Country Info | Towns and Places in Slovenija | The Alps - links with Europe | The Upper Carniolan (Alpine) Route

This route runs along the best known and most popular region of the Slovenian Alps. The route takes us to the heart of the Slovenian Gorenjska region (Upper Carniola), over flatlands and through wooded countryside, and past the foothills of the Julian Alps and the Karavanke mountains. This route predominantly leads along narrow, winding local mountain roads with sparse traffic.

Kranjska Gora (810m) is one of the best known tourist centers in the Slovenian Alps and a lively winter sport center. Other features of Kranjska Gora include the chairlift to Vitranc, hotels, private rooms to let, the casino and the road leading over Vrsic (1611m).

Mojstrana (641m) is one of the favorite starting points for mountaineering excursions to Triglav (2864m) -- Slovenia's highest peak.

A few kilometers before Jesenice, by Hrusica, lies the entrance to the 7864 meters long tunnel leading through the Karavanke mountains, as well as the old 8 km-long railway tunnel, which was built at the beginning of the century. Jesenice itself is an old ironworkers' town, known also as the railway border crossing between Slovenia and Austria. The road leading to Bled via the Mezakla is only 11 km long.

Bled is definitely the most popular holiday resort in Slovenia. Here, skiing is also offered in the winter (Zatrnik). The town of Bled features several hotels, camp sites, private rooms and apartments, sports grounds, an eighteen-hole golf course and a casino. At the center of Lake Bled lies an island with a baroque church. There are bathing facilities, boats for hire and a regatta center. On a 100m-high cliff overlooking the lake, stands a castle with a museum, restaurant and, above all, a marvellous view.

If you want to see another lake, you need only go 27 km out of Bled to Bohinj. The surface area of Lake Bohinj is not large, but the lake's shoreline consists of one long stretch of beautifully preserved natural countryside. You also need not go along the entire length of the same route twice. Just take the road to Jereka by Bohinjska Bistrica, through the Upper Bohinj valley, and its picturesque villages of Cesnjica, Srednja vas, Studor (a real open-air museum -- corn racks), and Stara Fuzina. Situated close to the lake are several good hotels (but not one lies directly on the shore of the lake). The many recreational possibilities include: boating, rafting, fishing, tennis, bike riding and swimming (the latter in the summer only), while there is excellent skiing on Vogel in the winter, plus the year-round view of the lake (Vogel is 1000m above the lake) and a view of Mt. Triglav and its surrounding peaks to the north.

Close to Bohinjska Bistrica, there are also ski-lifts to the Kobla pistes.

Only six kilometers from Bled, situated at the confluence of the two Sava rivers, lies the town Radovljica. Both the town's location and its main square (a manor house and beautiful townsmen houses with frescoes) are worth seeing. There is a hotel in Radovljica, and another (hotel-manor house) in the nearby town of Podvin. Riding is also possible. Brezje -- famous Slovenian place of pilgrimage, is situated only a few kilometers away.

Kropa is an idyllic town, known for its ironworkers and blacksmiths. We recommend a visit to the Blacksmith Museum, the town's interesting graveyard with its wrought iron crosses and the old-fashioned nailery, which is still in operation today.

Kranj is the capital city of the Gorenjska (Upper Carniola) region, and the fourth largest city in Slovenia (pop. 37,100). The picturesque city center is situated on the confluence of the Kokra and the Sava rivers and its three churches, with their three belfries and Mt. Storzic in the background (2132m), from the shape of a pyramid. We suggest a walk through the old part of the town, with its piazzas and narrow streets lined with old town buildings, a tour of the Gorenjski Museum (located in the old town house) and a visit to the beautiful 15th century Gothic parish church of St Kancijan.

Skofja Loka (img.) -- town with a tradition older than a thousand years, is only a bit over 10 km away. This town also lies at the confluence of two (smaller) rivers: the two Soras. Both the town's main squares are well worth the visit: the upper because of its many beautiful old town houses dating back to the Renaissance and the Baroque eras, and the lower square due to the 14th Century parish church of St.Jacob and its stunningly beautiful Gothic architecture. Rising above the old part of town is a castle, with a museum. The town's surroundings also boast several beautiful churches with frescoes (Crngrob: 4 km to the north; Suha: 2 km to the east).

At this point, we are only 24 km northwest of Ljubljana, but our destiny is yet another town at the foot of the mountains, with a centuries-old tradition. The town of Kamnik, (img.) which was granted the rights of a town three quarters of a millennium ago, (which included the right to mint its own coins), lies only 22 km away. Needless to say, you will not be disappointed if you go for a stroll along the main street and town square. The two are lined by long rows of houses hung with shop signs, a number of baroque churches, the Miha Males art gallery (one of Slovenia's several well-known artists and a native of Kamnik), the Mali Grad castle ruins with their romanesque church, and last but not least, the magnificent view of the Kamnik Alps in the distance. Only 10 km away from the town, there is a cablecar leading up to the mountain of Velika Planina. There, one can admire the unique alpine herdsmens' cottages and there is also excellent skiing in the winter for less demanding skiers. It is 22 kilometres from Kamnik to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Adapted by M. Martinec from the: Welcome to Slovenija, published by the Ministry of Tourism of Republic Slovenia, summer 1993.