Slovenian Alps: 5 beautiful hikes
All of the indicated hikes were conducted with an almost one-year-old girl in the backpack. However, to do this we recommend that you are already trained hikers.
1. VELIKA PLANINA
EXCURSION TO THE KAMNIK AND SAVINJA ALPS
Difficulty: easy/medium, family friendly
Trail type: forest | prairie | dirt trail
Equipment: sports shoes
Velika Planina is the name of an idyllic mountain settlement that consists of conical pine wood huts dotting a bucolic plateau draped with grasslands. In fact, this is only the largest of the 3 settlements one encounters while making this easy but not too short hike: Gojska, Mala, and Velika Planina. The three settlements have similar features, but each has its own character: one admires a panorama drawn by snow-capped rocky peaks, another lies on the edge of a ravine overlooking a wide valley hundreds of meters below, and another is lined with forests and mountain huts.
During the summer, the villages are inhabited by herds of cows grazing the verdant grass, and by farmers making cheese. In autumn, everything is dominated by a surreal silence that will accompany you alone on your hike.
The length of the trail is customizable: Velika Planina can be reached by funicular from the Kamniska Bistrica valley and a short walk. Gojska Planina can be reached in a half-hour walk from the parking lot Parkirišče Za Ušivcem And you can continue another half hour to reach Mala Planina. The loop trail that skirts all three settlements to return to the parking lot at Ušivec, takes about 3 hours and is approx. 9km long with an elevation gain of 350m.
2. LOGARSKA DOLINA
EXCURSION TO THE KAMNIK AND SAVINJA ALPS
Difficulty: easy, family friendly
Trail type: forest | dirt path | asphalt road
Equipment: sports shoes
The Logar Valley is a flat strip of land wedged between mountains offering hikers a beautiful alpine panorama, relaxing walks through forests of a thousand autumn colors, a few waterfalls, and, for experienced hikers, the entrance to mountain trails of high difficulty.
Ideal for those who want to explore the valley, and enjoy it in all its facets, is to stay in the (not inexpensive) Plesnik Hotel, a very quaint historic property that sits at the mouth of this valley and offers magnificent views of mist-crossed meadows in the morning, snow-capped peaks by day, and the sleeping moonlit valley by night, comfortably seated in front of a hearth in the hotel spa.
The walk along the valley takes about 4 hours round trip. You can take the hiking trail in one direction, and the paved road on the return, very picturesque anyway, lined with dense forest.
At the end of the valley, with a short uphill stretch, in approx. 15' you reach Slap Rinka, a small but high waterfall at the foot of which you can stop for a coffee overlooking the water.
3. VISEVNIK
HIKE IN THE JULIAN ALPS
Difficulty: medium, family friendly
Trail type: forest | mountain trail
Equipment: hiking shoes and poles
Amid endless expanses of pine trees that cloak rolling and rougher hillsides, this hike is of medium difficulty, but it holds wonderful alpine views. The hike begins at the Rudno Polje parking lot, from which a dirt road initially skirts the ski slopes, then plunges into dense shrub forest on the ascent to the summit. The trail is rough and almost overgrown with vegetation, and offers endless views of the surrounding hills. During fall, the evergreen vegetation contrasting with the autumn grassy expanses and the already snow-capped peaks creates very picturesque color effects. Reaching the summit of Visevnik after ca. 700m of elevation, at 2055m, we begin the descent on more bare and exposed ridges, until we reach a barren valley that slowly slips into dense pine forest.
The hike takes about 3 hours in total.
4. SLEMENOVA SPICA
HIKE IN THE JULIAN ALPS
Difficulty: medium, family friendly
Trail type: forest | mountain trail | moderately exposed scree
Equipment: hiking shoes and poles
This extremely scenic hike begins at Vršič Pass at 1611m. Having parked the car, we immediately climbed a rocky path, ascending abruptly for about 200m, which already offers a fine view of the mountains surrounding the pass road.
After this first steep section, the trail becomes gentler, with ups and downs winding through larch trees that color the woods yellow and orange in autumn. You arrive in a more open area from which there is already a nice view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. The last section climbs another 350m or so to the summit of Slemenova Spica (1909m), a very steep climb but without excessive difficulty. You descend from the same trail, and you can take advantage of the small scenic plateau to lie down for a rest and some sun.
For the return, we chose to take an alternate trail that climbs up a fairly exposed scree slope. Good hiking equipment is necessary for this option. Hiking up the slope of Mt. Mojstrovka, allows you to make a loop and only retrace the same path from Vratca Prelaz, the first stage, to the pass.
The walk is 5km long and takes about 2 hours at a good pace.
5. OJSTRICA E MALA OSOJNICA
EXCURSIONS ON LAKE BLED
Difficulty: easy, family friendly
Trail type: forest | dirt trail
Equipment: hiking shoes
Lake Bled is a picturesque body of water that attracts a lot of relaxers, but it also offers some easy hiking trails that allow you to admire the lake from other perspectives.
To get an overall, top-down view of the lake, you can take a short but rewarding hike, also suitable for families. From the beach at Velika Zaka, southwest of the lake, a fairly easy trail climbs on the high ground through the woods (we still recommend hiking shoes since it is steep and the ground is uneven) that leads in about 20-25 minutes to the Ojstrika viewpoint. If you want an even better view of the lake, you can continue for another 15-20 minutes and reach the second viewpoint, Mala Osojnica. Along the way there are several views of the surrounding hills, and the forest itself is very pleasant for a walk, especially in autumn.
From here you can descend back down to the lake, slightly south of the Velika Zaka parking lot, along a very steep path equipped with steep metal steps, or, as we did, by going back on the same path.
