Dat Slovenia is a beautiful country to visit, most travelers know. Everyone knows it Lake Bled with the small island in the middle. However, there are still several places that are much less known to the average traveler. Two regions on the Austrian border, Koroshka en Savinjska are incredibly interesting to visit and are off the beaten track. In this article I will tell you more about it!
Slovenia is one of the most unspoilt countries in Europe! It has amazing nature, impressive mountains with ski areas, valleys, idyllic coastline, medieval castles, waterfalls, the famous Lake Bled and much more! Go on a tour or camp in the middle of the woods.
- Wilderness
- Bergen
- Waterfalls
- A destination for both a relaxing car tour and an active holiday
The Koroška and Savinjska regions
The above regions are definitely worth a visit. Because they are so rarely visited by tourists, you really travel off the beaten track. This sometimes creates challenges, such as communicating with the locals, but it has its charm and you really feel like you are in a different world. There are several activities worth exploring.
Reachability
You can of course easily reach Slovenia by plane, but it is also easy to reach by car from the Netherlands. From Utrecht you drive about 1.300 kilometers to central Slovenia. If you fly, you will basically arrive at the capital Ljubljana (Location here). If you visit the regions from this blog, you have more options. You can do so via Zagreb (Croatia) or via Graz (Austria) flying.
Travel company
You can actually visit these regions on your own, with your partner, or with the whole family. There are various activities that are possible for the whole family, and there is a lot of diversity in these activities. The activities that I will explain below can also be undertaken with children.
Unique activities
Taste and make your own gin
There are many breweries in Slovenia, where people like to drink an alcoholic drink. Yet you won't find many gin breweries where you can take a look. This small brewery, where gin is brewed on a small scale, is all the more fun.
Besides the fact that they run a restaurant where you can enjoy delicious food, the main activity in this place is of course the gin. You can make your own gin, and that is of course very cool. A month after you have distilled the gin, it will only really taste good. A nice souvenir for home, with which you can think back to Slovenia.
Timber rafting
Timber rafting is part of the rich Slovenian history and therefore its cultural heritage. Since 2000, the rafts have been brought back on the Drava River to revive the rafting tradition. The connection with nature, the original raft routes on the water and the excellent skills of the carpenters are highlighted in this original activity. Beforehand you will be taken through a video to the history of rafting and not much later you can get on the water yourself.
From the river Dráva, also known locally as the Drau, gives you a special experience, because you can help the rafters. Nowadays the raft is not only propelled by hand, but it is so much fun to experience it. You will also receive a suitable meal on the raft. This means a meal with a lot of carbohydrates, because the men (they were not allowed to be women in the past) had to consume a lot of energy.
In addition to rafting, everything is done to give you the feeling that you have gone back in time. For example, there are musicians playing Slovenian music who welcome you to the raft and a carpenter is sawing to show how the rafts used to be made. This activity can serve as a team building activity, but romantic dinners on the raft are also organized.
You can participate in this activity from May to November on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.00:13.30 AM and XNUMX:XNUMX PM. During the week is also possible, but you must make an appointment, otherwise there will be no sailing. Reservations are required in any case.
Kayaking in the mines (Podzemlje Pece)
History
Underground, near Mežica (Location here) you will find the old lead and zinc mines. In the past, people worked very hard here and even though the mines have not been in use for a long time, they are now used to introduce tourists to the history of mining. Under the mountain Piece Lead ore was mined long ago by the Romans. Work in the mines was stopped in 1994 and since then no lead or zinc has been mined in the more than 1.000 kilometers of passages.
Preparation
There are several ways to navigate the passageways Podzemlje Pece to discover. You can get through it by train, bicycle or kayak. Each activity is on a different floor within the mines, which have a total of twenty different floors. For the cycling and kayaking experience you have to go to floors 7 and 8. In all cases you take the small mine train into the mountain. You sit in a small dark wagon for more than fifteen minutes and you are brought closer to the mines. Before you start cycling or kayaking, you have to descend a steep staircase to reach a few floors lower.
So I went kayaking and will go into that in a little more detail. It was an incredibly original, active and special activity. A round of kayaking on a river cannot be compared to this at all. After being given a helmet and gloves when boarding the mine train, I was also given a waterproof suit and life jacket when I arrived at the mines. With this equipment I walked further down a staircase and at the end of it I stepped into the water. The water came up to about my knees, but I didn't feel this because of the suit.
Kayaking
It is quite a walk to get to the kayaks. The distance you then have to walk through the water with the kayak is also quite long, because you have to go through several mines where the water is not high enough. At one point we came to a bulkhead and behind it the water is a lot higher. From this point we settled into the kayak.
That's when the real adventure begins. It is pitch black; You can only see anything with the light on your helmet. The guide is in another kayak. You can follow him/her, but you can also go your own way. You may feel like you're getting lost, but in the end there are only dead-end tunnels or you end up at the exit. It is very cool to go through the mines this way. At the end there is even a small acceleration in the route and that is how you end this fantastic experience.
