Category Archives: Slovenian mountain huts

A Return to Radol’ca!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Bled, Christmas in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, The Julian Alps, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca, Žirovnica by

For those of you who don’t know, I moved to Slovenia, specifically Radovljica – from the UK – in 2007, and have lived here ever since. Well, that is up until 1st July this year when, due to being let down at the last minute re the purchase of a flat, also in Radovljica, we had to temporarily move elsewhere; albeit not far, just up the valley to Gozd Martuljek, near Kranjska Gora.

Whilst Gozd Martuljek is a true paradise – nature, peace and a wealth of outdoor opportunities, particularly the traffic-free cycle track into Italy – I don’t know anyone there and with the onset of winter, I was very pleased to return to the Radol’ca area early this November. To be able to again walk and cycle familiar routes, see familiar faces and feel at ‘home’ is priceless.

It wasn’t long before I was out exploring some of my favourite walks and hikes, a couple of which I’d like to share with you.

The first, and one of my regular ‘haunts’ starts near the Tourist Information Centre in Begunje na Gorenjskem, from where there are numerous trails leading up to St. Peter’s Church.

The church and the nearby Sankaška koča hut can be a destination in themself or you can continue, like I regularly do, onward to the Smokuški vrh viewpoint, from where there are wonderful views towards Lake Bled and the Julian Alps.

One of the most well-known mountain huts and hikes in the area is to the Roblekov dom mountain hut on Mt. Begunščica in the Karavanke mountains. Since I’ve been there many, many times, and since we have a joint passion for exploring lesser-trodden paths, we decided to approach it from the other side, i.e. from the Završnica Valley in the neighbouring municipality of Žirovnica.

By following the red and white circular trail markers, you can do a circular hike by taking the trail from the Završnica valley up to the Roblekov dom mountain hut.

Before reaching the Poljška planina pasture, which is about halfway, the trail markers lead down towards the pasture before heading up again towards the Roblekov dom mountain hut. Alternatively, if, like us, you spot yellow markers on trees and opt to follow them, you will also reach the hut on a pleasant trail, though you do need to keep your eyes out for the markers.

To make the route circular, from the hut, hike down to the Poljška planina mountain pasture, from where you take the marked route towards the Sankaška koča hut, branching off for Smokuški vrh and following the ridge (as described in a previous blog here https://adeleinslovenia.com/2024/08/21/a-radolca-ridge-hike/), from where you can return to the Završnica valley.

Before setting off on these, or any other hiking trails in the area, be sure to take a look at the map of hiking trails and/or pop into the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre for more information, and be sure you are properly equipped, which means having good footwear too!

With winter fast approaching, too fast for my liking, if you are planning a visit to Slovenia, you might like to read my previous blog titled 5 Great Winter Hikes in Radovljica and the Surroundings.

The countdown to the festive season is on, and the Christmas tree in Linhart Square – the heart of Radovljica’s old town – is taking shape. The switching on of the festive lights will take place on 30th November, which is always a magical event for all the family.

©Adele in Slovenia

 

 

The Renovated Shepherds’ Trail

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Hiking, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Karavanke mountains, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Tourism Radol'ca, Triglav National Park, Visit Radol'ca by

The Begunje Shepherds’ Trail (Pastirska pot) is one of my favourite of all the hiking trails in the Radol’ca area. The variety of the terrain, the stunning views, and the fact that it is entirely circular all add up to one great hike!

Unfortunately, during the major floods that affected large parts of Slovenia in August 2023, the trail sustained significant damage and was closed for around a year. It reopened in 2024, though the lower part of the trail in particular was almost unrecognisable. Since then, significant work has taken place and I’m pleased to be able to say that the trail is now better than ever.

The trail begins at the head of the Draga Valley in Begunje na Gorenjskem, where you can park and set off on foot on the 10.2km trail. You will soon see a red sign to Preval, where you cross the stream and from then on follow the usual red and white circular trail markers. You soon reach one of the new bridges.

The trail then begins to lead up through the forest, passing a cascade of the stream.

Now comes the hardest part of the trail, though following the floods it is actually better equipped than previously, with steel rope and rungs, so isn’t that difficult providing you have good footwear and are reasonably agile.

I wouldn’t recommend doing this hike after heavy rain, as the next part involves crossing the stream in several places, which is perfectly doable when water levels are low.

After cross the streaming one last time, you reach a rest area with a bench.

