No abstract

Cultivated terraces distinctively mark the landscape and are a result of human adaptation to steep areas. Terraces were studied with regard to their morphometric qualities, ownership structure, and land use at eight pilot sites in various landscape types in Slovenia. Twenty-six detailed interviews were carried out with local residents and experts. In current agricultural practice, terraces mostly represent obstacles, and for owners they create a loss rather than profit; however, they represented an advantage in the past, when they were cultivated manually. Land use is intensifying on economically profitable terraces. Among those examined, the Jeruzalem terraces stand out because these are the youngest ones (created in socialist Yugoslavia around 1965). Because of their aesthetic value, they are the best known among the public. Profitability in particular will be an important driving force for the future maintenance of terraces.

This paper focuses on five culinary events on Slovenia’s Karst Plateau (Kras). It presents visitors’ motives for attending these events, their satisfaction with them, and their views on sustainability. These traditional culinary events, which take place in the same gastronomic region, differ in their scale, theme, character, and history. A survey was conducted among 244 visitors, approximately 50% of whom had a university degree. The most important motives for their visit include local cuisine; experiencing something new, different, or special; and exploring natural heritage and especially cultural heritage. Visitor satisfaction is the greatest at boutique culinary events, where the main theme is highlighted more strongly than at large-scale culinary events. The main challenge in terms of the sustainability of culinary events is public transport access to the venues. Significant progress would be made by reducing the amount of disposable packaging made from non-sustainable materials. The key to successful culinary events is high-quality services and ingredients, where the word local is key.

Densely and dispersedly settled areas in our sample of rural settlements are at a ratio of 1 to 3. In the period from 1992 to 2005 the index of change indicates that in all types of settlements, construction in dispersedly settled areas grew more rapidly than in densely settled areas (photograph: Maja Topole). Razmerje med strnjeno in nestrnjeno poseljenimi povr{inami v na{em vzorcu pode`elskih naselij je 1 : 3. V opazovanem obdobju je bila relativna rast novogradenj najvi{ja v nestrnjeno poseljenih delih naselij (fotografija: Maja Topole). ABSTRACT: We determined changes in the settled areas of rural settlements by means of aerial photos and orthophotos, statistical data, and data obtained through field research. The expert sample comprised 14 rural settlements with 500 to 1100 inhabitants from a variety of Slovene natural and statistical regions which in the past ten-year period have shown positive growth in the number of inhabitants, jobs, and houses. We identified how the following categories changed in settled areas in the period from 1991 to 2005: residential areas, areas with central functions (supply, service, and business), traffic areas and green and other open spaces. Most apparent were differences among the types of settlements. We related land use to the relief and type of settlement, to the geographical location of the settlement, to changes in its structure, and to trends in the number of jobs and extent of commuting. Contents

At Mrzlo Polje the Gra~nica River leaves an area of less resistant Tertiary rocks and enters the gorge carved into the hard carbonate Triassic rocks of the Litija anticline. Land use and manner of settlement change along with the rock composition. Pri Mrzlem Polju Gra~nica zapu{~a svet manj odpornih terciarnih kamnin in vstopa v sotesko, vrezano v triadne trde karbonatne kamnine Litijske antiklinale. S kamninsko sestavo se spremenita tudi raba tal in na~in poselitve. ABSTRACT: This article examines the demographically threatened region of the local community of Jurklo{ter in the southeastern part of the Alpine Sava Hills (Posavsko hribovje), part of the municipality of La{ko. It draws attention to the natural and social conditions in the region after the Second World War, which led to the steady depopulation of the area. The paper presents the characteristics of the geographical location, settlement, settlements, population and land use, and economic development. It emphasizes the significance of the exceptional natural and cultural heritage as bases for strengthening the role of tourism and recreation, which along with some complementary activities could help reverse negative population trends and provide new sources of income. It deals primarily with natural and cultural motives as important components of the tourism potential of the region.