Ethnological Collection of Life by Lake Cerknica

Original objects that tell the story of life by an intermittent lake

Lake Cerknica has shaped not only the landscape, but also the everyday life, work and customs of the people who lived beside it. Its constant changes required resourcefulness, adaptability and special knowledge and skills that were passed down through generations.

Over the years, the museum has collected and preserved numerous original objects connected with life around Lake Cerknica. These are not merely representations or reconstructions – they are objects that local people actually used in their work, fishing, transport and everyday lives.

This direct connection with authentic heritage gives the collection its special value.

⛸️ Wooden ice skates

When Lake Cerknica froze in winter, its icy surface also became a route between villages and part of everyday life.

The collection includes several types of original old wooden ice skates, recalling a time when local people crossed and travelled across the frozen lake using simple equipment, often made at home.

Their different shapes reflect the resourcefulness of local people and their ability to adapt to life beside the lake, even during the coldest part of the year.

🎣 Traditional fishing

For centuries, fishing was an important part of life around Lake Cerknica.

The collection presents original fishing tools and equipment used in traditional fishing practices, specially adapted to the distinctive conditions of an intermittent lake.

These objects reflect a deep knowledge of the water, fish and constantly changing lake landscape, as well as skills that were passed down from one generation to the next.

🛶 The traditional lake boat in everyday life

A special part of the collection consists of wooden miniature models showing the different ways in which the traditional lake boat was used.

They help visitors understand that the boat was used for much more than fishing. Local people used it to transport people, hay, timber, livestock and other loads across the lake, making it an essential part of everyday life by the water.

The miniature scenes provide a vivid insight into activities that are rarely seen today and help preserve the memory of traditional life around the lake.

📚 Postcards, written records and literature about the lake

The original objects are complemented by literature about Lake Cerknica, writings by Slovenian and international authors, and old postcards depicting the lake and surrounding villages.

Among the more valuable items is also a historical edition of The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola by Janez Vajkard Valvasor, whose writings on Lake Cerknica form an important part of the history of its description and exploration.

For centuries, the unusual disappearing and reappearing lake has attracted the attention of researchers, naturalists, travellers and local people. These written and visual records complement the objects in the collection and reveal how people in different periods observed, explored, experienced and tried to understand Lake Cerknica.

Heritage you can experience up close

One of the special features of the collection is that visitors do not encounter all of the original objects only behind glass.

Some objects are displayed outside showcases, allowing visitors to examine their materials, craftsmanship and traces of use more closely. During guided visits, some may also be carefully touched or held.

This direct encounter helps visitors understand the people behind the objects – their knowledge, skills, work and everyday life beside Lake Cerknica.

Objects that preserve memory

The Ethnological Collection brings together original objects from everyday life, traditional skills, wooden miniature models, and documentary and written material, preserving a part of a way of life that has changed greatly over time.

Each wooden skate, fishing tool, miniature scene or old written record is a small part of a much larger story – the story of generations of people who adapted their lives to the changing rhythm of Lake Cerknica.

The special value of the collection lies in its original objects – tangible traces of life beside Lake Cerknica that bring the knowledge, work and everyday experiences of past generations closer to visitors.