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Hiking Slovenia, Mount Golica
By Larry Zaletel
“Go walking or go hiking up a mountain” my doctor said, “your knee replacement is fine.” When I visited my cousins in Slovenia four months later I learned that hiking there is a very popular sport.
Slovenia, located south of Austria, is an Alpine country with plenty of mountains and places to hike. These include the Karavanke Mountains, Ljubelj Pass the gateway to Austria, Kranjska Gora also known for its skiing, and Mojstrana to name just a few. Hiking trails in the valleys and in the mountains attract visitors from all over the world. The best time to hike the high mountains is from April to November when the hiking hotels and mountain huts are open. Hiking hotels and hut accommodations are usually very basic without showers and have small rooms.
Situated in the province of Gorenjska in Northern Slovenia is the small idyllic village of Begunje. This is the home of the Elan Company known for sports gear, especially skis. Begunje is also the home to the Slavko Avsenik Ensemble, an internationally-renowned Alpine folk music group. The Ensemble has been known for over the past forty years for their original Oberkrainer sound. The group is very popular in Slovenia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The most popular song of the Ensemble is the polka titled "Na Golici" in Slovenian or (On Golica) in English. In the music world it is also commonly know as Trumpet Echo. The title "Na Golici" is taken from the mountain of the same name, Golica which lies on northwestern edge of Slovenia on the border with Austria.
From Jesenice the road leads north and we drive with my cousins towards the mountain. The road is plainly marked and as we wind our way up the mountain we pass small farms situated off to the left side. The road is narrow in places. The mountain and the trees creep close to us with just enough room for us to pass as we twist and turn. The car climbs higher through the forest until we come upon a mountain guide who shows us the trail where we begin our hike. We begin to climb at a farm where cows are grazing in the sunny fields, their bells clanging in the cool autumn mountain air. The narrow trails through the woods traverse ground studded with rocks, in places so large we have to gingerly climb over them. Every once in a while the woods open up into a clearings where in the distance the green valleys and mountains are visible. We stop at one location and face north toward the gray stone and granite faces of Mount Triglav (Three Heads) visible in the distance. Along the narrow rutted trail the valley floor is only a few centimeters down the mountainside. We stop occasionally to rest and to enjoy the scenery so it takes about three hours of climbing to reach the tree line at the top of the mountain. We stop to rest and my cousin’s wife provides sandwiches, tea, and water. My cousin unpacks some "slivovka" (Slovenian Plum Brandy) and we toast to our success.
A short distance up at the top of the mountain in a clearing is the remnants of an American B-17 bomber and a monument that was erected in 2002. My cousin explains that the plane crashed there on March 19, 1944 near the end of World War II. Luckily the crew was rescued by the Slovenian partisans.
On the mountain summit there is a rustic homemade wooden marker with the word "Golica" imprinted on it. On the ground concrete markers identify the border between Austria and Slovenia. The valleys below are green with hints of color as Mother Nature begins painting the red, yellow, and orange hues of autumn. From the peak of Golica the panorama view seemed almost forever. It is a clear day so the view of the adjacent mountains and valleys is unimpeded. I look down the mountain into Austria and see mountains, valleys, lakes, streams, and villages in the distance. Towards Slovenia lie the peaks of the Karavanken Alps, the Kamnik Alps, the Ljubljana Basin, and the Julian Alps. Overhead in the sky the checkered pattern of contrails was visible from the many planes that fly over the area. As I stand in wonder straddling the border, with one foot in Slovenia and the other in Austria, never have I ever felt so insignificant. I gaze out over the countryside inhaling the smokiness of the fall air, and feel as though I am on top of the world.
After spending over an hour on the mountain top taking photographs and videos we walked back to the car and drove down the mountain to a local "Gostilna" (bar, restaurant) where we enjoyed a Lasko beer. In front of the "Gostilna" is a wooden signpost that describes this area called the Valley under Mount Golica (Planina Pod Golico). The legend on the illustration officially claims that the peak of Golica is 1834 meters or a little over 5000 ft.
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Mount Triglav, Slovenia (Photo: Larry Zaletel)
Hiking Slovenia, Gorenjska - Farm where we began hike (Photo: Larry Zaletel)
Mount Golica, Slovenia - wooden marker (Photo: Larry Zaletel)
Wooden signpost, Slovenia (Photo: Larry Zaletel)
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This intel got a solid 5 from me, Larry. Great read!
Thank you for sharing.
Best wishes.
Frederick
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This intel was contributed by daria
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February, 2012
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