Next you reach a giant fir tree, so giant, in fact, there was no way or being able to photograph it from within the confines of the trail, so you’ll just have to visit and see it for yourself! The statistics on the signpost below give the facts and figures: circumference 347 cm, diameter 110 cm, quantity of wood 12.5 m3, height 35 metres.

After about an hour and 15 minutes of hiking, you emerge onto a mountain pasture, home to the Koča na Prevalu mountain hut, where you can quench your thirst and/or enjoy a hearty pasture-style meal. This is one of first of four mountain huts that you pass on this trail – note: the huts are open daily during summer, but out of season some are closed whilst others open at weekends only. You can find out here what’s available to eat on Radovljica’s mountain pastures.

Now follow the forest road to the left for about 10 minutes, then take the path branches off to the right and begins to climb up again on the path marked as ‘čez Roža’. You are soon rewarded with wonderful views of the Radovljica Plains, the Jelovica plateau, Lake Bled, and the Julian Alps with Triglav National Park.

The scenic path is level in places, with a few ups and downs and a few gullies to cross. Shortly before the end of the čez Roža trail, you reach an abandoned manganese mine shaft with an information board, which, at the time of writing (July 2025), was looking at bit worse for wear.

Just a few minutes after passing the mine shaft, the trail joins the main trail that leads from the valley up to the Roblekov dom mountain hut and on to Mt. Begunščica or you could follow the trail back down to the valley, thus completing the circular route.

I’d like to end this blog by saying a big ‘Thank you’ to all those of you who read my last blog and sent such lovely messages of congratulations.

Until next time…

© Adele in Slovenia

 

A Radol’ca Ridge Hike

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Visit Radol'ca by

When the heat is on, as it is now in much of Europe, morning hikes in the forest are a perfect way to start the day before it gets too hot.

The hike I’ve described below is partly in the forest and partly along a ridge, and in places requires a bit of scrambling, but the views are so wonderful it makes the effort worthwhile.

I started by cycling from Radovljica, then started my hike in Begunje na Gorenjskem, where I left my bike outside the Tourist Information Centre.

TIC Begunje

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

I then hiked up to St. Peter’s Church and onwards to the Sankaška koča mountain hut and further to the Smokuški vrh viewpoint.

From the viewpoint I carried on along the ridge in a westerly direction.

Initially, the trail is easy to follow through the forest, but in places along the ridge it is quite rocky and a couple of times I found myself wondering if I’d reached the end of the trail as it seemed to disappear, but after scrambling past a few rocks the trail continued.

There are views all around – towards the Jelovica plateau, Bled and the Julian Alps to the south…

…towards Mt. Stol and the Završnica valley to the north…

…and towards Jesenice and the Upper Sava Valley to the west.

If you’d like to make it a circular route – regular readers will know I’m obsessed with circular trails! – then continue until you descend to the point see in the photo below.

At this point you could opt to turn right to reach Titova vas (Tito’s Village), more about that here.

Alternatively, turn left and follow the trail back towards the Sankaška koča mountain hut, following the occasional sign for the Juliana long-distance hiking trail.

Follow the trail uphill and, shortly before returning to the hut, you will see the following sign, where you turn right.

Hiking poles and appropriate hiking shoes or lightweight hiking boots are required for this hike.

Click here for more information about hiking in the Radol’ca area.

© Adele in Slovenia

Wild Weather and Scrumptious (gluten-free) Štruklji!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, ironworking, Jelovica, Julian Alps, kamna gorica, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Karavanke, Kropa, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Slovenian mountain huts, The Julian Alps, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

While much of Europe is basking, or rather sweltering, in record-high temperatures, this ‘summer’ here in Slovenia has, so far, been marked by some mega storms, the likes of which have never been seen at this time of year, if ever.

The extreme hail and gale-force winds have wreaked havoc throughout the country, and there’s more predicted for later this week too. So, everyone is waiting and praying that there isn’t a repeat of last week, which brought significant damage to cars, roofs, crops, houses and more.

Toča po neurju v Krškem

On a more positive note, here in the Gorenjska region, i.e. the mountainous region of Slovenia, temperatures tend not to get as high as at the coast and the southeast part of the country. And even if they do, you are never far from a forest to take shelter in, a mountain to climb for some cooler air, or a pool or lake to jump into to cool off.

