Slovenski etnografski muzej

Lepóč.
Datum objave 
25. March 2020
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Lepóč

The word lepóč, lopòč or lopóčo has nothing to do with lepota (beauty in Slovene) although it is surrounded by natural beauty.

It refers to a depression in a mountain pasture where water collects when snow thaws in the spring or when rain falls. They are used as watering holes for livestock and in the past played a very important role in Slovene mountain pasturing.

Archaeological finds and geographical names bear witness to the fact that the mountain pastures were established by native inhabitants even before the arrival of the Slavs. Many of the pastures are at the upper tree line, which is a consequence of climatic conditions and the fact that less work was needed to clear trees. The pasturing season is limited to the warm months of the year. Mountain pasturing was always an important additional part of livestock rearing, enabling farmers to fatten more animals and to produce more dairy products. The tradition is still maintained in the Tolmin, Bovec and Bohinj areas, but best known to tourists is Velika planina, above Kamink.