Lahinja, Semič
Lahinja is a remote, abandoned village in the Municipality of Semič in southern Slovenia. It lies in the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now part of the village of Planina in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. The name Lahinja is shared with the nearby Lahinja River.
The origin of the name is uncertain. It may come from Vlahinja, referring to early Celtic settlers, or from Middle High German lâchen meaning to blaze trees. Lahinja was once a Gottschee German village and was known in German as Lachina.
In 1574 the land register showed three full farms and six half-farms with seven owners, suggesting about 25–30 inhabitants. The population peaked in 1880 at 56 people in nine houses. By 1931 there were 32 people in five houses. The local economy included animal husbandry, vineyard work at Rodine, and selling firewood and wooden goods.
The original inhabitants were evicted on 24 November 1941. The village was burned by Italian troops in the Rog Offensive in the summer of 1942 and was never rebuilt. Today its territory is part of Planina.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:33 (CET).