Dolenja Vas (; , Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 120.) is a village southwest of Cerknica in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.
Name The name Dolenja vas literally means 'lower village'. Dolenja vas and names like it are quite common in Slovenia and other Slavic countries, and they indicate that the settlement lay at a lower elevation than nearby settlements.Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, pp. 116–117. It lies about lower than neighboring Cerknica. The village was known as Niederdorf in German in the past.
History Ancient settlement of the area is testified by the discovery of the remains of a Hallstatt- or Roman-era fortress on Tržišče Hill above the village. The site included a large cache of weapons. An Urnfield burial site was discovered on the southeast slope of the hill and was excavated in 1877. Southwest of this there was a second fortress, the embankments of which are well preserved.
Mass grave Dolenja Vas is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Balant Valleys Shaft Mass Grave () is located southwest of the settlement. The narrow shaft has been explored to a depth of and contains unidentified remains.
Church The local church, built southwest of the settlement, is dedicated to Saint Lawrence and belongs to the Parish of Cerknica. The church dates from 1616 and contains a gilded altar dedicated to Saint Margaret.
Notable people Notable people that were born or lived in Dolenja Vas include: Lojze Perko (1909–1980), artist Franjo Sterle (1889–1930), painter
References
External links
Dolenja Vas on Geopedia