I usually write about places or countries that are far away from Slovenia. My backpack of adventures is brimming with stories from many incredible places, that are just waiting to be shared with you. From Greenland to solo travels in Mexico, the southern gems of Italy and France, Turkey, Qatar, Germany – the list goes on. By the way, you can read about Finland and Iceland here. I travelled most of these places on my own, in what you might call a "slow-travel" style, following paths I bravely walked, because I trusted both my intuition and life itself. I met amazing people, joined communities, and experienced nature that helped me connect with my inner self and intuition. After almost three years, these paths brought me home to Slovenia, to the Savinja Region.
This time, I want to share something different with you; a bit about myself and my travel style, which to me is sustainability. It’s not always easy, but it’s fulfilling to know that I’m doing something good.
I often find myself wishing I wrote down all my adventures as they were happening. When I write and share stories with you, I experience and integrate life in a different way, from different perspectives. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I shed a tear, and my heart swells with gratitude as I can hardly believe that all of this is real! I admit that sometimes just sitting down at my computer and opening a blank Word document fills me with dread instead of excitement. Because I know that in this way, I discover even more about myself, and by sharing tips and stories, I embark on my travels once again. I discover other layers of learning. I travel into myself.
Travels are not only those that take us outward; they also lead us inward. And that’s what writing is to me. That’s what sustainable travel is to me. To be able to go deep into myself, to be in a conscious and mindful state, to live with what is around me at that moment. It’s not that I escape to exotic or foreign places just because someone mentioned how beautiful they are, or because I’m running away from myself, or because I saw it on a travel influencer’s profile and want to create a picture or video that looks good on social media. Rather, it’s about feeling a space or project in my heart that calls to me. Even if my mind tells me I don’t know, I sense that there’s something there for me that will somehow change my life. That’s how I decide where I’m going. And that’s also when I start to plan on how to travel sustainably in terms of transport. It’s about finding places to sleep and eat that support the local community and businesses while keeping my budget in check, which is usually a bit more spontaneous for me. But I really appreciate the fact that I have friends in many places and we can arrange to meet and sleep on each other’s couch. The experience of sharing the space with local people is really very authentic and special.
Often, this way of travelling requires a certain amount of courage. Many times, I’ve felt guilty of things I do (like flying) that aren’t the most environmentally friendly. I’ve felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, especially when I’ve had to buy bottled water because the tap water wasn’t safe to drink. I blamed myself for that. Do you ever experience something like this? Maybe it’s just part of my ‘‘professional deformation’’ as an eco-technologist. Or maybe it can just tell you that I really care. I care about you, even if I don’t know you, the planet, plants, animals, as well as the cleanliness of water, air and soil. I care because I’m human, and I want to live in a world where we are a civilisation of love, knowing that we are connected to everything around us. Taking care of ourselves means taking care of the planet and vice versa. What do you care about in your life? What is your utopian vision of the planet and society? How can you make an impact with love and contribute your small part in this?
And while we’re on the subject of love, let’s go on a journey through the Savinja Region in Slovenia.
These are the places that have been dear to me since I was a child. Places that have always filled my eyes with sparkles. I have to admit that I don’t know them as well as I would like to. My heart has brought me back to my homeland, Slovenia. To embrace my roots and calm my nervous system in the natural environment I know best. I grew up in the Lower Savinja Valley, but somehow the upper one always left a mark on me. I always felt a connection, which undeniably comes from the fact that part of my family comes from these parts. During my studies, I also worked on a project for the ‘‘Sustainable Management of Endogenous Water Resources’’ research, where I surveyed the condition, usage, quality, and preservation of water sources. I connected with the locals, who shared stories about their lives, family ties, the waters, and local legends. At that time, I also found distant relatives, as well as beautiful hidden corners that they had mentioned to me.
I remember how we used to escape the summer heat by hiking in the hills around the Logar Valley, drinking iron-rich water from a spring along the scenic road, visiting farms that have stood there for centuries, and enjoying traditional dishes. We hiked in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and stayed in mountain camps. I often watched the cows and sheep. I learned that the Jezersko-Solčava sheep is one of Slovenia’s indigenous breeds. We picked blueberries and cranberries in the hills, where our grandparents used to take us. In winter, I remember how I learned to ski on Golte. These are precious memories for which I am immensely grateful. I’m grateful that my family taught me to maintain this connection with nature, to appreciate it, and that I’ve managed to keep it alive.
The Logar Valley is of tectonic and glacial origin. Together with the smaller valleys of Matkov kot and Robanov kot, it creates the Solčava region, a rich area with cultural and ethnological heritage. The high-altitude farms are self-sufficient, and the people remember stories passed down through generations. Every season brings a completely different experience. It is protected as a landscape park and a protected area of nature due to its numerous natural and cultural attractions (since 1987) and has the Slovenia Green Park label. During the summer, there’s free public transport in the park, so you can skip the hassle of waiting in your car. By leaving your car in the parking area outside, you’re also doing your part for the environment. From Kamnik, Celje and Velenje, you can get there with the bus company Nomago.
