Logarska Dolina Nature Park

Logarska Dolina, the Logar Valley, is one of the most beautiful Alpine valleys in Slovenia, a deep glacial trough in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in the north of the country, close to the Austrian border. The word often used in guides is a U-shaped valley, and the shape is clear. Ice ages carved the valley with a flat floor and steep, rocky walls, and the Savinja river, which gathers its first waters in this part of the mountains, now winds through meadows at the bottom. The surrounding peaks rise to over two thousand metres, among them Mount Rinka, and a famous waterfall, the Rinka, drops over a rock wall at the head of the valley. The area is protected as a landscape park, and parts of it are part of the Natura 2000 network, which recognises the importance of its habitats.

What makes Logarska Dolina special is the way human life and nature have settled into a balance. Scattered farms with wooden barns and haylofts stand along the valley, and the pastures are still mown and grazed in the traditional way, producing meadows rich in alpine flowers in late spring and summer. The farmsteads of Logar and Podbrežnik are typical, with their steep roofs and weathered timber, and they show how the families of the valley adapted to the mountains. The whole upper Savinja area, around the village of Solčava, is known for its pastoral landscape, in which farms sit high on slopes and are linked by narrow roads. Vehicle traffic in the valley is limited and a fee is charged for cars, which is meant to keep the place quiet and to help pay for its upkeep, so check current arrangements before you drive in.

The valley is ideal for walkers and cyclists. A gentle path runs along the valley floor, passing meadows, forest, the visitor centre and viewpoints, and suits families and people of all abilities. Other trails climb to mountain pastures and huts and up to the high peaks, including routes to the Rinka waterfall and beyond, which should be attempted only with proper equipment, experience and checks on the weather. In winter, the valley is a quiet place for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with snow lying deep and the mountains white. Many visitors enjoy the cycling, and bicycles can be hired locally.

The cuisine is local and hearty. Upper Savinja pork stomach, a speciality made of minced and seasoned pork in a pork casing, which is a protected regional product, is the most famous dish, and the farms and inns serve it with the other foods of the region, such as dairy and honey. Accommodation ranges from guesthouses and farm stays to mountain huts. The Chapel of Christ the King is a quiet place of reflection, and the valley's Visitor Center, the Alpine Meadow and the Waterfalls are good places to start. St. Catherine's Church in Solčava and the Solčava Pastoral Landscape add cultural interest.

It suits walkers, cyclists and families. Late spring and autumn are especially lovely. Logarska Dolina Nature Park is a place for cultural as well as natural interest, and the Logar Valley Educational Trail explains much of it. Cultural highlights include farmsteads; the Savinja River rises nearby; Upper Savinja Pork Stomach is the dish to try; and Slovenia’s alpine valleys rarely look so tidy.