Velika Planina from Kamniška Bistrica

Velika Planina is a high plateau in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, at around 1,400 to 1,666 m, and is known as the largest herdsmen settlement in Europe still partly in use. Its wooden shingle-roofed huts, grazing cattle and open meadows make it one of the most distinctive walks in central Slovenia. The access point is Kamniška Bistrica, where the cable car lower station sits on Kamniška Bistrica-Kokrsko near Stahovica. By car the valley is about 40 minutes from Ljubljana; there is no direct bus from Ljubljana, but buses run from Kamnik to Kamniška Bistrica a few times a day, so a change at Kamnik is needed. No permit is required for hiking, while the cable car carries a fare and can be phoned on +386 1 832 72 58. Visitors have two main choices. The cable car takes about five minutes and leaves a gentle walk of around 30 minutes to the cluster of huts, with a chairlift continuing to Gradišče. On foot, the steep forest path from the valley takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours and gains about 1,100 m, which makes it a demanding moderate hike. The surface on the climb is forest dirt, roots and rock, with little exposure, and the plateau itself is open grassland with gravel tracks of about 2 km. Shade exists in the forest but not on the plateau, where the sun and wind are strong. The plateau is much cooler than Ljubljana, and weather can change quickly, so a warm layer and rain jacket are needed. Several huts serve food and drinks, including local dairy products, and cash is useful. Water is available at the huts but not along the climb. The chapel of Our Lady of the Snows and the herders' houses are the best known landmarks, and the walk can end at any hut. In winter, the plateau is used for snowshoeing and sledding. Turn-around points are easy to choose because the cable car provides a descent option from the plateau.