Tag Archives: Jezersko

A Jaunt Through Jezersko!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Bergsteiger Dorfer Association of Mountain Villages, hiking in Jezersko, hiking in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Jezersko, Slovenia blog, Slovenian culture by

I have already written several blogs about Jezersko, mainly about what a wonderful destination it is for hiking in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. However, the valley itself also has plenty else to offer, including easy walks, a beautiful lake, a mineral water spring, a waterfall, museums, monuments and other historic buildings.

So, join me on a jaunt through Jezersko, and this time no hiking boots required!

If you plan to walk the valley in its entirety, a good place to start – and to park – is at, or near, the Jezersko Tourist Information Centre. From there, pass a monument, cross the road and then cross the bridge.

Turn left after crossing the bridge to join the path alongside the Jezernica stream.

It’s not long until the valley begins to open up to reveal magnificent views of the surrounding peaks of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

Follow the path for around 25 minutes to reach the beautiful Planšar Lake (Planšarsko jezero).

You can take a refreshments break at the Gostišče ob Planšarskem jezeru restaurant, which is known for its traditional food and especially desserts such as kremšnita (cream slice).

Then walk around the lakeshore – in either direction – to join the Ravenska kočna theme path. The path branches off the tarmac road to the right at the junction seen in the photo below. It is well marked and easy to follow.

After about 20 minutes walking on the gradually rising gravel path, you reach a clearing and a pasture, from where there are magnificent views.

You can continue to the head of the valley, which takes another cca. 30 minutes and is worth it for the views alone. Or, if you would like to continue exploring Jezersko, on returning, instead of walking back towards the lake, follow the tarmac road towards Jenks barracks (Jenkova kasarna).

Along the way you can stop for a rest and a read at one of the free book stops!

The building dates from the 15th century when it was used as a boarding house for merchants travelling from Tržič (in Slovenia) to Eisenkappel (in Austria) and onward.

Rezultat iskanja slik za jenkova barracks jezersko

Photo: http://www.jezersko.info

During Slovenia’s short battle for independence, the barracks, which nowadays contain an ethnographical museum collection, once housed a secret stash of weapons. The plaque on the outside of the house – as seen below – is a thanks for brave actions on the independence of Slovenia.

Should you want to visit the museum, contact the Jezersko Tourist Information Centre which can make the necessary arrangements.

After passing the barracks, continue slightly upwards until you meet the main road that leads upwards towards the border with Austria – the Pavlič pass (Pavličevo sedlo). Turn left and walk back towards Jezersko towards St. Andrew’s church (sv. Andrej).

On reaching the church, at the junction you can either turn off the main road to return towards the Planšar lake or make a(nother) side trip to visit a mineral spring and waterfall. If you choose the latter, follow the main road past the church for around 5 minutes before turning right at the sign below.

The water that springs from the Jezerska slatina mineral water spring is known to contain magnesium content of all mineral waters in Slovenia. It is said to be beneficial for a range of ailments and diseases, particularly cardiovascular-related.

I must admit I was surprised to discover that it actually has a very pleasant taste and is lightly carbonated; some such natural mineral waters I have tried elsewhere have a somewhat metallic or bitter taste, but this one doesn’t, though one should be careful not too drink too much. The information board behind the spring gives more information and advice about how much can be drunk.

You can continue past the spring to reach the Ank waterfalls (Ankova slapova). To reach the falls, walk past the Ank homestead (Ankova domačija) and follow the signs upwards into the forest.

There are two small waterfalls that, one after another, drop 7 metres.

Rezultat iskanja slik za ankova slapova

Photo: http://www.jezersko.info

So, that wraps up my jaunt through Jezersko. I hope you will follow in my footsteps and visit, whether for a short jaunt, a longer hike, or an even longer stay!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

Jezersko: Slovenia’s First Mountaineering Village

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, Jezersko, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Karavanke mountains, lakes in Slovenia, skiing, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Theme paths, Tourist farms in Slovenia by

The village of Jezersko lies at an altitude of 906 metres above sea-level at the foot of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karavanke range. It is Slovenia’s first, and it could be said ‘best’, true mountaineering village.

As befits somewhere with such pristine nature, it is spotlessly clean, all the hiking trails and attractions are very well marked, and a sense of peace and tranquility reigns over the entire valley.

