The Pasice Gorge

The Pasice gorge in the village of Dolenji Novaki was created by the Čerinščica torrent, which cut its river bed into the Njivč hill and eventually split it into two parts: Veliki Njivč (915 m) and Mali Njivč (758 m). On its path it chiseled many pools, waterfalls, and potholes. These characteristic karstic phenomena appear within the limestone as bedrock. The terrain is practically impassable without aids. Deep in the gorge is the location of Franja Partisan Hospital, to which a maintained steep path with small wooden bridges leads. Despite fragile rock walls, which are also very crumbly, the path to Franja Partisan Hospital is protected with appropriate safety measures.

There is a group of waterfalls in the gorge consisting of three consecutive waterfalls: the lower, the middle, and the upper waterfall.

In September 2007 the Cerkno region was hit by heavy rain, during which the water in the Pasice gorge demonstrated all of its destructive power. Large amounts of timber, rocks, and debris accumulated in the gorge, while the Franja Partisan Hospital and its original exhibits were swept away by water. After the flood a complete reconstruction of the hospital and regulation of the stream were undertaken, and the access paths for the visitors were also renovated.

The consequences of the devastating flood have been repaired, but the displaced rock by the path, on which there is still a broken remnant of the cemented memorial plaque, testifies to its severity.