Sotla is a river with character. From its triple spring under the mountain Veliki Belinovec to where it flows into Sava by Brežice, the Sotla River shows its diverse nature. In its upper stream, it is torrentially rebellious, cutting through various layers of rocks at a steep angle. Its lower stream is characterised by slow and wide current, meandering, channels, and abandoned meanders.
After exiting the narrow Zelenjak Canyon, Sotla becomes a characteristically lowland and lazy river, and as it flows towards Kapele, it also provides water for fogy, protected wetlands, Jovsi. Especially in the past, it has caused many great floods with its Pannonian regime. But the locals learned to live with Sotla breaking through its banks and flooding.
The river gives, but also takes away. They learned to accept it and have harnessed her power with numerous river mills on both bank, in both countries. Sotla is, in fact, for a majority of its flow, a border river – a river dividing, and at the same time connecting, two countries. It is fed by quite a few tributaries, among them Draganja, Mestinjščica, Bistrica, and Dramlja. If you take a closer look at the multitude of mentioned animals and plants on the sing marking the sixth spot of our walk, you will see that each part of this Pannonian river provides a welcoming habitat.
Especially since the river has been spared from significant pollution, its stream is inhabited by carps, chubs, pikes, barbels, catfish, Kessler’s gudgeon, spined loaches, and other small and large fishes. It nurtures and protects mussels, for example the thick shelled river mussel, lampreys and shellfish, various insects, inquisitive otters, mammals living by its banks, free-roaming birds, and other animals. Sotla’s meanders are interesting every time you visit them, in any season. And a small tip for those of you who believe in magical creatures: Along the Sotla River, you will notice many dragonflies, and some people say that this wet, lush world is a perfect home and an excellent hiding place not only for swift dragon flies, but also for colourful fairies.