Here in Radovljica, we are lucky to have the Karavanke range and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps to the north, the Jelovica plateau to the south, and the Julian Alps on the doorstep, the only problem is, with so much choice, it can be hard to decide where to go!

Radovljiška ravnina

Last Wednesday, however, the decision was easy, as I had found out that the lady who runs the mountain hut on the Vodiška planina mountain pasture makes gluten-free štruklji, a real rarity indeed, in fact, quite possibly the only mountain hut that offers them.

It’s actually quite difficult to describe what štruklji are, other than to say they are made using a light dough mixture that is rolled out very thinly then filled and rolled, like a Swiss roll, before being steamed or boiled. The fillings can be sweet or savoury, depending on how creative and adventurous you want to be!

Photo: štruklji at Gostisce Draga in the Draga Valley

I can count on one hand how many times I’ve eaten them since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, so to find gluten-free ones, and so close to home – relatively speaking – is a real treat.

Below I’ve described the route I took up to the hut, which begins in Kropa, but there are also numerous other routes up to the Vodiška planina mountain pasture, including from the village of Kamna Gorica.

The most direct, albeit steepest, trail begins at St. Leonard’s church – one of two churches in the village.

The trail leads steeply up through the forest, with not much let up in terms of steepness until about the halfway point, which is the meeting point of paths that the lead up from other parts of Kropa.

It takes about half an hour to reach the halfway point, then within another half an hour or so, you emerge onto the mountain pasture.

The pasture is also a meeting point of numerous trails, so you can easily extend your hike in numerous directions.

But this time, we were there for the food! Those with coeliac disease, or those of you who know someone with it, will know that cross-contamination is a big deal (read: ‘problem’), something that so often places that claim to offer gluten-free food don’t take into account. However, as soon as I contacted the lady who runs the hut, her reply was such that I knew immediately that she knew about coeliac disease, so I had no hesitation in ordering them upon my arrival.

And I certainly wasn’t disappointed! I think my smile says it all!

In addition, because flour isn’t used to thicken any of the soups or stews, we ordered jota – a traditional Slovenian cabbage and bean stew, which you can order with or without Carniolan sausage.

Visit Radol’ca recently published a blog on its own website about what food is available at mountain huts in the surrounding area; in fact, it was whilst translating the blog that I discovered that gluten-free štruklji were available! Click here to read more and Dober tek (Enjoy your meal!) as we say here!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

Let The Train Take The Strain!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, Maribor, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Slovenian railways, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

With the world becoming, or trying to become, ever ‘greener’, many of us are trying to do our bit here and there, including taking public transport, where possible.

The great news is that Radovljica is really well connected, so it’s an ideal place to base yourself for getting around Slovenia and even further afield.

In addition to Radovljica’s new railway station, Slovenian Railways also introduced some new trains late last year. The first journey took place on the new electrified KISS trains, produced by the Swiss producer Stadler, on the Ljubljana-Litija line. The trains are renowned for their improved comfort, spaciousness and functionality, as well as panoramic windows for a literal ‘seat with a view’.

Na slovenskih železnicah prvi novi dvonadstropni električni vlak - Zelena Slovenija

Within minutes of stepping off the train at Radovljica’s railway station you can reach Linhart Square – the heart of the historic old town centre.

It takes less than an hour to reach Radovljica from Ljubljana (or vice versa), or in the other direction, you can go to Jesenice and from there to Villach in Austria and onwards. In the opposite direction, i.e. from Ljubljana, you can travel to Maribor or Celje – Slovenia’s second and third largest cities respectively – or to Zagreb in Croatia and further.

Below I’ve put together a few suggestions of what to see and do by train (and bus) in the local area.

Take the train from Radovljica to Globoko, where you can visit the Barbana Stud Farm to see the famous white Lipizzaner horses.

Lipizzaner Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

From Globoko you can either return by train or walk back through the Forest Nature Trail.

Take the train from Radovljica to Otoče, then walk the Otoče to Brezje Pilgrimage Trail.

On reaching Brezje, you can see Slovenia’s national pilgrimage sanctuary – the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians – as well as the Nativity Museum, then return to Radovljica by bus.

Take the bus from Radovljica to Bled, so much easier than searching (and paying!) for somewhere to park. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about Bled’s ‘star attraction’!

