By now you may have seen, heard or read about the catastrophic flooding that has devastated parts of Slovenia over the past few days. Though the country isn’t immune to flooding, that it has happened in what is supposedly ‘summer’ and has been so widespread throughout the country is unheard of and is now officially the biggest disaster the country has faced since it’s independence.

So, this blog will be a little different to my usual ones, but I wanted to get something published as soon as possible for those of you worried about the situation here, or anyone planning to come but are worried about what is and isn’t accessible/open, etc. At the end of this post, I’ve also included details of how you can help, should you want to. In general, the western part of the country has been less affected, so there’s no need to cancel your holiday plans to this area, but do check if you plan to visit other areas.

I’ve started with some general information, then further down there is information that is more specific to the Radovljica area. For further information contact the Radovljica Tourist Information Office or visit www.radolca.si

First and foremost, please, please heed the warnings and don’t try to access paths and trails in affected areas. All the rescue services are working day and night and the last thing they need is to have to rescue people who have got themselves into trouble by taking risks and being unprepared. There is also a high risk of mudslides due to the saturated soil.

Slovenia’s rescue services – firefighters, mountain rescuers – the majority of whom are voluntary, assisted by the Armed Forces, are doing an absolutely sterling job.

By far the worst affected area is Koroška (Carinthia), where houses have been washed away and it took rescue services two days to gain access to areas completely cut off. At the moment food and water is being helicoptered in and, of course, it will be a very long time until life is back to ‘normal’ in that area. In the photo below you can see a member of the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Team being helicoptered in to rescue the residents of the house in the photo; just a few hours later that same house was entirely washed away by the flood waters.

The Slovenian Mountain Rescue Team and The Slovenian Armed Forces carrying out a rescue

In addition, flood waters rose by as much as 8 metres in Škofja Loka, demolishing bridges that have stood for hundreds of years in just a matter of seconds. The area near the Devil’s Bridge, where I held my birthday celebration back in May this year, basically no longer exists. So sad.

Other heavily affected areas include Kamnik, parts of Žalec, Laško, Solčava, Luče, Dravograd, and many more. If you have plans to travel to any of the affected areas, please ensure you check with the local tourist board before setting off.

Now on to the Radovljica area. Fortunately, this area has come off relatively, though not completely, unscathed. The lower part of the Šobec Camp had to be evacuated on Thursday night/Friday morning, as the Sava river had broken its banks, and at the time of writing remains closed. An appeal was quickly launched to find free hotel rooms/apartments, etc. for those affected.

The Draga Valley, as seen below, sustained heavy damage and currently the road through the Draga Valley is closed as is Gostišče Draga.

In Begunje na Gorenjskem the area of Katzenstein Manor, including the Museum of Hostages, is closed.

In terms of hiking trails, the following paths are in areas where trees have been uprooted and water has caused extensive damage, so are currently inaccessible:

• Lamberg Trail from Krpin to Kamen Castle
• Shepherds’ Trail through Luknja to the Preval mountain pasture
• Brezje Path of Peace
• Hiking Trail to Dobrča
• Sava River Trail

The following trails, however, are accessible: St. Peter’s Church above Begunje na Gorenjskem, Lipnica Castle Trail, trail to the Vodiška planina mountain pasture from the Slovenska peč smelting furnace and trails in the vicinity of Kamna Gorica.

Cycle routes that run on local roads are accessible by bike, but all the routes that make up the entire network of mountain bike trails are inaccessible.

The nearby Završnica valley also sustained very heavy damage and is currently inaccessible.

All river-based activities in the Radovljica area are due to resume as of today.

Vintgar Gorge is closed until at least 15th August.

Of course, as is usually the case with every disaster of this nature, in addition to tragic tales, there are also heart-warming tales of heroism and hope.

For example, the firemen who left his own home to the ravages of the flood waters to help rescue children from a nursery school, only to return home to find the contents of his house under water.

The family who put out an urgent appeal for a helicopter to rescue their dog, Bolt, who they had had to leave behind, with no food or water. A dog handler from the mountain rescue team organised and successfully carried out the rescue.

Photo: The Slovenian Mountain Rescue Association

And, on a more personal note, first thing on Saturday morning, in the Facebook group I run here for coeliacs, I wrote that if any coeliacs needed help with access to gluten-free food to get in touch. I was immediately contacted by one family with two young children who had lost their entire home. Though I couldn’t help in person, as it isn’t in this area, within just a few hours I managed to coordinate efforts to collect and deliver them food, which we managed to do the same day.

