Velika Planina

Velika Planina boasts one of the largest sheperds’ villages in Europe, preserving the traditional Alpine herdsmen’s culture. This picturesque high mountain plateau, nestled in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty. The landscape features vast pastures and numerous karst phenomena like dolines and hollows, criss-crossed by an extensive network of hiking trails.

Year-round access to Velika Planina is facilitated by an aerial funicular. The lower funicular station is situated in the Kamniška Bistrica Valley, near the Kamp Alpe campsite, while the upper station is located in the Šimnovec area of Velika Planina, close to the Skodla guest house. In addition to the funicular, Velika Planina can be reached on foot through various popular mountain routes. It is a favored hiking spot during the summer months, but equally enchanting in winter when blanketed in snow.

Herdsmen’s Settlement

Every June, the herdsmen from the area gather their cattle and head to Velika Planina, settling into charming little huts with shingled roofs to look after the grazing animals during the summer months. Visitors can explore attractions such as Preskar’s Hut (Preskarjeva bajta), which houses a museum collection open from June to September, and the Chapel of St. Mary of the Snows. Additionally, the herdsmen sometimes sell their renowned trnič cheese and other dairy products.

Culinary delights

Here, you can savour an authentic shepherd’s lunch – soured milk and žganci (buckwheat mush). The Zeleni Rob guest house is famous for its tasty štruklji rolls with cottage cheese filling but you will also have the opportunity to try many other traditional dishes, such as jota (bean and sauerkraut hotpot), ričet (barley stew), goulash, sausage with sauerkraut, and the famous Carniola sausage.

Starting points for mountain hikes to Velika Planina

• Kranjski rak: two hours and ten minutes, altitude difference of 660 metres;
• Kraljev hrib (Kamniška Bistrica Valley): three hours, altitude difference of 1,126 metres;
• Stahovica (via Sv. Primož): three hours and forty minutes, altitude difference of 1,275 metres.