Take the bus from Radovljica to Begunje na Gorenjskem, where you can visit the Elan Alpine Skiing Museum, the Avsenik Museum, and the village is also an excellent destination for hiking in the Karavanke mountains, for example to St. Peter’s church above the village, on the Lamberg Trail past Kamen Castle to the Draga Valley, from where you can continue up to the Roblekov dom mountain hut or even higher up to Mt. Begunscica.

Photo: Miran Kambic

Of course, there are numerous other options, which, for travel in the Radol’ca area, the lovely folk at the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre can help you with, or for travel further afield take a look at the Slovenian Railways website to get some more ideas of what to see and do.

So, why not sit back and let the train take the strain?!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

Winter Hikes and Spikes in Radol’ca!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, Hiking, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Julian Alps, Karavanke, Karavanke mountains, Kropa, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca, winter hiking in Radovljica by

At last, I’ve found time to sit down and write my first blog of the year 2022! It’s been a funny old winter so far. First a lot of early snow in December, followed by a very cold spell, then an unseasonably mild spell, followed by rain, a bit more snow and now another really cold spell, albeit now at least with beautiful blue skies and sunshine.

Although I’ve never been a fan of the cold and snow, I’m also not one to sit indoors, regardless of the weather (and my ongoing health woes). So, here are a few ideas for winter hikes in the Radol’ca, oh, and read on to find out about the ‘spikes’ (as mentioned in the title) too!

One of our favourite hikes at this time of the year is to Smokuški vrh above the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem. Since we like doing circular routes and prefer to leave the car in the garage, when we have time we often set off on foot from Radovljica to Begunje (cca. 50 minutes), where we take the path that begins near the post office and leads steeply up to St. Peter’s church (cca. 30mins).

From the church, we carry on up to Smokuški vrh on the ridge, which is a great vantage point.

We then walk along the ridge, with stunning views of the Julian Alps and Slovenia’s highest mountain – Triglav – before descending towards the village of Rodine and back through Hraše and Lesce to Radovljica.

Now onto the ‘spikes’ I mentioned above…As also mentioned above, it’s been a mixed bag this winter, which means that although some places at lower altitudes are now almost snow-free (up to around 800metres above sea-level), in the forest, particularly in areas that don’t get any/much sun and paths that are well used, the paths are really icy in places, hence ‘spikes’ i.e. mini crampons, are a ‘must’ in my rucksack wherever I go.

So, if you are planning any hikes in winter, I’d advise you bring (or buy while you are here) a pair of these mini crampons – you can pick them up for around €30, they are very lightweight and quick and easy to put on. Note, however, that these crampons are NOT suitable for more strenuous and higher mountain tours, for which semi-automatic crampons are a must at this time of the year.

And what’s more, the ones I’m ‘modelling’ below, are even made here in the municipality of Radovljica – at the Veriga factory in Lesce, where you can buy them direct of pick them up in sports shops.

My other favourite places to hike in the Radovljica area in winter include the Goška ravan mountain pasture and hut on the Jelovica plateau…

The Roblekov dom mountain hut, above the Draga valley on the slopes of Mt. Begunščica…

And the Vodiška planina mountain pasture and Partisanski dom mountain hut above Kropa.

You can find out about all these hikes and more about winter in Radovljica, visit the Visit Radol’ca website. Happy and, of course, safe hiking!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

Pastures Galore Beneath Košuta – Slovenia’s Longest Mountain

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, mountain biking in Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Slovenian mountain huts, Tržič, Visit Tržić by

I believe that every visitor to Slovenia who wants to get a real sense of the country, rather than just visiting the usual tourist attractions, should visit at least one of the numerous mountain pastures, where you can enjoy some simple, hearty, homemade food, enjoy the peace and views, and soak up the atmosphere of pasture life.

And there’s no better place to do so than on the mountain pastures beneath Košuta – Slovenia’s longest mountain – above Tržič, particularly as they are easily accessible even for those who don’t enjoy, or are unable to take part in, long hikes. The options are almost limitless; you can opt to go on a full day walk from the valley, or drive part of the way for easier access, you can just walk from pasture to pasture, or you can tackle one of the peaks along the length of Košuta, or even stay the night so you can see and do even more!

Having previously blogged about our overnight stay at the Scouts’ Hut on the Šija mountain pasture and hike to Kladivo, this time we picked up the walk where we left off – at the Pungrat mountain pasture – from where we walked to the Dolga njiva alpine dairy farm.