The area is part of the Natura 2000 network, home to internationally protected habitats and mountain plants like the lady’s-slipper orchid (my favourite from my days of mountain orienteering), edelweiss, and more. You can also spot golden eagles nesting, and chamois and ibex wandering around the area. Every hike up the hills offers unforgettable views, but you’ll need proper hiking boots for the trek.
Rinka Waterfall, located at the foot of the mountains at the end of the valley, left me with a lasting memory tied to its fresh drinking water. It was there that I first experienced a tourist barely believing that in Slovenia, you can drink water straight from the springs and the tap. As a small child, I found it kind of crazy to meet someone who told me that in their country, the water wasn’t drinkable.
Did you know that since November 2016, Slovenia has the right to drinking water included in its constitution, and that water sources are seen as a public good? How do you think we take care of our waters, and how could we take care of them better?
I absolutely love caves, and for me, a truly special one is the Snow Cave on Raduha, which is one of the highest karst caves in Europe. It’s a geological natural treasure that is between 10 and 12 million years old. What makes it special is that it has permanent ice and the tallest known column, which stands at 21 metres high. Shark teeth were found in the cave’s sediment! The path through it has been designed to preserve its original form. The majority of it is explored using carbide lamps.
Another very interesting one is the Potok Cave (Potočka Zijalka) beneath the Olševa Mountain. It’s the first archaeological site from the Stone Age. There, they discovered the skeletons of cave bears, 30,000-year-old tools, the second-oldest needle in the world, hunting points, and a bone flute. It was a sanctuary for Cro-Magnon hunters, a type of human closely related to modern humans, who lived 35,000 years ago. The cave can be reached by a nature trail called the Bear Trail (medvedova pot). On the way you’ll pass the Firšt Guesthouse where you can visit the museum and the permanent exhibition on Potočka zijalka and the ice-age man.
I also remember when my grandma, grandpa, and parents took me to the tourist farm in Robanov kot, Govc – Vršnik, where I tried žlinkrofi for the first time. They are a kind of dumplings filled with herbs and potatoes. Robanov kot is also protected as a landscape park. The farm offers guests homemade Solčava delicacies prepared with recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. They grow their own vegetables and meat, and they cook on a wood-fired stove. They also promote sustainability in tourism by participating in rural development projects, preserving farms, ensuring animal welfare, and focusing on energy renovation. The farm has Green Key certification, a standard for excellence and a commitment to sustainability and environmental processes. However, the family wants to keep their surroundings as they inherited them from their ancestors and want guests to do the same.
Here’s another tip for sustainable travel: whenever you’re in Slovenia, always carry a bottle or a thermos with you, since the water is drinkable, especially in the Upper Savinja Valley!
Today, the world is completely different than it was then. Or am I the only one who sees it differently, with more experience, with an expanded horizon, yet still with a heartfelt belief that humanity can understand we are part of nature with our bodies? It’s about realising that having such a clean environment like we do in Slovenia and drinking water straight from the tap isn’t a given. We have a responsibility to maintain it, and it’s not just about clean environments and drinking water being our human rights. It saddens me that we have to fight for this, when we are the ones who depend on the planet.
Because I want to convey awareness of the connection with nature, both inside and outside of us, in a light-hearted, innovative, and experiential way to people, I always find ways to do this through work, projects, volunteering, and collaborating with organisations. I aim to provide interesting experiences in the natural environment. In Iceland, I created projects through volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps (check out the interview here) and presented Arctic Angels at the Arctic Circle Assembly. In Finland, I worked with an Arctic tour guide and elves, and I took part in youth projects in other countries. In Slovenia, I teamed up with the Complementarium Institute to organise events that raise awareness about our climate future.
This year, I connected with the Bushcraft and Nature Survival Group in the Savinja-Šalek region. I met the founder during a walk with a forager of wild edible plants and the innovative gardener, Jernej Mazej, from the Mazej Farm. The farm is called "The wonderful world of wild edible plants". With Jernej’s extensive knowledge of plants, I’m learning even more about foraging, and I’m drawing on the knowledge I gathered as a child with the Polzela Alpine Association. In the summer months, we introduced tourists to the environment, natural and plant species, and learned the basics of survival in nature. With this kind of experience, many people start to understand and appreciate the natural environment more, as well as learn more about themselves and their abilities. If you’re interested, they also offer experiences for families, team-building activities, programmes for couples, and entertainment for kids. Bushcraft is a way of life, so you can connect with nature and challenge yourself throughout the year.
During my summer exploration, I also met the Outsideri group at a camp in Ljubno. They are friends, a community, and experienced guides who will connect you with the natural environment through adventurous activities. That’s their mission. If anything, you can count on them to keep you safe and entertained. They also have a kayaking school where you can explore three rivers in three alpine valleys over five days, one of which is, of course, the Savinja River. They are active in the summer as well as in the winter, when they either go ski touring down the mountains or teach skiing.
If you like camping, you can spend the summer at their camp. If you want to stay in a hostel, there’s the Ljubno ob Savinji Youth Hostel not far away in Ljubno. With a HI membership you can also get a 10% discount.
I could write a lot more, but I’ll finish here. You’ve probably already got plenty of ideas on what to visit in this part of Slovenia. Visiting will mean a lot to local small business owners, especially after last year’s floods. So, be sure to explore where to go when you head to this area and see how you can support them!
Here are some other useful websites:
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