Ljubljanica

Ljubljanica
The Ljubljanica in Ljubljana
Location
Country	Slovenia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Retovje45°57′5″N 14°17′41″E / 45.95139°N 14.29472°E / 45.95139; 14.29472, Ljubija45°57′11″N 14°18′0″E / 45.95306°N 14.30000°E / 45.95306; 14.30000, Bistra
• coordinates	45°56′51″N 14°20′3″E / 45.94750°N 14.33417°E / 45.94750; 14.33417
• elevation	300 m (980 ft) [1]
Mouth
• location	Podgrad
• coordinates	46°4′11″N 14°38′20″E / 46.06972°N 14.63889°E / 46.06972; 14.63889
• elevation	260 m (850 ft) [1]
Length	41 km (25 mi) (including Little Ljubljanica) [1]
Basin size	1,860 km2 (720 sq mi) [2]
Discharge
• average	25 m3/s (880 cu ft/s) (at the source near Vrhnika), 55 m3/s (at the outflow in Moste)
Basin features
Progression	Sava→ Danube→ Black Sea

The Ljubljanica (pronounced [ljuˈbljáːnitsa]), known in the Middle Ages as the Leybach,^[3] is a river in the southern part of the Ljubljana Basin in Slovenia. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, lies on the river. The Ljubljanica rises south of the town of Vrhnika and flows into the Sava River about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) downstream from Ljubljana. Its largest affluent is the Mali Graben Canal.^[4] Including its source affluent the Little Ljubljanica (Slovene: Mala Ljubljanica), the river is 41 km (25 mi) in length.^[1] The Little Ljubljanica joins the Big Ljubljanica (Slovene: Velika Ljubljanica) after 1,300 m (4,300 ft) and the river continues its course as the Ljubljanica.

The Ljubljanica is the continuation of several karst rivers that flow from the Prezid Karst Field (Slovene: Prezidsko polje) to Vrhnika on the surface and underground in caves, and so the river is poetically said to have seven names (six name changes): Trbuhovica, Obrh, Stržen, Rak, Pivka, Unica, and Ljubljanica.