Since we wanted to do a partly circular walk, we started at the Zali potok hidroelectric station and took the unmarked path. However, it is a little difficult to find the trail in a few places, so for first timers and those wanting a longer walk, I would recommend instead starting your walk from Medvodje, which is reached by driving through Tržič then past the Dovžan gorge (it’s well worth stopping for a walk through the gorge) to Jelendol and onwards on the forest road.

Alternatively, you can drive, or even cycle, further up the mountain road and park just 20 minutes from the Dolga njiva alpine dairy farm, which is a particularly favourable option for families with young children, and/or those wanting to hike further and higher.

It was one of those summer days that was forecast to be sunny, but the clouds were very persistent and didn’t lift until well into late afternoon, but the scenery, and the four-legged friends, made up for the lack of sun.

On reaching Dolga njiva, you can try some really typical mountain food, such as masovnik – a hearty mixture of flour and sour cream. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try it (coeliac disease and wheat flour = a big NO!), so I asked one of the hikers if I could take a photo of her food before she tucked in!

Buckwheat topped with pork crackling is another popular dish, often served with sour milk.

May be an image of food and indoor

Kids will love the mini farm with its curious cows, snoring pigs, donkeys, turkeys and geese.

You can then set off for a circular walk on the Eagle Trail (Orlov pot), where you can see golden eagle nesting sites, the source of the Košutnik stream, and the flora and fauna of the area, while opposite the dairy farm you can see a chest used by allies to drop supplies to the pasture in World War II in the occupied area of the German Reich.

Dolga njiva is also an excellent starting point for hikes onwards to other mountain pastures or upwards to reach the highest point of the municipality of Tržič – Košutnikov turn.

If you want to stay longer you can stay over and sleep in a hay loft then next morning, after a hearty breakfast, head off to explore more of the pastures beneath Slovenia’s longest mountain – all 10 kilometres of it!

© Adele in Slovenia

Radol’ca Re-opens!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Beekeeping, Beekeeping in Slovenia, Bled, Bohinj lake, Camping in Slovenia, COVID-19 Slovenia, cycling, cycling in Slovenia, Festivals in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Karavanke mountains, Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, museums in Slovenia, Okusi Radol'ce, Postojna cave, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Sobec camp, Taste Radol'ca, The Julian Alps, Tourism Radol'ca, Triglav National Park, Visit Radol'ca by

Hooray, I am finally the bearer of some good news…it feels like a while since I’ve been able to say that!

Writing this feels a bit like groundhog day, as it was around this time last year that Slovenia began to exit its first lockdown and I published a similar blog on the subject. And here we are today, almost a year later and only now Radovljica, as well as the rest of Slovenia, is slowly beginning to re-open after three, seemingly endless, lockdowns.

Unfortunately, the vaccination programme is still going slowly – to date around one-fifth of the country’s 2 million residents has received at least one shot of a vaccine – but, notwithstanding, things are steadily moving in the right direction and finally, after 6 long months, the terraces of restaurants/bars etc. were able to re-open last week and as of yesterday (Monday 26 April) hotels and other accommodation facilities are able to open up to 30 rooms (regardless of the size of the property). Note, however, that a negative test or proof of vaccination is required to stay in an type of accommodation (camps included).

So, now you, well we if I include myself, can actually begin to start thinking about planning holidays, something that has seemed unthinkable for a long time now. And since most of us will no doubt – sensibly – prefer to avoid places overrun by mass tourism, it is destinations such as Radol’ca that come into their own with its boutique accommodation and numerous hiking trails and other off the beaten track attractions. So, here are a few ideas to help you in planning your visit to Radovljica – whether for a few hours, a few days, or even longer!

The Radovljica Tourist Information Centre has now, too, reopened, and is ready and waiting to help, whether you make contact by mail, by phone or drop in in person. The tourist office is at the entrance to the old town centre, which is the obvious place to start your visit to the area. Visit one of the museums or galleries in Linhart Square, admire the frescoes on the facades of townhouses, ‘Follow a bee through Radovljica‘, visit the Lectar honeybread workshop, see the baroque St. Peter’s church, and soak up the views of the Jelovica plateau and the Julian Alps from the viewpoint.

After taking in the sights of the old town, you can head off to explore the surrounding countryside. Take your pick from theme trails, hiking trails, the network of cycle routes, water sports, equestrian pursuits, mini-golf and more.