Clothing Tips
It is cold in the caves, about 10 degrees. However, you don't have to dress very warmly. You can expect your arms to get wet. My advice is to wear a raincoat that is not too thick. Because the suit is basically waterproof, it is also quite warm.
Remark: Apologies for the bad photo of this activity. I added them anyway to give an impression. Due to the low light and wet conditions it was not possible to take good photos.
Other activities
Cycling routes
You can ride parts of the Drava Bike cycle route throughout Slovenia. This cycle route runs through a total of four countries. You can continue with more than 710 kilometers Italy, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia cycling. We are still working hard on the last parts in Slovenia and Croatia, but the cycle paths that are already there look fantastic.
You don't even have to be very fit to cycle here in the mountains, because almost all bicycles that are rented are electric bicycles. In addition, many cycle paths are flat and close to the river. This makes it not difficult and you can also enjoy the beautiful view of the river.
When you get up the website from Drava Bike, you can find the entire route. I cycled a part of 'stage 2' in Slovenia, and that was beautiful. Along the light aqua blue river Drava, enjoying the surroundings with the mountains in the background.
Hiking trails
In Savinjska
In the beautiful region Savinjska there are several mountain walks to undertake. The distances vary from multi-day walks to walks of about two hours. The most famous multi-day walk is the Šalek mountain trail, which is a total of 84 kilometers long. Below is a list of a number of mountain walks that you can complete in one day:
- Smrekovec takes about 1,5 hours
- St. Martin's Trail, Gora Oljka Mountain takes about 6 to 7 hours
- Šmihel – Golte Trail lasts approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes
- Farbanca and Creta lasts approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes
- From Rečica to Golte takes about 3 hours
- Menina Mountain takes about 3 hours
- St. Primož lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Velika Raduha Mountain takes about 4 hours
- Klemenča jama lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
In Koroska
In the region Koroshka several walks are also possible. There are two very long routes, namely the Koroska Mountain Trail and the About Pohorje (also Slovenian Mountain Trail called).
De Koroska Mountain Trail is more than 230 kilometers long in total, which means you can make it a 10- to 12-day hike. But it is also possible to walk part of it. There are several routes that are less challenging, making it possible for recreational hikers to plan a nice route.
De About Pohorje is the oldest and most diverse hiking trail in Slovenia, but not very well known. This route is over 62 kilometers long, but you can also choose to walk only part of the route. There are parts where you walk alone for miles through unspoilt nature, and there are parts that are less pristine.
Waterfall Rinka
Experience one of the most pristine Alpine valleys of Europe in the Logar Valley Regional Park. The valley is known for the many waterfalls along the hiking trails, including more than 90 meters high Rinka Waterfall is the best known. You can take various walks there, but the Pot po Logarskiroute is highly recommended! This ends at the high Rinka waterfall.
If you fancy a drink at the end of the route, there is a cozy restaurant with a view of the waterfall where you can enjoy it.
Wellness
There are many locations where you can spend the night and enjoy some relaxation. So we visited Hotel Plesnik (click here). They offer yoga, meditation, massages, a hot tub, a swimming pool and a sauna. It is possible to use the wellness facilities without staying overnight. The outdoor pool is extremely cold, but offers a magical view of the Logar Valley.
Also read: Slovenia | Accommodations and restaurants in the Savinjska & Koroška region
Even more activities
In addition to all the above activities, there are many more activities to enjoy in these regions. Here is a list of other options:
- Visiting water park Vodni park Radlje ob Dravi;
- Visit vineyards and do a wine tasting;
- Visit various churches, including the largest: Church of St Mohor and Fortunat;
- Visit the Museum of Leather: Muzej Usnjarstva;
- Paragliding;
- Visiting Josipdol; Museum of Stonecutting, Glassmaking and Forestry;
Sustainable Travel
In Slovenia they have actually been working on sustainability for much longer than we in the Netherlands. They have it Green Cuisine label, which is awarded to restaurants that follow the principle of sustainability and mainly use local products. Sustainable initiatives are labeled with Slovenia Green to help travelers easily make eco-friendly choices during their travels.
Conclusion
Slovenia is a country full of surprises, where the beauty of nature and the friendliness of the people go hand in hand. The country also has a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and therefore offers many ways to travel responsibly. The Koroška and Savinjska regions are excellent regions to add to your roadtrip through Slovenia. Since the regions provide a portion of culture, nature and sporting activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Definitely worth adding!
Slovenia is one of the most unspoilt countries in Europe! It has amazing nature, impressive mountains with ski areas, valleys, idyllic coastline, medieval castles, waterfalls, the famous Lake Bled and much more! Go on a tour or camp in the middle of the woods.
- Wilderness
- Bergen
- Waterfalls
- A destination for both a relaxing car tour and an active holiday