And since then I have been in regular contact with the president of the Koroška branch of the Slovenian Coeliac Association, who is helping to arrange deliveries of gluten-free food to those cut-off in that area and encouraging members to transfer money to the branch’s account, so they can continue to help those affected over the coming days and weeks.

The president of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen is due to visit in the next couple of days and has pledged to help, and, of course, Slovenia will recover, eventually. However, it’s still important to support those in need and you can also do your bit by supporting the economy through your visit as a tourist and/or contributing to the appeal fund, details below.

Until next time, when I hope to be the bearer of much happier and more positive news.

Bank transfers should be made to the following account:
IBAN: SI56 0284 3026 3945 425
BIC: LJBASI2X
Reference: SI00 2023
Name of recipient: HD ADRA Slovenija, Njegoševa 15 1000 Ljubljana
Purpose: NEURJE 2023
Code: CHAR

© Adele in Slovenia

If you are looking for a short, yet incredibly scenic, hike in the Tržič area, then Kamnek is the choice for you!

The trail starts right in the old town centre, near St. Andrew’s church and the pizzeria, from where you already get your first glimpse down over the town and its red roofs towards the lush mountains that form its backdrop.

There are numerous trails that lead up to Kamnek, some of which are marked with the usual red and white circle, while others aren’t. So, in true ‘All roads lead to Rome’ fashion, just pick one and start hiking and you’ll reach the top, even though, like us, it might take slightly longer than the advertised 45 minutes.

Let’s just say we took the ‘scenic route’, in the most literal sense of the word, but, in fact, for me it was the better choice, since my ongoing vestibular problem means that steep paths with cables and drops either side are not an option for me right now. For those of you who enjoy such challenges, Kamnek caters for you too, so just take the path directly upwards, steeply and slightly to the right, rather than taking any of the paths off to the side.

You gain height quickly, and the views begin even before reaching the top.

Though a modest 873 metres in height, one feels much higher when you emerge out of the forest at the top of Kamnek, and the views are certainly worthy of much higher summits, which makes it all the more rewarding.

There is a bench where you can sit and soak up the views of the old town to one side, and mighty Mt. Storžič to the other.

If you want to extend your hike a little further, you could continue to the top of Pirman, though, to be honest, the views from Kamnek are so great, you’re probably better off lingering there, as Pirman is rather overgrown.

As previously mentioned, there are numerous trails so you can take a different one down and make a circular route, or just return the same way.

So, if you love hiking and fab scenery, be sure to add Kamnek to your list of places to visit in the Tržič area – you won’t regret it!

Click here for more information about this and other hiking trails in the Tržič area.

© Adele in Slovenia

The 8th Radovljica Chocolate Festival is GO and even the current rather gloomy skies and chilly temperatures won’t stop the chocolate fun!

The festival, which is Slovenia’s biggest and best chocolate-related event, features a packed entertainment programme and, of course, chocolate of every size, shape and flavour imaginable. It all takes places in the beautiful setting of Radovljica’s historic old town centre, as well as in the town park and other locations – all of which are within easy walking distance.

The festival kicked off today at 1pm and will continue until 8pm, and thereafter continues for the whole weekend (Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday 9am-7pm), so there’s plenty of time to get your fill of chocolate! Take a look at the festival video, featuring some of the highlights of last year’s festival, which is bound to get your mouth watering!

Below are just some of the highlights of the choc-packed programme, with something for all the family – even for those who possibly don’t like chocolate – including big name concerts, workshops, cookery shows, cookery workshops, and more!

Click here for the full 3-day festival programme.

Saturday’s highlights include:

10am–6pm: House of Experiments: Make your own bar of chocolate – from bean to bar

10am: Three Chefs’ Cookery Show: Uroš Štefelin, Igor Jagodic, Jorg Zupan

10am, 12noon, 4pm, 6pm: Rainbow cake pops, cookery workshop for children

11am–5pm: Villach Oldtimer Club, exhibition of classic cars

1pm–4pm: Sašo Avsenik Ensemble

4pm: Fashion Show

5pm: Suhu cvetje – concert

6pm: 101- ka Band – concert

Also don’t miss a chance to see the vintage steam train arrive in Radovljica on Saturday bringing passengers to the festival. It’s a sight and sound to be seen and heard!

