The hills of Poljanska valley

It was here that probably the greatest Slovenian realistic author lived and witnessed the witch burning process (just where in Slovenia can you find a place that burned witches at a stake?!) and the language is an unusual and completely un-understandable mixture of the coastal and alpine dialects. What, you thought I’d be objective? OK, then there’s places here, where the youth apart from a discotheque in Žiri and a culture centre in Škofja Loka has nowhere to go and live out their youthful energy. The prevailing political thought is completely non-liberal and there are very bad road connection (have you heard the one about the by-road of Poljane: it’s got an end and a beginning… it just hasn’t got anything in between).

Poljanska valley is 26 kilometers long stretch of land staring at Žirmi in the upper stream of the River Sora and ends with Škofja Loka, where the Poljanska Sora joins with Sevška Sora in a theatrical display of mild splashing. If Sevška Sora is known for its floods which tear up roads and bring mud to cellars, everybody knows its sister river from Poljane is known for being shallow and recently they also say – full of fish. Škofja Loka, the metropolis of Rovtarska, might be the most beautiful medieval town of Slovenia. The old centre – except for the asphalt replacing the paved road – is exactly the same as ti was 600 years ago, where the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church resided here. It was the time when people were drowning young girls in the river, saying they were witches and everybody was emptying their bed pans on the street. On the hill, there’s a ruler of the town, the castle Loka, which today homes a modern museum, where you can listen to politically incorrect stories of how the likeness of a “zamorec” (a Slovenian “pet” word for a dark skinned man meaning somebody who came from the other side of the sea, referring to the African continent – most usually used for people of very dark/black complexion [translator’s note]) – a slave to one of the owners – became the coat of arms of the town of Škofja Loka. You can see many beautiful churches in the town and every three years they hold the passion of Škofja Loka, the re-enactment of the carrying of the cross, which is protected as part of the cultural heritage waiting to become part of the UNESCO list. Unfortunately there is only one cultural centre that is attending the need for night life and it is in the heart of the party centre. You can see shirtless rockers or DJs with electronic samplers, artists, painters, actors and every now and again a traveller with worldly experience. But the absolute must for all the visitors is one of the old fashion sweet shops, which still collect awards for best pastries.

Twenty six kilometres of the valley full of hills, fields and farms, but also cultural spots like the Krvina gallery and the private collection of photos in Gorenja vas. The valley is to be visited in early summer, where you can stop in almost every village and find out they have a fireman’s ball, with home wine and schnapps from local farms. There’s always good old fashion dancing involved to some live music. The valley ends with Žiri, a small town along the river Sora. It’s one of those sleepy Slovenian towns where nothing interesting ever happens, but has a charm of the people and nature. It has a discotheque, which represents the second half of the local night life… and there’s the place to get the best ice-cream for 20 kilometres around. Outside Žiri there is also a sport camp centre with tennis fields and they have a football stadium, built in the former state. One of the socialistic relics is also the Home of freedom, where there used to be a cinema, but today they maybe host a theatre show or a stand up evening.

 

All the great novel writers used to be hikers and travellers, with Ivan Tavčar being no exception. As the mayor of Ljubljana he had a bit too much money and bought a mannor at Vodoko, above Škofja Loka and Poljane, where he had his creative nest, hidden among the sleepy hills of Rovtarsko. The mightiest of this mountains is the Triglav of Poljane – Blegoš (1562m), with a bare peak staring down at the valley of Sora. All mountaineers can also go to Ermanovec, a nice and not too high hill above Oselica, the Žirovski vrhi above Žiri and Stari Vrh, with a beautiful ski slope for winter fun – from adrenalin skiing to laying down the board on the steep. If nothing else, you should visit the valley for the popular hikes in the nature. Either going cross hills, swimming in Sora, biking through Poljane… these are great places for a Sunday trip to nature, full of romantic farms, old bridges, hidden spots of untouched nature and many restaurants and inns with good home food.

Slovenia was, during our long history of being serves, often a split country. Split between Germanic and Romanic masters, between political allegiance of our rulers and in the darkest hour between the ideology among ourselves. The traces of which are probably best seen in these places. There is almost no village where there would be no monument to fallen partisans with a red star on it, or an anonymous cemetery for nameless Germans, Austrians, Yugoslavians and Italians who died for their cause and their side of the story. There was a defensive line through the valley, called the Rupnik line of bunkers and forts, built with consent of the occupying forces during the second world war by Leon Rupnik. Today there’s little more than moss covered ruines left, but it’s still an interesting stop for everybody who enjoy the gory history of the bloody 20th century war. You can even see the unfulfilled dream of Yugoslavia to become an active player in the cold war – the Uranium mine in Gorenja vas, where they wanted to dig for the ore to produce our own atom bomb.

 

Poljanska valley really might be a hole between the mountains, with bad road connection and less pop culture than sunny days in autumn, but it’s still a place you need to visit. If not for the historic Škofja Loka, which in its centre really looks like it got frozen in time half a millennia ago, then for the beautiful nature, hills and creeks around the Heaven under Bleguš, as these parts are sometimes called. There may be no vibrant night life here, nor are there any nerve wrecking adventures to be had, but you can get to feel the Slovenian farming past and at least further from the towns, you can still enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of some distant times.