Rak Škocjan has been protected since 1949 and is the oldest landscape park in Slovenia.Above the valley, in the vicinity of Big Natural Bridge, stand the ruins of St. Cantianus's Church, built in the early 17th century in the late Gothic style.[2] The valley itself is enclosed on all sides by sheer cliffs, which can reach as high as 300 m (980 ft).[3] The name Rakov Škocjan literally means 'Škocjan on Rak Creek'.The name Rakov Škocjan 'Rak Škocjan' first appeared in the mid-1960s, and it gradually took hold by the 1980s alongside other names for the area, including Rakova dolina 'Rak Valley' and Dolina Raka 'Rak Valley'.