While on Sunday some of the treats awaiting you include:

10am–5pm: House of Experiments: Make your own bar of chocolate – from bean to bar

10am, 12noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm: Smiley Biscuits, cookery workshop for children

12noon: Pohorje Express – concert

2pm: Nipke – concert

3pm: Help! Beatles Tribute Band – concert

4pm–6pm: Circus workshops with Čupakabra

5pm / Joške vn – concert

In addition, throughout the festival you can try your hand at chocolate bingo, have a go on the pumptrack course for bikes and scooters, shoot some arrows at the archery corner, zip across a zip wire, and find out about the new Radovljica Beekeeping Adventure (more about that to come soon!).

Though the weather isn’t as glorious as could be hoped, the majority of the festival locations and events are in marquees so the show goes on – come rain or shine! So, come on down and join in the chocolate fun. There’s still time, I haven’t eaten all the chocolate – yet!

© Adele in Slovenia

So here we are at the start of another exciting year in the Radovljica area, with plenty of events to look forward to.

In this blog I’ve provided a month-by-month guide to some of the highlights, dates to note in your diary, and things to look forward to in this calendar year.

JANUARY

Why not go skiing at the small Kamna Gorica ski area in the Lipnica Valley, at the foot of the Jelovica plateau. The area has a drag lift, 400 metres of easy and 500 metres of slightly more challenging skiing terrain, and is particularly suitable for families. It’s also a bargain at just €6 per half day for children and €8 for adults. Find more information here (in Slovene only) – http://kamnagorica.si/smucisce/

FEBRUARY

It’s carnival time! Known as ‘Pust‘, the main day is pustni torek (Shrove Tuesday) when, wherever you are in Slovenia, you could be forgiven for thinking it is Halloween as children go to school dressed up as all kinds of ghosts and gouls, and some can be seen going from door-to-door trick-or-treating. However, there is actually a point to pust; the idea being to help drive winter away by scaring it with various costumes and masks – something I whole-heartedly support – roll on spring! The traditional annual carnival procession will take place in Radovljica this year on Saturday 25th February.

MARCH

Head to Kamna Gorica and/or Kropa on 11th March to watch the celebrations on the eve of St. Gregory’s Day, when local children make and float model vessels in the village streams. This age-old iron-forging custom takes place annually. The models, which are a mixture of unique art creations made from paper, cardboard and wood with candles affixed either on the exterior or interior, create a colourful effect against the dusk setting. This custom dates back to the era of manual iron-forging, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the name day of St. Gregory was considered the first day of spring.

APRIL

The Radovljica Chocolate Festival is by far the biggest event of Radovljica’s calendar year, and one of the biggest events of its kind in the country. This year the festival will take place over three days from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd April. You can be sure I’ll be writing plenty more about it nearer the time!

MAY

Various workshops take place during the course of the week-long International Ceramics Festival, with the main day – Market Day – taking place this year on Saturday 27th May.

JUNE

It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the best that the Radovljica area has to offer – hiking in the Karavanke Alps, road cycling or off-road mountain biking, rafting and kayaking on the Sava river, caving, fishing, take a panoramic flight on go skydiving at Lesce Sports Airfield, go horseriding, or just lie back beside the river or on a terrace somewhere and enjoy the views. There’s so much choice!

JULY

It’s summer and that means Fresh Thursdays in the Square! Every Thursday during July there are live concerts in Linhart Square, the heart of Radovlijca’s medieval old town.

Radovljica SLO 2011

The Hop-On Hop-Off Tourist Bus runs during July and August. At the time of writing, there is no official information about this year’s schedule, but I’ll be sure to let you know more about that too!

AUGUST

The opening ceremony of the 35th Radovljica Festival of Early Music will take place on Saturday 5th August, with concerts taking place throughout the month ending on 23rd August. The majority of concerts take place in the magnificent setting of Radovljica Manor.

Photo: Jana Jocif

SEPTEMBER

It’s all things sweet on Saturday 23rd September, when the annual Festival of Honey and Honey Dishes takes place in Lesce at the Gorenjska Beekeeping Education Centre. Expect cookery demonstrations, workshop, honey and honey products to try and buy, and something for all the family.