What you won’t find in Jezersko are hordes of tourists, tacky souvenir shops, and over-priced eateries etc., instead you will find scattered homesteads and farms, a handful of eateries serving local food, friendly locals and ‘to-die-for’ views as far as the eye can see.

What I personally find so appealing about Jezersko, apart from the peace and great hiking, is that although the area, understandably, has a vision in terms of tourism, that vision is exactly what it should be i.e. to remain true to what it is, to avoid mass tourism, to attract the type of people who appreciate Jezersko for its pure simplicity. And that, in my book, is something to be applauded, and is in pleasant contrast to many of today’s tourist traps.

Further proof that Jezersko is a great mountaineering village, is its entry this year into the Bergsteiger Dorfer Association of Mountain Villages. With the exception of Jezersko, all the other villages are in well-known mountainous areas, such as Bavaria and Tyrol.

If walking and hiking is your thing, then in Jezersko there is something to suit all levels; 2 mountain huts, 20kms of easy trails, 10kms of challenging trails; 15kms of very demanding trails, and 1 secured climbing trail.

For an easy walk and a good way of getting acquainted with the area, I recommend a walk along the 8km Ravenska kočna Theme Trail.

It begins at the stunningly beautiful Planšar Lake (Planšarsko jezero)…

…and continues across meadows with magnificent views of the north faces of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

Having such excellent natural conditions for alpine sports, Jezersko is home to some of Slovenia’s mountaineering legends. Among them Davo Karničar (seen below), who in 2000 became the first person to ski from the peak of Mt Everest to the base camp, and then, over the next six years to 2006, went on to ski from the highest peaks in all the continents, making him a true legend in the world of alpinism.

As of this year, the entire Jezersko Mountain Trail is now available in English (translated by me!). The trail can be walked in sections or in its entirety. Many of the hikes involve some difficult sections, so if you love challenging hikes, then this is for you, but you can also pick and choose some of the easier trails, too. It includes all the greats such as Grintovec, Skuta, Jezerska kočna, Goli vrh, Velika Baba, Storžič, the Frischaufov dom hut, Kranjska and Koroška rinka, and more.

One of the most popular places for many hikers, either as a destination in itself or as a base for more demanding onward tours, is the Češka koca mountain hut (1543m). In addition to its fantastic location, what makes this hut unique is that it was built in 1900 by the Prague-based Czech branch of the Slovene Mountaineering Association, after which the hut was named. It has been renovated many times over the years but has retained its original style.

Jezersko is also popular in winter, when cross-country , ski touring and sledging are the activities of choice.

Photo: TIC Jezersko

So, this has just been a brief overview of Jezersko, I will be writing more in due course as one blog certainly doesn’t do it justice, but I hope it has at least whetted your appetites!

If you love hiking and appreciate nature at it’s best, when considering your (next) trip to Slovenia, consider Jezersko!

© Adele in Slovenia

Men all over the world are crying – or so says ELAN!

Posted in Begunje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Uncategorized by

So, that’s a rather strange title for my blog this week, isn’t it? I bet you’re curious what on earth it means! Let me explain.

These days watching, and listening to, the news is usually pretty depressing, I’m sure you’ll agree. So, when last week I saw the headline for the launch of Elan’s new women’s skis, it made me chuckle and I decided to find out more. Well, a bit of humour never goes a miss!

The reason why men all over the world are crying, it seems, is because they would love to get their hands on Elan’s new Delight women’s ski – the lightest ever produced – using patented Slimshape technology that dramatically reduces the weight of the skis – but, alas, this time they can’t, since they’re just for the ladies!

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As I wrote in a blog post just 2 weeks ago – http://wp.me/p3005k-1fl – the Elan factory, in Begunje na Gorenjskem, is just minutes from where I live and I often pop into the shop – not for skis I hasten to add! – to browse the range of outdoors clothing and equipment. I had hoped to also see the skis up close but they are so new that they are not yet even in the shop, but will be in a fortnight or so, so not long to wait! In the meantime do take a moment to watch the video and find out who else is crying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGPpOD1wMkY or you can read more on the website – http://www.elanskis.com/

The advert features some of the legends from the world of extreme skiing, including Davo Karničar – the first man to ski from Everest.

