Zgornja Besnica (; german: Oberweßnitz
[''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 56.]) is a
village in the
Municipality of Kranj in the
Upper Carniola region of
Slovenia.
Geography
Zgornja Besnica is a scattered village on partially wooded terraced terrain below the eastern slope of Rovnik Hill (). It includes the hamlets of Brše, Čepulje, Dvor, Klinar, Nova Vas, Podrovnik, and Videm. It is connected by road to
Kranj
Kranj (, german: Krainburg) is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approximately northwest of Ljubljana. The centre of the City Municipality of Kranj and of the traditional region of Upper Carniol ...
to the southeast and
Nemilje
Nemilje (; german: Nemile''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 62.) is a dispersed settlement in the hills west of Kranj in the Upper Carn ...
to the west. The Lucenk Woods stands south of the village, and there is a trail to the north to Šum Falls on Nemiljščica Creek, located just beyond the village's territory in
Poljšica pri Podnartu. Bidovec Cave (), with a length of , lies to the west, below the summit of Rovnik Hill. Other caves in the area include Brjevšca Cave, Grlovec Cave, and Podskokar Cave ().
Name
The name ''Zgornja Besnica'' means 'upper Besnica', contrasting with ''
Spodnja Besnica'' 'lower Besnica', which lies lower in elevation. The two villages were attested in historical documents as ''Vessnitz'' in 1421, referring to the stream of the same name. The name ''Besnica'' is originally a
hydronym that was later applied to the settlement along Besnica Creek, a tributary of the Sava. The name is derived from the Slavic adjective ''*běsьnъ'' 'rushing, swift', referring the character of the stream.
Church
The
parish church in the settlement is dedicated to
Saint Giles
Saint Giles (, la, Aegidius, french: Gilles), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly lege ...
.
Družina RC Church in Slovenia site
/ref>
References
External links
*
Zgornja Besnica on Geopedia
Populated places in the City Municipality of Kranj
{{Kranj-geo-stub