wood has changed over time. In the past, when there was only one bridge over the Krka, the town’s development was limited to the area within the bend of the river encircling what is today the old town centre. The nearby wooded areas of Portoval and Ragov Log were less important to the town’s inhabitants because of their relative inaccessibility. With the expansion and growth that took place in the early years of the twentieth century, the city moved considerably closer to the two woods. In the late 1950s a new sports stadium was built on the eastern edge of Portoval. Subsequently, the area became the centre of sports in Novo Mesto, with the wood representing an ideal space for training and recreation.
Despite development, Portoval and Ragov Log have managed to avoid urbanisation. In 2000 an ordinance of the City Municipality of Novo Mesto proclaimed them special-purpose woodland. This ordinance defines the method of management, the protection regime and applicable restrictions, in order to ensure their preservation. The combined area of the two areas of urban woodland amounts to just under 78 hectares: just over 28 hectares in Ragov Log and almost 50 hectares in Portoval.
In 2022 municipal authorities built a footpath through Portoval from Loka to Irča Vas. A quartet of stone sculptures collectively entitled The Water Man in the Krka stand by the path in Irča Vas. They were created by members of stone artists’ society Skulpte. The Zavod Čebela honey garden and the Irča Vas boathouse are also located close to the footpath in Irča Vas. Near the start of the path into Portoval is the town beach, where boats and paddleboards are available for hire. A range of flora and fauna can be observed along the path. Perhaps most interesting of all are the beavers that inhabit the river Krka.
The footpath through Portoval connects the old town centre, Kandija and the Portoval Sports Park with Drska, Novo Mesto’s largest residential neighbourhood, and, via the Štukelj Footbridge over the Krka, with Bršljin, Podbreznik and Češča Vas (where the Novo Mesto Olympic Centre is located). For residents and visitors alike, Portoval has become a popular place for recreation and socialising.