Davo Karnicar

I had the pleasure of meeting Davo at his home, the Davo Karničar Mountain Lodge, in Jezersko. Read more here – http://wp.me/p3005k-5Q

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Amongst others, the video also includes World Champion and World Cup Winner in Ski Cross Filip Flisar (SLO), Olympic and World Cup medallist alpine skiing Christian Mayer (AUT), and extreme skier Glen Plake (USA),

Talking of skiing, did you know we actually have a small ski slope here in Radol’ca? It’s in Kamna Gorica to be precise, and despite the wonderful spring-like winter that we have been experiencing of late, whereby there is barely a flake of snow lower than 1500m, the operators have been performing wonders to keep the slope open for local children to enjoy.

Kamna Gorica skiing

Apparently, though, some snow may be headed our way later this week, which will delight all the skiers out there!

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

Jezersko: A wealth of hidden natural beauty

Posted in Uncategorized by

If you like hiking and magnificent Alpine scenery, then Jezersko should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Slovenia. Personally, I think Jezersko is very underrated as little is written about it in the media and it deserves to be more widely known. So, in an attempt to at least partially rectify that, here’s my contribution.

I usually visit Jezersko at least a couple of times per year and particularly like to go on the occasion of the Sheep Ball (Ovcji bal), which is the oldest ethnological event of its kind in Slovenia and this year was held for the 57th time.

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The Plansar Lake (Plansarsko jezero)

Jezersko can be reached either from Kranj towards Preddvor and along the narrow Kokra valley or via Austria and the Seeberg saddle (Jezerski vrh) pass. It is surrounded by the mountains of the Kamnik Savinja Alps. The Jezersko municipality has only 655 inhabitants (data from 2009) spread across an area of 6,881 hectares. There are many remote farmsteads scattered over its two settlements – Spodnje (Lower) and Zgornje (Upper) Jezersko. Zgornje Jezersko is the bigger of the two and has tourist facilities including a hotel, guest houses and tourist farms.

There are numerous natural wonders to see, the most well-known among them is the Planšar Lake (Plansarsko jezero), which is also the venue of the annual Sheep Ball. The Jezersko-Solčava breed of sheep is indigenous and is celebrated in this annual tradition of all things ‘sheep’ – wool, cheese and other dairy products, sheep shearing demonstrations and more.

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The annual Sheep Ball

Of course I couldn’t go all that way without doing some hiking too so my visit began with a 7am start from Radovljica, arriving in Jezersko by 8am, before setting off to hike to the peak of Goli vrh. The path begins at the Davo Karničar Mountain Lodge, which, at the time of my visit was currently not operating.

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The peak of Goli vrh – well worth the hike!

The path is well marked throughout and rises steeply through the forest, crossing the Jenkova planina highland and continuing up through the forest to reach the peak at  1787m from where there are panoramic views so mesmerising, it’s difficult to know where to look at first!

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One of the many ‘wow’ views. This one looking down over the Plansar Lake

Jezersko’s most known resident is Davo Karničar, a local legend, a climber and extreme skier who has skied from the 7 highest summits on all 7 continents and was the first person to ski from the summit of Everest in the year 2000. In fact the whole Karničar family are an integral part of the valley where they have the family farmstead and help run the Česka koča mountain hut, which is located under Mt. Grintovec and is one of Jezersko’s most popular hiking destinations. The hut has a long and interesting history as it is the only one in Slovenia that was actually built, in 1900, by the Czech Branch of the Slovene Mountaineering Association, hence its name.

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The Ceska koca mountain hut under Mt. Grintovec

For those looking for more of a stroll than a hike I most definitely recommend a walk along the Ravenska Kočna Theme Path. The 8km path traverses meadows beside the Jezernica stream then leads slightly up through the forest to the viewpoint ‘Na prodih’ where the views will richly reward your effort.

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The Ravenska Kocna Theme Path

The Jezerska slatina mineral water spring, located near the Ank farmstead, is said to have the highest magnesium content of all mineral waters in Slovenia.

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The Jezerska slatina mineral spring. Bring your water bottle and fill it!

Useful links:

Jezersko Tourist Information Centre – http://www.jezersko.info/en/

© AdeleinSlovenia 2015