Slovenia's Karawanken in the rain

We had imagined our stay in Slovenia's Karawanks differently. We had planned to visit Slovenia's highest alpine pasture in Velika Planina. There we wanted to meet the shepherds who drive their animals up to the pasture every spring. But then the rain thwarted our plans.

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After our visit in the rose garden of the Arboretum Volcji Potok The clouds descended ever lower from the mountaintops. We watched the developing weather with growing doubt.

When we arrived at the valley station of the cable car, the friendly man at the ticket office showed us the webcam that was installed up on the alpine pasture. "The clouds are hanging so low that you can hardly see anything." He advised us to try again on one of the next few days.

Experience Slovenia's Karawanken in the rain

We followed his well-intentioned advice, but unfortunately, we had no luck with the weather for the next two days either. On the contrary! Most of the time, the clouds hung so low in the valley that you couldn't even imagine how close the mountains of the Southern Limestone Alps actually are in the region around Kamnik.

It's raining. For hours at first. It's pouring. On and on. With only short breaks between the downpours. Long walks are out of the question. So we get in the car and drive off to explore the region. These places for Slow Traveler are what we discover on these rainy days and what makes Slovenia’s Karawanken tasty for another visit:

 

 

The valley of Kamniska Bistrica

The Kamniska Bistrica river valley lies below Velika Planina. Without the rain, we would never have reached the end of the valley. There, the river springs from a jumble of rocks and flows into a pool whose green color is reminiscent of emeralds.

I usually only dream of places like this. This one, however, is real. The good thing is that even a rainy day doesn't diminish its beauty. Between the dense branches of the treetops, which shield this place from prying eyes, and the steep mountain slopes, only rarely does a ray of sunshine penetrate to the valley floor.

We enjoy this green paradise all the more. The few raindrops that manage to penetrate the canopy of leaves don't bother us.

The valley of Kamniska Bistrica has other beautiful spots in store for us: at the end of the valley stands the hunting lodge that King Alexander once had built on this site.

Numerous hiking trails lead into the mountains from here, but we'll skip them. A photo of the hunting lodge is enough for us. Then we'll continue along the river back towards Kamnik.

The river water that accompanies us on our journey is crystal clear. We take our time and play a little with the friendly donkey that caught our eye on the way here. He eyes us just as curiously as we do him. Somehow, he seems to be enjoying himself as much as we are.

 

 

The surroundings of Kamnik in the rain

The next day it rained even harder. We set off by car on a tour through the area around Kamnik, the largest town in this region of Slovenia's Karawanks.

We're driving to the hills of Tunjice. There's a region there said to have healing powers. The Tunjice Healing Grove is a holistic health center with various healing springs. We can't try them ourselves because the facility is closed. It's only accessible with a guided tour.

We were impressed by the drive there: from Kamnik, an increasingly narrow paved road leads up the hill. At the top, we passed the St. Ana pilgrimage church. Beyond it, the narrow road winds around the hill in numerous curves, offering us breathtaking views that captivated us even in the rain.

Since it is too early for lunch, we make a short trip to the neighboring town of Mekinje with his nunnery. This is closed, and the church is not accessible. But from the hill on which the monastery stands, we have a great view of Kamnik, which dramatically stages the rain.

 

 

Kamnik

Around midday, the rain slowly stops. However, the clouds are still clinging to the mountain peaks. Therefore, we decide to take a short walk through the city.

It is one of the oldest cities in Slovenia and boasts a well-preserved medieval city center. Two castles still stand guard over it: the Small Castle (Mali grad) in the old town and the ruined Upper Castle (Stari grad) on a hill overlooking the city.

We take advantage of the parasols optimistically placed in front of a café in the town center and enjoy a strong cup of coffee. The owner explains how to get to our next destination. It doesn't seem to be particularly well-known, as he has to ask other customers for directions. But eventually, he gives us directions to the farm museum.

 

 

Budnar's Museum

This is a former farmhouse that now serves typical Slovenian cuisine (for groups) upon request. Cooking is done on a black wood-burning stove, around which the entire family life once revolved.

The drive to Zgornje Palovce, where the farmhouse is located, turns out to be a highlight of our trip through Slovenia's Karawanks. Despite – or perhaps because of – the low-hanging clouds, we are treated to spectacular views of the surrounding valleys. The old farmhouse sits on a mountain ridge, offering magnificent vistas.

We were lucky, and the couple who look after the museum agreed to show us the house upon request. Normally it's only open to groups or – as in our case – by appointment.

Maria and Tomas show us the wood-fired oven in which they cook Slovenian dishes for their visitors and explain how bread was traditionally baked. On the ground floor of the house, they have compiled a collection of Easter customs, illustrating how the festival is celebrated in different regions of the country.

Although the Budnar's Museum is certainly more interesting, if you can taste Slovenian specialties, the trip there is always worth it because of the magnificent views.

 

 

Therme Snovik in Slovenia's Karawanken

The rest of our rainy stay in Slovenia's Karavanke we spend in the Therme Snovik, where we will stay in one of the spacious holiday apartments.

The thermal baths are located on a narrow country road below the mountains. They are a privately run joint project of various partners from the region.

The owner of the land on which it stands played a crucial role in making it one of the region's attractions. He was a farmer who had worked in Switzerland for many years. A stomach ailment forced him to return home. However, instead of swallowing the many pills prescribed by the doctor, he drank the water from the spring on his property. Six months later, his symptoms had disappeared.

The healing waters of the Snovik thermal baths

Scientific studies revealed that the water does indeed possess healing properties. The young people of Snovik created a small pond, which attracted more and more visitors.

After Slovenia gained its independence, several partners from Snovik and the surrounding area joined forces and began construction of the current thermal spa complex. Now, the spa, part of a holiday resort with spacious apartments, offers the best accommodation in the region and attracts visitors from Finland, the Netherlands, and even Israel. The perfect place, then, to spend the remaining hours of our rainy day.

And who knows, maybe we will visit the region of Kamnik in Slovenia's Karawanken again to see the mountain pasture of Velika Planina?

A Mini road trip through Slovenia is also available at Kids, Adventure & More.

 

• Find out everything you need to know about traveling to Kamnik and the Snovik Thermal Spa here.

 

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Source of Slovenia's Karavanke mountains: own research on site. We definitely want to thank ifeelslovenia for supporting this trip. However, as always, our opinion remains our own.

Text of Slovenia's Karawanken: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline