Holiday apartment in Velika Planina: Culture, nature and winter sports

Velika Planina combines cultural heritage, distinctive natural formations and varied trails with winter sports activities. Between shepherding traditions, caves, cable-car routes and ski slopes, it is a place where different sides of the landscape stand directly alongside one another.

Culture

The shepherds’ settlement on Velika Planina comprises around 140 huts and is known for its distinctive architecture. The Preskar Museum is located in this settlement and is open daily during the grazing season. The museum’s present-day hut was rebuilt in summer 1945 after the previous hut was burned down shortly before the end of the Second World War. It was rebuilt in its original oval shape.

A visit to the museum also offers an insight into a local speciality: every day at 1 p.m., the traditional production of Trnič cheese, typical of Velika Planina, is demonstrated there. Another notable site is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows. It was rebuilt in 1988 after German soldiers burned down the original chapel at the end of the Second World War. During the summer grazing season, Holy Mass is celebrated on Velika Planina every Sunday.

Nature

Among the unusual natural formations is the Jama Veternica cave, which comprises Mala Veternica and Velika Veternica. Both cavities were formed by weathering and the collapse of their ceilings, creating two collapse dolines. Snow remains can still be found in Velika Veternica even in summer.

The Jama Dovja griča cave is located in Tiha dolina and is only 9 metres deep. It is known for stories said to have taken place in its surroundings. The approximately two-hour educational trail “Po stopinjah pastirjev” also combines landscape and culture: it provides insights into the lives of the shepherds, their customs and habits, the architecture, the shepherds’ former way of life and Velika Planina’s natural attractions.

Trails and winter

Velika Planina has numerous walking and hiking trails that are also suitable for less physically fit hikers. The cable car from Kamniška Bistrica, Kamniška Bistrica 2, 1242 Stahovica, takes you to Velika Planina. From the mountain station, you can reach the summit on foot in 45 minutes or take the six-seater chairlift to Gradišče, the summit of Velika Planina, in 7 minutes. After taking the cable car up to the mountain pasture, you can also continue by bicycle for 2.5 kilometres to the Zeleni rob inn.

In the Velika Planina ski area, the groomed ski slopes lie at an altitude of between 1,412 and 1,666 metres. A total of 3.5 kilometres of ski slopes are available, most of them of moderate difficulty. This season, the Jurček drag lift and a conveyor belt intended for beginners and the youngest skiers are also in operation.

A special winter sports option is the night toboggan run. It starts at the intermediate station of the chairlift and ends at the valley station; the route is illuminated and marked. Guided snowshoe tours with different themes are also offered on Velika Planina with a local guide.

Other local pages

Other local pages: Snovik, Podgorje, Kališe, Kamniška Bistrica, Kamnik, Stahovica.

To the higher-level travel overview: Kamnik.