A high-angle view of a traditional alpine settlement with wooden chalets and huts arranged along a grassy slope, backed by a dense spruce forest and distant mountain peaks under a cloudy sky.

CC BY 2.0 • Photo by Jernej Furman from Slovenia via Wikimedia Commons

Planina Zajamniki

Q: How do I reach Planina Zajamniki?

Visitors can reach the pasture by following well-marked hiking trails that start from Pokljuka. The trail is accessible in most seasons, making it accessible for those seeking a walk through the landscape.

Q: What are the best times to visit for the best views?

The area is accessible in most seasons, with wildflowers blooming in the spring and summer, while the landscape transforms with snow in the winter. This allows for different visual experiences depending on the time of year you choose to visit.

Q: What can I see at the pasture?

You will see a picturesque row of wooden shepherds' huts that stretch along the gently sloping meadow. These traditional structures offer a glimpse into the region's pastoral way of life and are set against the dramatic peaks of the Julian Alps.

Q: Are there facilities available at the site?

There are no formal visitor facilities provided at the site. However, the atmosphere is welcoming and serene, inviting travelers to pause and enjoy the quiet beauty of the mountains in their natural state.

Q: Is the area suitable for photography?

Yes, the area is ideal for photography due to its sweeping vistas toward Bohinj and the surrounding mountains. The combination of the alpine pasture, dense forests, and dramatic peaks provides excellent opportunities for capturing nature.

Alpine plateau with spruce forests and mountain views

#4 of 7 in Pokljuka

Where: Pokljuka, Bled & Bohinj
Directions: Directions

Planina Zajamniki is a mountain pasture on the Pokljuka plateau, within Triglav National Park, on the edge of a broad forest of spruce. A planina in Slovene is an alpine pasture where herders traditionally spent the summer with their cattle, and Zajamniki is one of the best-preserved examples in the Julian Alps. A row of low wooden herders' huts with shingled roofs stands along the gentle slope of the meadow, and behind them the dark forest and the ridges of the high mountains form a backdrop that looks much as it would have a century ago.

The pasture belongs to a tradition of alpine dairying that has shaped the landscape of Bohinj and Pokljuka for centuries. Farmers from the valley villages drove their cattle up to the high meadows in early summer, lived in the simple huts through the season, and made cheese and other dairy products on the spot. The practice produced the open, flower-filled clearings that give the plateau its character, and it still continues on a smaller scale, so that in summer some of the huts are in use and visitors can sometimes buy cheese and milk products from the herders. Others have been preserved as a reminder of the way of life.

The usual way to reach Zajamniki is on foot along marked paths from the plateau, through forest and clearings, so the arrival at the open meadow feels like a reward. The walk is not difficult, but the trails can be wet and rooty, and comfortable shoes are useful. In summer the meadow is full of wildflowers, and in winter the same paths are used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with the huts half-buried in snow. From the meadow, views open toward the Bohinj mountains and the Julian Alps.

Because the pasture is a working landscape, visitors are asked to respect the herders and animals, to keep dogs on a lead, to close gates and to take rubbish away. Facilities are basic, so it is sensible to bring water and food, and weather on the plateau can change quickly.

The pasture sits near other places of interest on the plateau, such as the peat bogs, the Vodnikov lookout and the biathlon centre at Rudno polje, and the hotels and guesthouses of Pokljuka offer food and rooms. Zajamniki suits walkers, families, photographers and anyone who wants to see the living tradition of alpine pastoral life. Early summer, when the meadows bloom, and early autumn, when the forest takes on colour, are the best times to visit.