Linden tree in Žiganja Vas
Step inside and stare at the sky.

In the immediate vicinity of the Church of St. Ulrich in Žiganja Vas there grows an old village linden tree, whose circumference in 2010 was measured at 730 cm. Local residents estimate the age of the linden as over 500 years. Its trunk began to decay several decades ago after being struck by lightning but the tree is still leafy and vigorous.

During the Middle Ages freemen lived in Žiganja Vas, Slavic nobles who retained their personal freedom and could own property, as well as the higher vassal Sigersdorf – Žiganjski, after whom the village got its name.

Local residents say that in summer village cobblers worked in the shade of the tree alongside other villagers who sought its shelter in the 19th century, when the shoemaking trade also spread to the villages outside Tržič.

The tree is of interest not only due to its age and circumference but also because there is a hollow inside it and it has a vast network of underground roots. It is possible to go inside the hollow, look up, and see the sky! The locals keep a ladder inside it and sometimes even bring a bicycle inside. On the opposite side of the entrance you can sit on the unusual roots and listen to the rustling of the leaves. Of course it is essential to take good care of this natural value, which has had protected status since 1961.

If you decide to cycle along any of the routes of the Network of cycling trails below Storžič or walk along the Three Bells Trail, do make a stop in Žiganja Vas and peek inside the trunk of this old, proud beauty.