Solčava Pastoral Landscape

Logarska dolina, the Logar Valley, is a long U-shaped glacial valley in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, in the north of Slovenia, close to the Austrian border, and together with the neighbouring valleys of Robanov kot and Matkov kot, it forms the core of the Solčava region. The valley was carved by a glacier in the ice ages, which left steep, smooth walls and a flat floor, and today the floor is a patchwork of meadows and pastures, bordered by forests that climb the slopes and by the grey limestone peaks of the Savinja Alps, which rise to well over two thousand metres. It is protected as a landscape park, a status it has had since the late 1980s, and it is one of the most beautiful valleys in Slovenia.

The pastoral character is the chief attraction. The valley has been farmed for centuries by families who live on scattered farmsteads on the slopes and in the valley floor, and many of these farms are very old, with wooden houses, barns and haylofts of traditional design adapted to the climate, where snow is deep and winters long. Farmers keep cattle and sheep, make cheese and cut hay by hand on the steepest meadows, and it is this continuing work that maintains the open landscape, since without grazing and mowing, the meadows would be overtaken by forest. Because the population is small, the valley is quiet, and the traffic is limited, which makes walking and cycling pleasant. Names such as Logar and Podbrežnik belong to farms with long histories.

A road leads into the valley for several kilometres, and from its end, paths continue to the upper section, where the valley closes in a rocky cirque called Okrešelj. Here the Savinja river rises, and the water of the Rinka waterfall, one of the most impressive in the country, drops from a high rock wall. The paths are well marked, and an educational trail with information boards explains the natural and cultural features of the valley, so that walkers of all abilities can enjoy the area, from short strolls on the flat to longer climbs to mountain huts and passes. The best times are late spring, when the meadows are full of flowers, and autumn, when the larch forests turn gold.

The Logarska Dolina Visitor Center provides information, and the Logarska Dolina Alpine Meadow, the Logarska Dolina Nature Park, the Logarska Dolina Waterfalls and the nearby Mount Rinka offer further things to see, while the Kamnik-Savinja Alps provide a setting for longer hikes. St. Catherine's Church (Cerkev sv. Katarine) is one of the churches of the area. Visitors who arrive by car may have to pay a fee for entry to the valley, and parking and accommodation also cost money, so it is wise to check before travelling.