Logarska Dolina

Logarska Dolina is a bit off the beaten path, but worth the effort. Dolina means “valley” and Logarska means something like “woodsman’s”. So I expected to see a lot of logging activity, but I was surprised to find that the local woodsmen live on small farms clinging to the sides of steep mountainsides. They not only log what they can, but they raise cows and sheep that must have legs shorter on one side than the other because of the way they stand on the steep slopes!

Many of the local people also engage in tourism businesses such as renting out lodging and providing meals to visitors. There is one main hotel in the valley (which is less than five miles long and only a half-mile wide at the widest point), and the rest of the lodging is in private homes and pensions. There are caves and natural mineral springs as well as waterfalls and gorgeous alpine scenery. I could easily spend three days here just exploring and relaxing!

Uroš and I arrived in the late morning after a two-hour drive from Dragomer. We took the winding road through Kamnik (which turned out to be a lot nicer, but indeed more challenging, than the Rick Steves recommended road through Šentrupert – which we took on the way home for comparison). The first thing we did when we arrived in the valley was head to the dead end of the valley road where the trailhead to the Rinka waterfall began. It was a moderately easy (but rocky and slippery) ten-minute uphill hike to the base of the falls, and when we arrived it was worth the effort! 

The waterfall was as pretty as it could be, but the thing that made it even more interesting was the “Eagle’s Nest” fast food place that was perched on the rocks next to the falls and above the lookout area. You had to climb some rickety stairs to get up to the little café and it was funny to see it in such a natural setting. 

On the way up the trail I had seen a power line through the trees and wondered what it was for, but when we got to the top, I saw that not only was there a power line, but also a gondola cable used to transport supplies to the restaurant! We even caught it in action!

Here are a couple of typical Slovene hikers that we saw on the way up the trail...

Later, after enjoying watching the weather come through the valley from a hotel patio for a while, we got back in the car and headed for the panoramic road above the valley. 

There we saw even more barns, creeks, waterfalls, springs, caves, farmers, cows and steep landscapes! It was beautiful and I couldn’t help but wonder how difficult it must be to live in this area, at such an elevation, with fairly primitive roads, during the long winters. 

Just before departing, we drove over what looked like a strong steel bridge with thick wood planks for a driving surface. I think every plank must have been loose because each one bounced up and down as we drove over. The racket was immense and it seemed the entire thing was going to fall into the gorge! But we made it over safely in the end.

So if you ever go to Slovenia, make sure to visit Logarska Dolina!

Oh, and as a final note for the day, I learned a new Slovenian word today. I know you'll all be impressed: it means "to whisk" and it is "razžvrkljati". Count the consecutive consonants - 7, yes, seven! Ask me how to pronounce it when I get home!