Holiday apartment in Sodražica: hiking trails, crafts and karst landscape

Sodražica combines marked trails, a high karst landscape and a strong craft tradition. This connection is particularly tangible on the “Sodraška pešpot”: the approximately 40-kilometre circular hiking trail starts and ends in Sodražica. It is signposted with mountain hiking markers and additional trail markers bearing the abbreviation “SP”. The route can also be incorporated into the “Ribniška pot”, “Potoška pot”, “Kočevska pot”, “Rimsko pot” and “Slovensko pot raziskav”.

On the way

The Sodražica TIC provides visitors with information about Sodražica’s cultural heritage and sights, as well as events in the town and nearby places. Further circular trails for hikers start here. The “Mimo Kadic na Travno goro” circular trail begins in Sodražica. The “Pogled na Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe” circular trail also starts in Sodražica and heads towards Dom na Travni gori.

Named cycling routes also lead through the landscape. The “Preko Slemen in Travne gore” circular cycling route crosses two high plateaus and returns to Sodražica. The “Po domovini rjavega medveda” cycling route is approximately 40 kilometres long and also starts and ends in Sodražica.

Nature

Kadice Gorge features water-formed pools, a short canyon, a natural waterfall and protected plant life. The municipality of Sodražica is also home to the Carniolan primrose (Primula carniolica) near Kadice, a Slovenian endemic species that survived the Ice Age. Its southernmost range is located on Travna gora.

Travna gora is part of the Velika gora mountain range and is a high karst plateau. At approximately 900 to 1,200 metres, it forms the highest part of the municipality of Sodražica. Fishing for chub, carp, tench, rainbow trout and pike is available at the nearby Smrekovec pond.

Culture

Sodražica is home to the parish church of Saint Mary Magdalene. It was built in 1745 on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, with a cemetery. The parish church’s marble high altar dates from 1928 and was made according to plans by the architect Ivan Vurnik. Next to the church is a memorial park dedicated to notable Slovenians who originated from Sodražica or worked there.

The Sodražica area is regarded as the birthplace of “suha roba”, a traditional form of local wooden craftsmanship that is particularly widespread in this area. In Ravni Dol, the Maticova etno hiša museum presents the life of a family belonging to the suha roba craft tradition, as well as the life of rural households in the past century.

The “Po rokodelskih krajih čudežev in legend” route combines crafts and local history. It is 21 kilometres long and passes through Sodražica. Its points of interest include a sieve-maker’s workshop in Sodražica and the Psoglavac statue in Sodražica.

Activities

The small Izver ski resort near Sodražica is also suitable for families with children.

Further destinations: Glažuta, Retje, Draga, Ribnica, Hrib-Loški Potok, Rigelj Pri Ortneku, Blate.

To the higher-level travel overview: Ribnica.