The Ajdovščina archaeological site above Rodik

The hillfort’s remains show there was a settlement on the hill above the Rodik village from prehistoric times and the Late Antiquity.

Above the Rodik village, close to the road between Kozina and Divača, rises an imposing hill offering splendid views called Ajdovščina. The hill’s favourable location made it a perfect place to control the crossroads of the former traffic routes, which is why an important fort was built on top of it. The settlement’s foundations date back to the Early Iron Age, when a mighty 2-metre-wide wall was built. Findings prove the area was inhabited by indigenous people in the Early Antiquity, i.e. the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The ruins still visible today are the remains of a fortification from the restless period of the Late Antiquity, i.e. the 4th and 5th centuries, when the wall was renovated and the settlement’s interior built anew. Ajdovščina is one of the best preserved antique highland strongholds in Slovenia, with easily visible surface structures and distinctive remains of buildings and streets.

The hills near the Rodik village boast a rich mythological heritage. In a water hole named Jezero (lake) that lies on the Čuk Hill close to the Ajdovščina hillfort, a creature called ‘lintver’ once lived. According to several interpretations, this mythological creature is said to be a dragon or a gigantic snake, was a guardian of an enormous lake in the heart of the mountain, and used to threaten the village with natural disasters. The folk tradition includes tales about underground caves featuring a passage to the afterlife, and many supernatural creatures. The stone monolith, called Baba, is the remains of an archaic female mythological figure that was widespread in Slavic and Roman territories. Even today, there is a saying when observing a clear sky: “Baba has lifted her skirt”. The locals from Rodik are currently arranging a mythological park according to this rich folk tradition.