After record snowfall in some places, it’s still very much winter in Slovenia’s high mountains, fortunately here in Radol’ca there are plenty of hiking trails at lower altitudes. I’ve written about such trails on numerous occasions, so a quick search back through previous blog posts using key words will turn up plenty of info on hikes to, for example, Suharna, the Vodiška planina mountain hut, the Roblekov dom mountain hut, St. Peter’s church above Begunje na Gorenjskem, and more.

Of course, after all that fresh air and activity you will be in need of some sustenance, and you certainly won’t go hungry at Taste Radol’ca restaurants, the ethos of which is using seasonal, locally sourced, ingredients. At the time of writing, some of the restaurants have yet to re-open, since they are currently only allowed to serve customers outside on the terrace and for those with smaller terraces it is not worth their while re-opening. However, it is to be hoped that it won’t be too long until they are able to fully re-open. Radol’ca even has a Michelin-starred restaurant – Vila Podvin – as well as several other fine dining restaurants and numerous rural inns.

In terms of accommodation, there’s plenty to choose, from river-side camps to apartments, guest houses and other boutique accommodation.

In terms of events, it’s still a bit early to say what will and won’t take place this year. The Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which was cancelled last year and postponed this year, is provisionally scheduled to take place on 11th and 12th September this year, while the organisers are hoping that others events, such as the Craft Beer Festival and live music and food on Thursdays evenings in the square, will be able to go ahead in summer, in some form or another. But at the moment it’s a case of watch this space to see how things pan out.

Of course, all the above-mentioned are in the Radol’ca area itself, meaning there’s still a whole host of other places waiting to be explored in the surrounding areas; the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park are on the doorstep, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are close, Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana is just a cca. 40 minute drive, and even places such as the Postojna caves, the Soča valley, and Slovenia’s coast are all within a 1-2 hour drive – nothing is that far away in Slovenia!

So, I hope I have provided you with some food for thought and ideas to help your holiday planning and, as and when there is (even) more news about more things opening up, I’ll be in touch with more up-to-date info, or, in the meantime, do feel free to drop me a line if you need more info. Always happy to help, well, within reason that is!

© Adele in Slovenia

Winter Hikes on the Jelovica Plateau

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, COVID-19 Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, kamna gorica, Karavanke, Kropa, Lipnica Valley, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca, winter hiking in Radovljica, winter hiking in Slovenia, winter sports in Slovenia by

So, in addition to the ongoing (and boy is it going on…) coronavirus situation, in this part of Slovenia we have already had the highest snowfall in 43 years – and winter is far from over. I, for one, hope it’s also the last time for the next 43 years!

Regular readers of my blog will know I’m not a fan of snow, so this is by far, already, the hardest winter for me since moving here in 2007, and with the restrictions in place due to ‘the’ virus, there’s nowhere to escape, and no way of escaping, snow, so one just has to put on a brave face and plenty of winter clothing and get out there and ’embrace’ it.

Yesterday was the first day for around a month that it was due to be sunny, albeit it bitterly cold, so it was finally time to head out for a long hike to get some photos for my blog. Due to the restrictions in place, as well as the snow, there’s not a huge choice of places to go where a) we are allowed to go, b) the risks of avalanche are minimal, c) there are no problems with parking and no crowds – the latter turned out to be a particularly good move as the headlines on the news on Saturday were about the major traffic problems in the most popular winter sports areas. Thus, the obvious choice for us was the Jelovica plateau, which is right on our doorstep and which we can reach on foot from home. In fact, we’ve grown to love the wide choice of routes on the plateau so much, they are now likely to become a staple among our local hikes, even when we are allowed to go further from home!

We started from home in Radovljica at 8.30am, first down to Lancovo and then onwards towards the hamlet of Kolnica in Spodnja Lipnica.

From there we continued up to the Suharna viewpoint above the Lipnica valley. You can also read more here about my first hike to Suharna earlier in the year, which, believe me, was a lot easier than trudging through the snow now!

It usually takes around an hour to reach the viewpoint but you always need to allow about half as much time again when walking in snow, and even more if the snow is knee (or thigh!) deep.

After hiking up through the forest you reach a road (yes, that really is a road you can ‘see’ below!), where the ‘path’ to Suharna continues to the left. The path is well marked throughout, provided the signs are visible beneath the snow, that is!

From the viewpoint there are far-reaching views across the Radovljica plains, the Karavanke mountains, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and towards the Ljubljana basin.

