The Zaka Valley ( sl, dolina Zaka) is a valley in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia.

Geography

The Zaka Valley lies at the west end of

Lake Bled Lake Bled ( sl, Blejsko jezero; german: Bleder See, Veldeser See) is a lake in the Julian Alps of the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia, where it adjoins the town of Bled. The area is a tourist destination. The lake is from Ljublj ...

.Knific, Timotej. 1984. "Arheološki zemljevid Blejskega kota v zgodnjem srednjem veku." ''Kronika'' 32(2/3): 99–110, p. 102. The railway between Jesenice and Gorizia runs above it. Locally, a distinction is made between the Little Zaka Valley (), originally at the extreme southeast part of the lake, east of Little Osojnica Hill (, ) where Jezernica Creek empties into the lake in the hamlet of Mlino, and the Big Zaka Valley (), which lies at the westernmost part of the lake between Little Osojnica Hill and Kuhovnica Hill (), through which Zaka Creek flows, emptying into Zaka Bay.Čop, Dušan. 1998. "Ime Zaka in njegov izvor." ''Jezik in slovstvo'' 43(4): 173–174. The name ''Mala Zaka'' is now applied to the area around the rowing club at the extreme northwest part of the lake. Swimming areas are also located in the bays below the Big Zaka Valley and Little Zaka Valley.

Name

The name ''Zaka'' was first recorded in 1185 as ''Zake''.Bezlaj, France. 1977. "O imenih Sneberje, Sostro in drugo." ''Jezik in slovstvo'' 22(8): 225–227, p. 225. France Bezlaj suggested that the name ''Zaka'' was a contraction of *''zějaka'' 'opening between hills'. However, Dušan Čop has proposed that the name ''Zaka'' is a fused prepositional phrase derived from ''za Ak-'' 'behind Ak'. The name ''Ak'' refers to two parcels of land, Upper and Lower Ak (, ), and the Ak Mansion ( sl, Vila Ak, later renamed ''Partizanka''). Popular etymology associated the mansion's name with the initials of its owner, Anton Kokalj (1851–1938). However, the name ''Ak'' is believed to be of Celtic origin (although there are also parallels of toponyms with ''Ak-'' from German ''Hacken'' 'hook').

History

Archaeological finds from the Urnfield culture and Roman coins have been found in the Zaka Valley, and there is a prehistoric Celtic burial site between Upper and Lower Ak. During the Second World War, members of the Carinthian People's League (german: Kärntner Volksbund) renovated two ski jumps in the Zaka Valley."Iz domovine." 1941. ''Karawanken-Bote'' 1(35): 4.

References

External links

Zaka Valley at Geopedia

Big Zaka Valley at hribi.net (photos)
{{coord, 46, 21, 40.74, N, 14, 4, 34.08, E, region:SI, display=title Valleys in Upper Carniola Bled Sava basin Valleys of the Julian Alps