Across Pohorje

Day 1:

Our early start at the roundabout outside a shop in Slovenj Gradec and the excitement that came before the experience filled us with inspiration and drove us towards the ascent on Kremžar peak (1,164m). We arrived at the Lodge under Kremžar Peak (1,102m) very early in the morning, enjoying the beautiful views of the misty Mt. Saint Ursula and walking among ripe blueberries. After taking photos at our first stop, we continued to the Partizan Lodge under Mala Kopa, past the ascending “Strmec” stretch of the route. Velika Kopa (1,542m) was waiting for us in the distance and the Grmovšek Lodge (1,371m) was below its eastern side.

There was only a short walk to the Black Peak (Črni vrh, 1,543m), which was the highest peak (just a metre lower than Velika Kopa) along the way and in the entire Pohorje. We still had to get a stamp at the Ribnica Lodge (1,507 m; the highest lodge in Pohorje), which was being renovated when we visited. We stayed at the Pesnik Lodge (1,101m), which was an hour’s walk from the Ribnica Lodge, towards Ribnica na Pohorju.

All we remember from that moment forward are the Carinthian ajdovi žganci, a kind of buckwheat spoonbread, and mushroom soup. I hadn’t felt so excited about digging into žganci for a long time. But since we thought we could do with some more hiking and weren’t interested in taking a rest, we decided to explore the surroundings. We discovered a small, cabin-sized forest museum and hiked towards it. The small house represents the forestry tradition in Pohorje and houses all kinds of traditional and modern forestry and farming tools as well as photos of foresters and farmers of all the generations that have lived there. It helped us learn more about the tradition of farmers in Pohorje and their rich heritage that is still shrouded in history that is hidden from visitors. Once we got back, the lodge landlord gave us the keys, since we were the only guests at the time, plus we were planning on leaving early the next morning. In other words, the lodge was, for a short time, under our management.

Day 2:

We woke up early and hit the road. We were already sweating and were filled with energy when we got back to the Ribnica Lodge before seven o’clock. Since it was a very photo-worthy morning, we just stopped and took a few moments to gaze at the wonderful panorama of the Pohorje ridge. Our next stop was Jezerski vrh (1,537m) with a monument to fallen mountaineering fighters, which was erected at the top in 1961, and the beautiful Lake Ribnica nearby, which we didn’t visit, though. We slowly made a descent from Jezerski vrh, following a well-marked alpine path to the Lovrenc Lakes. The stretch of the route, which took us about two hours, was one of the most beautiful, as we were surrounded by fog in a sparse coniferous forest for some time before starting to slowly ascend to the marsh with the lakes (1,520m). We got there early enough to be able to enjoy this natural phenomenon alone, as there was no other visitor anywhere in sight, despite the fact that it was Sunday. There were twenty small lakes that comprise the highest marsh in Slovenia (the Lovrenc marsh). It was formed as a bog about 8,000 years ago. The only water it receives is through precipitation because it doesn’t have any surface tributaries.

We followed the path to the Pesek Lodge (1,386m) where we treated ourselves to a big and early lunch topped with a blueberry turnover. There’s a pristine source of the 28-kilometre-long Oplotniščica river nearby, which is actually a torrent as it drops for almost a thousand metres all the way to Oplotnica.

Next was a stretch winding through the forest where the lush Pohorje forest offered a safe shade as we walked towards Klopni vrh (1,340m). We often ran into cyclists on the forest trail, and there were even more of them on the nearby dirt roads. This only shows how well the area is developing in regard to cycling tourism, as evident by pristine cycle-touring trails and e-bike rentals that have started popping up. There’s a box with a stamp waiting for hikers at the forested Klopni vrh peak, though the nearby lodge has been closed for a few years now. There’s also a monument nearby that recalls the first battle of 1941 where the partisans of Pohorje defeated the Germans.

Frome there, the Pohorje long-distance trail goes on towards the Šumik Lodge, but caution is needed because the stretch is poorly marked in certain places. We focused on walking under the lush beech and fir canopies and among the vivid green undergrowth. We stopped at the Šumik Lodge (1,100m). The Šumik estate, which started developing as a hunting residence in 1936, has been owned by the Šahtler-Pečovnik family since 2016. They’ve taken great care of the central part of the estate. The lodge is now an impressive gem in this part of the subalpine hills. The Šumik primeval forest with the Mali and Veliki Šumik waterfalls stretches below the lodge. With its 24 metres, Veliki Šumik is the tallest waterfall in Pohorje and the mightiest waterfall on a limestone base in Slovenia. There’s a picnic area by the nearby road and primeval forest entrance. It was crowded with visitors who drove there by car when we walked past.

The stretch of the hike from the Šumik estate to the Ruše Lodge at Areh included the last major ascent, which we quickly climbed despite being tired. We were already walking past the Žigart peak (1,347m) towards the Ruše Lodge (1,246m), the oldest lodge in Pohorje, before we ran out of food. We collected the stamps and headed past the Maribor Lodge (1,086m) and the observation tower, which was sadly closed. The only thing left was the final descent from the upper Pohorje cable car station to Trikotna jasa and then we went down the “Čopka” trail to the lower cable car station where we treated ourselves to a big, well-deserved dinner and joined our loved ones who had been eagerly waiting for us. In the end, we both agreed that there was “no hill like our Pohorje”.