The alpine pasture - Velika planina

(Velika planina, Slovenia. 11 September, 2011)


It was a sunny day. The fields were green and the sky a clear blue. Birds were chirping. The flowers were in bloom. Everything was so gloriously bright that I just wished to go out for some nice ride. I longed to be in some pristine corner of nature. And thus we set out to go to Velika Planina. I had seen some pictures from Blaž, and simply had wished to go there. Finally it was a perfect day to do so..

Velika planina, meaning big pasture, is one beautiful alpine plateau in foothills of Kamnik-Savinja Alps. Amidst the karst sinkholes is one of the best-preserved traditional herdsmen’s settlements in Europe. The tradition of pasturing and cheese making is still alive. The plateau attracts visitors throughout the year. In the pasturing season of summer, it is a pleasant hiking destination with picturesque views. The winters are for family skiing. Along with the herdsmen’s cottages that dot the mountain pastures, there are holiday cabins and weekend houses. The easiest access is from Kamniška Bistrica via cable car. We, however, walked our way through Mala planina.

Passing the nearest town of Kamnik, we took some unpaved road towards Kisovec. Where the roads to Kisovec and top of Velika Planina split, we parked our car by the road. We took the trail to Žaga on Mala planina and continued to Velika planina. It was an easy hour of hike with little height gain. 

The initial few meters of our walk was on the unpaved road for cars. Green meadows were on both sides with a few cows grazing. Late-summer autumn flowers bloomed by the road. There were those little purple and white flowers. What particularly caught my interest were the silver thistle flowers. A bit prickly and dry-ish looking, this flower represented the natural wilderness. As we left the road and turned to the trail, the fresh smell of pine trees filled the air. We also felt the early autumn chill.

Silver thistle growing by the road

Everything was clean and sunny. After about three quarters of an hour of slow walk, we reached the board directing us towards various walking trails. There were a couple of herdsmen’s cottages in the plain, and a few families were enjoying a bright day. We followed the trail to Mala planina.

Directing us towards Mala planina

Mala planina, the small pasture, had only a few cottages and artificial ponds for cattle. There was a tea house and small food place where people sat cheerfully chatting and having some snacks. The children were running all around. Some stopped by the ponds to look in inquisitively. We did the same by the largest pond. And wow, we had never seen so many alpine newts in one place ever! All the detailed patterns on their backs, and their orange tummies were visible. They made little bubbles and floated on the water surface. A few dragonflies hovered around. There was a herdsman tending to his cows. With a promise to visit the pond again on way back, we continued ahead towards Velika planina.

Mala planina, the pond

Alpine newt

The hill and mountaintops were enveloped in mist. Bright green pastures extended in every direction. And those were dotted with grazing cows. Some were munching the grass. Some were lazily chewing the cud, mostly oblivious of the people around. One could go near and caress them, feel the warmth of their skin, and take a picture. It was a fairy tale landscape.

Walking towards Velika planina

And the fairy tale turned perfect as the view on Velika planina opened in front of us. The sunny blue sky, the wind carrying the smell of fresh grass and pine, the hint of mist, the green plateau dotted with grey cottages, the grazing cattle, and the cheerful people. Everything was just perfect.

Velika planina

The most striking feature of the pasture is the particular architecture of the herdsmen’s cottages. These wooden huts are single roomed dwellings with their oval roofs extending almost to the ground. The space thus created by the extended roofs is meant for sheltering the cattle. The modern holiday and private cottages are also built in harmony with this unique medieval architecture. The chapel of Marija Sneza also echoes the same architectural design. We walked up to the chapel first, and then went down to the cottages.

Chapel 'Marija Snezna' at distance

It was a scene of cheerful picnic in front of us. The private cottage windows had little red curtains, and children were playing outside in the sun. The karstic landscape had several sinkholes and rocks scattered all over. People sat on those rocks enjoying the view ahead. Cows were grazing in smaller herds, and some people were feeding them breads and biscuits. The gentle chime of their bells created music as they nodded their heads. The drinking ponds reflected the blue of the sky, and gentle cotton ball like flowers dotted the high grass around. Some people set their tripod and focused on the beauty ahead. We sat on some rock, the nature creating fairytale around us. My heart sang with the ringing cowbells, and fluttered with the floating mist.

A pond, high grass, blooming flowers, and cottages

Grazing cow and ringing bell

Our feet sank in the thick soft carpet of grass as we walked to the ridge. The modern concrete settlements stretched far on the other side. Looking down at the whole planina from the little height was beautiful; the whole plateau drenched in sunshine was vibrant. It was like a picture postcard view, nestled in the lap of the mountains. The heart soaring high fluttered with the wind under its wings. It was just simply so happy.

Walking on the ridge

Looking down at Velika planina from the ridge

While returning, as promised, we stopped by the pond at Mala planina, spending a bit more time with the alpine newts. We followed the movements of one until it hid itself inside the murky water and was no more visible. One young newt was floating on the water, the wind carrying it ahead. Some were hiding in the soft mud. They were all such adorable.

We walked down the unpaved road for cars from Žaga. It was a faster descent. As we rode our car back to the city, our hearts sang the melody of the cowbells and wandered with the wind in those green pastures.