Just don’t get too close to the edge as there is a sheer drop beneath that snow behind me!

We decided not to take a seat on the bench – can’t think why! – and instead returned to the intersection of paths and began our way, slowly, towards the Vodiška planina mountain pasture.

There are numerous paths that lead to the mountain pasture. This one proved to be a good option as we met few people along the way and it allowed us to do an entirely circular hike. Fortunately someone – though it looked like only one person – had already hiked that way that morning, so the trudge through the snow was at least somewhat easier.

From Suharna it would usually take around 1.15 hours to reach the Partizanski dom mountain hut on Vodiška planina but, again, it took us quite a bit longer due to the snow and we finally reached the mountain hut at just after 12.30pm, thus four hours after leaving home.

A flask of tea is an essential in winter, and even more so now when the huts are closed.

From the hut there are numerous paths the lead down towards Kropa. We took the one that leads towards the Stočje – the lower part of Kropa – which brings you out near the swimming pool.

The mountain pasture is only 1,108m and there’s over a metre of snow, whereas in the higher mountains there is over 3 metres of snow this year already. So, if you do plan any winter hiking, please do ensure you only choose familiar and/or well-trodden paths that are low risk in terms of avalanches and, of course, you need the full gamut of winter gear including gaiters, crampons, an ice axe (if going higher) and not forgetting a flask of tea!

From there we returned along the pavement to Kamna Gorica and from there we took the path that leads over the Fuxova brv footbridge back to Radovljica. The total hiking time from door-to-door was around 7 hours, and two pleasantly tired hikers certainly enjoyed their (gluten free!) pizzas once home!

You can read more ideas for winter hiking in my previous blog ‘5 Great Winter Hikes in Radovljica’

© Adele in Slovenia

Radovljica to Jamnik…the long way round!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, COVID-19 Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, kamna gorica, Kropa, Lipnica Valley, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

So, having done so well in the first round of COVID-19, unfortunately Slovenia is faring much less well second time around.

We are now back to a partial lockdown, and as of 19th October the Slovenian government officially (re)declared an epidemic and also introduced a curfew from 9pm to 6am. We are not allowed out of our region, bars and restaurants are closed, as are all non-essential shops (as of tomorrow), home schooling is in place for year 6 upwards, and masks must be worn outdoors too at all times, other than when doing individual sports such as cycling.

Hence, the best place to be by far – other than alone on your bike(!) – is in the forest and far from the madding crowd. So, that’s exactly where we headed last weekend; from Radovljica to Jamnik via Kamna Gorica, on foot all the way there and back!

There are several paths that lead up to Jamnik and its landmark church from Kropa, or you can drive (or cycle) up the windy road. If, however, you want to make a full day of it and you haven’t got transport, you could follow my lead and go the whole way on foot!

First head from the old town of Radovljica past the cemetery and down to the Sava river where you cross the Fux footbridge (Fuxova brv) and follow part of the Lipnica Castle Trail.

Instead of turning off the path towards Lipnica Castle, at the junction of paths with a shrine and an information board, as seen below, continue straight on towards Kamna Gorica.

You soon get your first glimpse of the Church of the Holy Trinity, which stands above the village.

Walk through the village then rejoin the road and walk on the pavement, with the stream to your left, until you reach a sign on the right, almost opposite the bus stop, for Vodiška planina (the Vodiška mountain pasture).

Walk up the tarmac road which soon becomes a forest trail. From here on the path is well marked with the usual red/white circles on trees.

Most of the trail runs through dense forest, so there isn’t much in the way of views, but when there is a gap between the trees it makes the effort worthwhile!

After around 1.5 hours of walking you reach the Vodiška planina mountain pasture and the Partisanski dom mountain hut (currently also shut due to the virus).

If you’d like a shorter version of this hike then you could now take one of the paths that lead directly down to Kropa. Should you wish to continue, then just keep following the signs to Jamnik.

And lookout for the viewpoint with a bench along the way!

…from there on its downhill all the way to Jamnik! We experienced almost four seasons in one day – sunny when we left Radovljica, a hailstorm on the way down towards Jamnik, then shrouded in fog when we got there. Oh well, you can’t have everything!

On a fine(r) day, it usually looks more like this and there are great panoramic views too!

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

So, despite everything, it’s still possible to enjoy the beauty of nature but, of course, do heed all the precautions and, above all, stay well and safe.

© Adele in Slovenia