The spring of the River Krupa is one of the most visited points in the Bela krajina region. Its spring is in the village of Krupa, four kilometres from Semič in the direction of Gradac.
The Krupa comes to the surface in strong karst springs below a 30m-high and 50m-long rock wall. There is a 7m-deep spring lake under it, enchanting the visitors with its emerald colour. If you visit it early in the morning, you will be able to enjoy the mysterious mists and soothing silence, and you may notice a lively duck family in the rushes. A raven, the largest of European crows, occasionally nests on a high cliff above the spring.
In terms of water content, the spring of the Krupa is the largest in Bela krajina. The average minimum water flow is 1000 litres per second. The water temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius all year round (plus or minus two degrees). The pleasant coolness at the spring is especially beneficial in the summer heat.
Water flows into this spring from the high Dinaric ridges of Kočevski Rog plateau, Radoha and Gorjanci, which they proved by follow-up experiments with dyeing.
The springs of the River Krupa and the “Source of the Cave Shell” (Izvir jamske školjke) cave lower along the river are the only known deposits of the Jalžić’s shell (Congeria jalzici) in Slovenia. This little animal is the only known cave shell in the world.
In the underground hinterland of the Krupa, endemic cave snails, tiny cave-dwelling tube worm and even the olm have also been found. Underground creatures are mostly inaccessible to us in nature, but you can get to know them more closely in the Semič Museum House. There, you can see the depths of the “Source of the Cave Shell” (Izvir jamske školjke) through the diver’s camera.
The area along the Krupa is also rich in birds. More than forty species live here, nine of them from the red list of endangered birds in Slovenia. The pond turtle also lives by the Krupa. It is known in Slovenia as the only native inland turtle.
All this abundance of life is revealed to you if you slow down your pace here at least for a moment. Relax your senses with the sounds of nature, which have a proven healing power as they calm restless thoughts…
