Tag Archives: Planina Zajavornik

Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing in Slovenia’s Julian Alps

Posted in adeleinslovenia, Hiking, Hotels in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Julian Alps, Pokljuka, skiing, Slovenia, Triglav National Park by

I’ve had quite a few enquiries recently via my blog regarding winter hiking in Slovenia. So, I thought I would put together a new blog post with some ideas about where to hike here in winter, and also about another alternative winter sport – snowshoeing.

Before I go on, however, one thing I would like to emphasise – and cannot emphasise enough – is that you MUST be properly prepared and equipped for winter hiking. In the past couple of weeks there have been a number of deaths in our mountains, and, as is so often the case, among them are tales of people going to the mountains in trainers or other such inappropriate attire. Proper equipment is essential year-round, but particularly so in winter, as is knowing the terrain. Personally, during winter, particularly when hiking alone, I stick to routes that I know and that I know are well-trodden.

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As I’m not a skier – never have been and never will be – snowshoeing provides great exercise and (can be!) great fun too, provided the conditions are right. Putting on a pair of snowshoes for the first time is a slightly strange experience. One feels rather awkward and clumsy walking around with, what look and feel like, tennis racquets strapped to your feet, though the modern versions, as seen below, are somewhat sleeker in their design.

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Once you get used to walking with a wider and slightly ungainly gait, you soon get used to it, though a pair of hiking poles is a requisite. Walking with snowshoes enable you to access places on foot that would otherwise be inaccessible during winter. However, snowshoes aren’t suitable for scaling high peaks, but rather for traversing wider, flatter snow-covered terrain.

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One of the best, and one of my favourite, places for winter activities is the Gorenjska region, where I live in the northwest of Slovenia, is the Pokljuka plateau. The entire forested Karst plateau, 20kms in length, is within Triglav National Park, and reaches an elevation of 1,400m. The highest peak is Debela peč (2014m), which, together with the peaks of Brda, Mrežce and Viševnik, are among the most popular with hikers year-round.

As can be seen below – me en-route to Debela peč – winter hiking, when at times you can be waist deep (or deeper!) in snow, can be exhausting at times, so isn’t for the faint-hearted!

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But the rewards can also be fantastic, provided you are well-equipped, sensible, know the terrain, and are fit enough!

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Pokljuka is approximately 15kms from Bled. Other than for a few months during summer, there is no regular, scheduled public transport to the plateau, so a car is essential. The plateau can also be reached from the road which turns off near Bohinjska Bistrica and leads up towards Gorjuše.

This year on 8-11th December Pokljuka hosted the annual BMW Biathlon World Cup. The plateau is a favourite training destination for many winter sports people from across Europe as well as for the Slovene military who have a barracks at Rudno Polje, which is also home to the Pokljuka Sports Centre and the Hotel Center – http://www.center-pokljuka.si/en.html

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Pokljuka is a very popular destination with fans of cross-country skiing. I have tried it, on a few occasions, but me and skiing – of any kind – are never going to get along! Here’s me trying to ‘play it cool’ whilst a group of Slovenian military recruits go whizzing by!

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I’ve been there at times when the weather is less than favourable too, though once home in the warm with a cuppa, all is forgiven and forgotten!

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With its wide, open pastures and traditional wooden huts, the beautiful Planina Zajavornik highland is among the most popular parts of Pokljuka. The highland is also equally stunning during summer. You can cross the highland on foot and then head further up to the Blejska koča mountain hut, where you can enjoy hearty, traditional Slovenian food such as Carniolan sausage or a stew such as ričet, or, if the road is clear of snow, you can drive a little further by taking the road to the right from Mrzli studenec then park on the opposite side of the highland before continuing on foot up to the mountain hut.

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There are so many lovely parts of Pokljuka, it’s hard to choose a favourite and it’s equally beautiful, if not more so, during summer. Below you can see the Kranjska dolina highland, which you pass if you take the road as described above. I particularly like cycling in this area in summer.

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It’s fairly easy to navigate your way around Pokljuka, but a map of the Julian Alps will certainly aid you in planning routes.

I hope this has provided some ideas and inspiration for winter hiking in Slovenia. I wish you happy, and above all, safe, hiking!

© Adele in Slovenia

gostilna Walking Pokljuka’s Highlands / Radovljica Ceramics Festival 2015

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I’ve had a bit of a cold hanging around for the past few days, maybe the weather is to blame due to a week of temperatures in the mid-twenties followed by half a week of rain and temperatures barely reaching 10 degrees. This week, however, with the exception of a blip yesterday, it looks set to warm up again and hopefully I, and the weather, are now on the up!

I’m not good at being ill so, unless I’m really at death’s door, I still prefer to get outdoors in the fresh air rather than be cooped up indoors. Though, since I was feeling a bit lacklustre I needed a more gentle alternative and therefore a trip to the Pokljuka plateau was just the ticket. The vast plateau really does offer something for everyone. I usually go for longer hikes and baulk at the thought of driving part of the way, but this time I did let the car take some of the strain! There are endless places to walk of all lengths and difficulties, though, it is best to stick to marked paths and forest roads as one could very easily get lost in the great swathes of forest. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really matter where, how far, or how high, you go on Pokljuka, every path offers its own magic.

