Ponikovski Kras Landscape Park

Ponikovski karst is a small karst plateau, located north of the settlement Žalec, at an altitude of 470-570 m. It was named after Ponikva pri Žalcu, located in the central part of the plateau. Ponikovski karst has an area [2] of about 40 km2 and has the characteristics of the islet [3] and the shallow karst, because it is only slightly raised above the Savinja River, which represents the erosion base. The plateau is cut by numerous narrow valleys, which flow through the streams Peklenščica, Ponikvica, Kalski potok, etc. In the area there are karst phenomena, sinkholes, gullies, waterfalls and karst caves, among which the most famous cave is Pekel, which is the only tourist cave in Ponikovo Karst. Ponikovski karst has been insured since 1998 [6] as a landscape park.