title: Retovje Springs
text: # Retovje Springs
  
  Retovje Springs is a group of springs that join to form the Big Ljubljanica River (Slovene: Velika Ljubljanica).
  
  ## Name
  
  The name Retovje and names like it (e.g., Retje, Dolnje Retje) are derived from the Slovene common noun retje 'powerful karst spring' from the root *vrětje 'springing, gushing'. The generic term okence in the Slovene name of two springs at the site is a diminutive of the common noun okno (literally, 'window') in the secondary meaning 'spring, place where groundwater surfaces'.
  
  ## Geography
  
  The springs are located in the Retovje Valley, a steephead valley near Verd south of Vrhnika. The springs include:
  
  * Walnut Spring (Pod Orehom)
  * Cliff Spring (Pod skalo, Pod steno)
  * Big Spring (Veliko okence)
  * Little Spring (Malo okence)
  
  Big Spring and Little Spring are the two most powerful springs in the group. After almost 1 km, the Big Ljubljanica joins the Little Ljubljanica (Slovene: Mala Ljubljanica) to form the Ljubljanica River.
  
  ## Exploration
  
  The karst springs and sumps at Retovje were first studied in 1939 by the Kuščer brothers. Big Spring has been explored to a length of 270 m and a depth of 25 m, and Little Spring to a length of 305 m and depth of 45 m.
  
  