I began by driving past the Kranjska dolina highland, from where Stol, the highest peak in the Karavanke, can be seen in the background.

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Next I set off, on foot, towards Lipanca and the Blejska koća mountain hut. However, instead of continuing up to the hut, I took another path back down to rejoin the road, reaching one of my favourite highlands, Planina zajavornik. The whole of Pokljuka lies within Triglav National Park, which means there are certain rules to abide to protect nature and, as can be seen below, there are bears in the area, though the chances of meeting one are probably one in a million!

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I then enjoyed a rest in the sun among the wildflowers. The sun was lovely and warm though the wind was a bit nippy hence why I’m wrapped up in an old bivvie bag! There are a smattering of small wooden houses on the highland and, during the summer months, cheese, yoghurt and sour milk can be bought direct from the herdsmen.

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On Saturday it was the main day, Market Day, of this year’s Ceramics Festival in Radovljica. Aside from the monster of a hail storm early afternoon, it was a fine day that drew visitors – locals and tourists alike – to browse and buy from the stalls where they could chat directly with the ceramists themselves. There were also workshops, for adults and children, for those interested in having a go at making something for themselves. The Festival was officially opened on Thursday at an event attended by Radovljica’s Mayor and the ceramist Grainne Watts from Ireland whose exhibits could be seen in the lobby of the Radovljica Mansion.

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As a collector of elephants, though I don’t actually recall when or why I started collecting them, these colourful ornaments caught my eye.

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Later on Saturday, as part of Vurnik Days (Vurnikovi dnevi), the event ‘Pozdrav trti’ (A Toast to the Vine) took place at Kunstelj Inn in Radovljica. The vine is in the garden at Kunstelj Inn which offers great local food and one of the finest views in town. The vine, of the original variety Žametna črnina, is a descendant of the world’s oldest vine (as recorded in the Guiness Book of Records) which is found in Slovenia’s 2nd biggest city, Maribor.  More information about Kunstelj Inn can be found here – http://www.kunstelj.si/

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Festive Radovljica / A winter wonderland on Pokljuka

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Those who know me, will attest to the fact that I’m not a lover of winter, and certainly not a lover of snow. However, this past week at least has seen crisp, cold days with brilliant sunshine and, for a change, stable weather. These conditions have been perfect for winter hiking although one must now be very cautious as there is quite a lot of ice above 1000m, particularly in areas which are exposed to the sun during the day but then freeze overnight. However, at over 1500m there is enough snow to make hiking more pleasant. These are then the ideal conditions to head to Pokljuka, which I did on Saturday, and was rewarded with a real winter wonderland.

From Radovljica the drive to Pokljuka takes around 40 minutes, via Bled then up the long windy road to the top of the plateau. On this occasion I begun my walk from the Sport Hotel (1280m), first crossing the Zajavornik highland (Planina Zajavornik), then walking gradually up through the forest to reach the Lipanca highland (Planina Lipanca) and the mountain hut Blejska koča (1630m). From here I continued up to the peak of Mrežce (1965m). The walk to Blejska koča is easy but thereafter it becomes quite steep in places and also the snow is a lot deeper but the snow is well trodden and with the help of my crampons, presented no problems. I was richly rewarded for my efforts with cloudless skys, warm winter sunshine and far-reaching views across the Julian Alps, to Triglav and Rjavina and along the length of the Karavanke range and the valleys below. This area is also particularly popular for ski touring and I was fortunate that a skier arrived at the top just a few seconds before me so I was able to ask him to take my picture. However, you can no doubt imagine my angst when having walked all that way, after just a few snaps, I discovered my camera battery was empty – a mistake I won’t be repeating!

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In these times of crisis and austerity it has, well at least for some of us, become necessary to be more inventive in finding ways of providing our own entertainment and sharing skills and knowledge with others. In this vain, last week I ‘shared’ my baking skills with some friends and we enjoyed an evening of English christmas cake baking. For those of you not familiar with this, the key to the cake begins with the soaking of dried fruit in alcohol for a few days prior to baking the cake, and more alcohol being added every few days after baking. This ensures the cake stays moist and can be kept for several months before covering with marzipan, icing, and of course eating. The cake is now safely tucked up enjoying its regular ‘feed’ of alcohol and not yet quite yet ready to make its appearance on the world stage, err I mean my blog……. photos to follow in due course! We aim to repeat such evenings as and when the occasions present themselves, the next such one being an evening of making soap.

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The festive season is now well under way in Radovljica and there are plenty of events happening and coming up soon including the Advent Fair in Linhart Square in the old town centre, numerous concerts and carol singing. More information about these and all the festive events taking place can be found here –  http://www.radolca.si/

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