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THE WESTERN KARAVANKE

Introduction

The western part of the Karavanke range is a more or less unbroken ridge forming the border between Slovenia and Austria, from Peč (Tromeja) which is also on the Italian border, to the wonderfully imposing Košuta ridge. In all, 19 walks are described in this part of the book, most of them peaks on the ridge itself. They are accessed from the south, with the exception of Walk 12, which climbs Stol from the northern, Austrian side.

Dovška Baba seen from Golica (Walk 6), with Triglav in the background

Walks 1–5: Accessed from Zgornjesavska dolina (the Upper Sava valley). This long valley divides the Karavanke range from the Julian Alps in the north-west region of Slovenia. It extends 25km from the industrial steel town of Jesenice, about 60km north-west of the capital, Ljubljana, to the ski resort of Kranjska Gora, 250m higher, and beyond to the village of Rateče by the Italian border. There are two main centres with accommodation: Kranjska Gora and Mojstrana.

Kranjska Gora (810m) lies near the head of the Zgornjesavska dolina and is an excellent centre for walking and mountaineering. It is only a few kilometres from both the Italian and Austrian borders. Access is by the main road running from Jesenice, which continues into Italy. Approach from Austria can be made via the Karavanke Tunnel, south-west of Klagenfurt, or via the Korensko sedlo (Wurzenpass, 1077m), a steep road pass over the Karavanke from Villach. There is no train station in Kranjska Gora (the railway closed in 1966 and is now a cycle track), but hourly buses link the resort to the international railway station at Jesenice.

The whole range of tourist accommodation can be found in Kranjska Gora and its immediate surroundings. Likewise there are many eating places, where anything from a quick pizza to a traditional Slovenian meal can be obtained at the usual relatively cheap prices.

The village is centred on the church, and the tourist information centre is close by. There are two small supermarkets, tourist shops and banks, a chemist, health centre and police station. There are also two petrol stations and a motor mechanic.

Mojstrana (640m) is about halfway between Jesenice and Kranjska Gora. It is a large village with good tourist services but is much quieter than busy Kranjska Gora. There are various apartments, rooms and the authors’ own bed and breakfast, as well as a hostel and several places to get food and drink. It has a supermarket, post office and cash machine. Access is by bus or car from the Jesenice–Kranjska Gora road.

Information about the Kranjska Gora area can be found at www.kranjska-gora.si.

Beli potok at Planina pod Golico (Walk 5)

Walks 6–8: These walks are reached from Planina pod Golico, a collection of settlements high above Jesenice with ready access to the hills. Unfortunately, getting up to there is not so easy – there is no bus service so unless you have a car you will need to walk up (described in Walk 5) from the bus stop in Hrušica, a village a couple of kilometres outside Jesenice. There is no shop but there is a gostilna for food and drink, and a tourist farm for accommodation.

Walks 9–11: These three walks are accessed from Žirovnica, a village 8km to the east of Jesenice. There are no tourist services there, however, so it is best to stay in the Upper Sava valley and get to the start point by bus – buses from Kranjska Gora that continue on beyond Jesenice will stop here.

Walk 12: This walk is accessed from Feistritz, a village on the 85 road, which runs below the Karavanke to the north. If you are based in Slovenia, it can be reached by the Korensko sedlo (Wurzenpass) from Kranjska Gora, by the Ljubelj Pass (Loiblpass) if you are staying in Tržič, or by the Karavanke Tunnel. From Austria it is easily reached from Klagenfurt or Villach.

Walks 13–19: Tržič (515m) is a small town on the way to the Ljubelj Pass, which, somewhat surprisingly given the quite phenomenal scope of mountain walking in its immediate surroundings, has not been developed in anything like the way Kranjska Gora has as a centre for mountaineering and outdoor activities. In 2012 there was nowhere at all for visitors to stay in the town itself. Fortunately, there are options in the surrounding area: near the top of the Ljubelj Pass, ideally situated for Walks 16–19, is the Sport Hotel Koren, which offers very good food as well as a place to stay (www.koren-sports.si); there is a campsite in the village of Podljubelj; and a gostilna offering rooms at Retnje, about 3km south of Tržič.

Tržič has a very good tourist information centre which will help you; the website is www.trzic.si. The town has a good range of shops and supermarkets for its size, and various places to eat.

Tržič can be reached by bus from Ljubljana, via Kranj. There is one bus a day further up the valley to Podljubelj, and a taxi service can be arranged.