OCTOBER

Even if there are no major events, there’s no shortage of things to see and do. For example, every first Saturday in the month visit the Farmer’s Market at Vila Podvin, where you can meet local suppliers and buy and taste their produce and products. Following the market, why not stay on for lunch prepared using ingredients sold at the market, and cooked by one of Slovenia’s top chefs, Uroš Štefelin.

Every first Sunday in the month a flea market takes place in Linhart Square, Radovljica (or in the Radovljica Mansion in the event of rain).

Or how about attending one of the regular evenings with the Avsenik House Ensemble in Begunje na Gorenjskem, the home of Slovenian folk music.

NOVEMBER

It’s time to TASTE RADOL’CA – yippee! For the whole month of November the talented chefs at all the participating  Taste Radol’ca restaurants – of which last year there were 13 – rustle up amazing 3- or 4-course menus available a set price (last year €16). The opening and closing events are always a sell-out too. Taste Radol’ca goes from strength-to-strength each year, so I’m confident that 2017 will definitely be something not to miss!

DECEMBER

The festive season has come round again, which means its time for the Advent Market, Christmas concerts, street entertainment and plenty more festive fun! The old town centre always looks particularly magical at this time of year.

Of course, this is just a selection of the events taking place in the Radovljica area, but I hope it has at least whetted your appetite to include Radovljica on your list of places to visit this year!

© Adele in Slovenia

The Radovljica Mountain Association was founded in 1895 and is one of the oldest and most active mountain associations in Slovenia. As with the many other mountain associations throughout Slovenia, it carries out numerous activities, including training for mountain guides, guided hikes, managing and maintaining mountain huts, and maintenance and marking of mountain trails.

Each association manages a number of mountain huts/shelters/lodges, the majority being in the immediate surroundings, whilst others can be in an entirely different part of the country. For example, the Radovljica Mountain Association manages three huts; Roblekov dom, Pogačnikov Dom na Kriški podih and Valvarsorjev dom. Just last week the latter was awarded, for the 2nd time in 3 years, the title of ‘Best Mountain Hut’.

Valvarsorjev dom – Photo: PD Radovljica

Valvasorjev dom stands beneath Stol, the highest mountain in the Karavanke range, and on the terrace of the south slopes of Belščica. It is a favourite destination for locals and is also an excellent venue for organised meetings, courses, camps, or school nature trips. The hut has been entirely renovated and has well-equipped sleeping, sanitary and washing areas as well as central heating, running water, showers, radio and mobile connection.

For some, Valvarsorjev dom is a destination in itself. It can be reached from the Završnica valley in less than a hour on the marked trail, whilst for others it is a start point for hiking to Stol. You can also visit the Ajdna archeological site (read more here https://adeleinslovenia.com/2016/06/20/a-sunny-saturday-on-ajdna/).

Or continue to one of the many highlands beneath Stol. As you can see below, there are plenty of options!

One of the reasons that Valvasorjev dom is so popular, is that it is one of just a few mountain huts that is open year-round. It is also equally popular during winter with hikers, sledgers (conditions permitting) and off-piste skiers.

However, that alone is certainly not enough to win the title, it is the friendliness of the team that run it, headed up by Aleš Štefe, as well as the excellent home-cooked food. Everything is made onsite, and one thing I find particularly impressive, is that since Aleš took over running the hut, they have not bought even one single loaf of bread, preferring instead of make their own. There are always a wide range of sweet and savoury dishes on offer such as soups, stews, štruklji, and award-winning strudel.

 Below you can find more information from the Radovljica Mountain Association about access and onward tours from Valvarsorjev dom.

Starting Point and Access:

Moste pri Žirovnici – Završnica – Valvasorjev dom (8km)

Završnica – Valvasorjev dom (1.15h)

Tours from Valvasorjev dom:

Žirovniška planina highland – Stol (2.30h)

Žirovniška planina highland – Zabreška planina highland – Stol (2.45h)

Potoški stol (via Potoška planina – 2h)

Vajnež – via Potoška planina (2.30h)

Ajdna Archeological Site (30min)

Onward routes to other huts:

Prešeren Hut (Prešernova koča) on Stol (3h or 3.30h)

Roblekov dom on Begunjščica (2.30h)

Planinski dom on Zelenici via the Lower Route (3.30h)

Dom Pristava on Javorniški Rovt (2.30h)

© Adele in Slovenia