Geographically it is rather diverse, containing 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) of the Ljubljana Marsh, with its isolated "sunken" hills, a section of the Ljubljanica River, a siphonic karst lake located just outside Jezero, and the Rakitna Plateau with a lake and 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) of forest.
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. People known as the Lake Dwellers, described by the Slovene writer Janez Jalen in his novel Bobri (Beavers), arrived when the marshland was still covered by a lake. Later, the area covered by the present municipality was crossed by Roman roads, traces of which are still visible, near Rakitna for example. The Ljubljanica River was navigated by boatmen. The Romans redirected it towards Podpeč, a village known for its good quality stone. The nearby forests and the settlements proximity to Ljubljana, have positively influenced the development of agriculture, trade, and enterprise in the area. Many old crafts, such as lime, stone, and wood processing, and wickerwork have survived to the present day.
Stone from Podpeč, known as Podpeč marble, was used in many prominent monuments in Ljubljana by the architect Jože Plečnik, such as the National and University Library of Slovenia. The quarry is now protected and only small excavations are allowed.[3]
