The journey is lengthy completed by now, but I’m nonetheless enchanted — fully head over heels. Zgornje Jezersko, at 890 m, an alpine village within the coronary heart of the gorgeous Jezersko municipality within the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, conjures up with its magic, genuine tradition, pleasant individuals, good meals, and fairytale-like appeal. The water-rich valley, the place horses and sheep roam verdant meadows, creeps into vertical partitions of excessive, rocky peaks, whereas light, low-lying inexperienced peaks line the size of the valley.
All you want is 2 days in Jezersko and also you’ll fall in love for all times. Keep any longer, and it’s possible you gained’t need to depart once more.
There are simply 595 individuals within the village, and it felt as if each certainly one of them greeted me as I cycled and hiked from one alpine valley to a different. Many had been exterior tending their gardens, some males debated eagerly in entrance of their garages, and some uncommon souls greeted me on the path. It was quiet and exquisite. Early Might is just not the start of the mountain climbing season in Jezersko but, nonetheless, the character was totally awake and luxurious with greenery, meadows blooming with numerous wildflowers, and mountains calling out to be explored. Perfection in its highest sense.
Nonetheless comparatively undiscovered, Zgornje Jezersko is the right place to cover away for a mini vacation at any time of 12 months. There are numerous walks close by, and even on the top of the season, it’s possible you gained’t be sharing the summit with anybody however your self. It’s my go-to place after I have to unwind and tackle an excellent problem, but I not often take the time to really settle in. In Might, I lastly did.
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Lodging in Zgornje Jezersko
Of the few hiker-friendly lodging that dot the Jezersko valley, I made a decision to remain at Villa Planinka, a five-star boutique resort housed in a big chalet proper within the heart of Zgornje Jezersko. I used to be welcomed with a drink, and the exceptionally pleasant resort supervisor confirmed me to my room on the primary ground. The room was spacious and rustically cozy, designed with pure supplies — native wooden and stone. My balcony featured snug reclining chairs and provided astounding views of the boldest, highest peaks of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. Watching the sundown from there? Merely dreamy, particularly after a scrumptious dinner.
The meals at Villa Planinka? Past dreamy. With the restaurant featured within the Michelin Information, I anticipated glorious delicacies—however what really units it aside is its heat, welcoming alpine character. I’ve by no means felt extra at house in a resort.
The supervisor stored me firm at dinner as we had been handled to a four-course menu, completed with a collection of intriguing native schnapps: walnut (lovingly known as the “reminiscence eraser”), candy berry, an natural “antivirus,” and Jaga Baba, produced from six completely different alpine herbs to assist regeneration. No surprise I used to be prepared for extra mountain climbing the following morning!
If dinner impressed me, breakfast the following morning really floored me. From a mountaintop at 8:30 a.m., I texted the resort supervisor to ask if they might save one thing for me, realizing I’d be late. Two hours later, they served a selection past something I anticipated—totally selfmade and largely native: recent fruit and greens, marmalades, cottage cheese, pumpkin seed unfold, yogurt, eggs, chilly cuts, cheeses, and a flawless Kaiserschmarrn.
I used to be blown away – not simply by the meals, however by the generosity behind it. This place will get it.
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Actions in Jezersko
You don’t come to Jezersko for museums. You come for nature; breathtaking, immersive, and irresistibly pulling you outdoor when the climate cooperates. Simple walks or demanding hikes, street biking or mountain biking, climbing, nature pictures, even cross-country snowboarding in winter – this can be a place formed by motion.
Again in Might, with simply two days to discover and a head filled with plans, I did precisely that—packing each hour with hikes and e-bike rides (and sure, Villa Planinka even rents e-bikes to their company!).
Day 1 | 22 km · 1,530 m ascent/descent What a day of alpine journey! I set off from Planšarsko Jezero, a mirror-like lake reflecting the encompassing peaks, and rode my e-bike from one valley, over light mountains, down into the following. Halfway, I scrambled as much as the 1,459 m summit of Visoki Vrh, the place sweeping, glacially carved valleys stretched under earlier than I continued my experience by means of this rugged, but surprisingly light, panorama.
From Makekova Kočna, I rode again as much as the Mlinarjevo sedlo go, then climbed a brutal 470 m in simply 1.4 km to achieve the scenic 1,742 m Veliki Vrh – fairly rattling intense mountain climbing! Right here, the land sheds its softness, rising abruptly into naked limestone and wind-shaped grasslands. From the summit, I looped again towards the lake and ended the day with a well-earned, scrumptious dinner at Villa Planinka.
Day 2 | 27 km · 1,600 m ascent/descentIt was nonetheless darkish after I set off, starting the day with a 900 m ascent to the 1,787 m Goli Vrh. Earlier than dawn, the mountains really feel suspended in time—silent, watchful, and untouched. I had lengthy wished to do early-morning panorama pictures on this a part of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, and staying in a single day in Jezersko made that potential. (Hey, a few of us love our sleep!)
I reached the summit at 7:40 a.m. and, sadly, missed the dawn. Nonetheless, the low morning solar ignited the inexperienced summit meadows and the snow-covered peaks throughout the valley. Gentle moved slowly throughout the panorama, revealing textures of rock, grass, and lingering winter snow. The height was fully empty—so empty that a big chamois buck emerged from the slope, briefly sharing the mountain with me earlier than disappearing into the terrain.
Jezerska Slatina springAfter a feast of a breakfast at Villa Planinka, I adopted an area tip about jezerska slatina—a mineral spring tucked into the mountains and freely accessible simply off the principle street. Lengthy earlier than bottled water, these springs sustained shepherds and vacationers, their mineral-rich flows rising instantly from fractured alpine rock. Stated to be the richest magnesium water in Slovenia, it felt like nature’s personal restoration drink after two demanding days.
Maybe I wasn’t listening rigorously, or I used to be just too wanting to experience extra, as a result of I one way or the other missed the “quick access” half and ended up pushing my bike 200 m uphill to the pure spring itself. However hey—there was a stupendous waterfall alongside the way in which, which now serves as my cowl story.
Planina Roblek (1,284 m)From Ank’s waterfalls, I might have climbed on to the excessive pasture of Planina Roblek through a steep path. As an alternative, the burden of the bike instructed a wiser strategy. I reached it through a mild gravel street beginning on the Roblek farm; a stupendous route that reveals the jagged limestone partitions of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps layer by layer.
To shut out a stupendous go to to Jezersko, I crammed all my bottles with mineral-rich jezerska slatina and headed house simply as mild rain started to fall. Within the mountains, climate usually marks transitions somewhat than endings. This journey sparked many extra returns—whether or not guiding hikes with Exploring Slovenia or just spending energetic days right here with associates.
I’ll be again. Till then, listed below are a number of images from my 2025 Jezersko mountain adventures.
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