Bled . Bohinj . Cerklje . Gorenja Vas - Poljane . Gorje . Jesenice . Jezersko . Kranj . Kranjska Gora Naklo . Preddvor . Radovljica . Šenčur . Škofja Loka . Tržič . Železniki . Žiri . Žirovnica SLOVENIAN Alps 2013 Active Holidays Countless opportunities for sports and activities no matter the season Family Trips This family-friendly region means no worries about taking the kids along Triglav National Park Slovenia’s only national park is one of the most magnificent in Europe Please enjoy your COMPLIMENTARY COPY Slovenian Alps In Your Pocket CONTENTS 3 Slovenian Alps An endless source of adventures for unlimited family fun ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES Get close up and personal with history and tradition: Contents - Visit a tourism farm Introducing Gorenjska 5 - Get to know the secrets of beekeeping and honey-making - Explore ancient castles Bled 8 - See history come alive at medieval events - Enjoy our entertaining museums Bohinj 22 Cerklje na Gorenjskem 34 Combine learning with fun: Gorenja Vas - Poljane 36 - Go for a hike along one of the many themed walking trails - Cook a meal at a culinary workshop Gorje 37 - Enjoy geocaching, an exciting outdoor treasure hunt - Get creative at painting, musical and museum workshops Jesenice 38 Jezersko 41 Meet Slovenia’s fairytale heroes at: - Kekec Land in Kranjska Gora Kranj 42 - Land of the Dwarfs in Gozd Martuljek - Fairytale Land Gorajte in Škofja Loka - Zaki Swan in Bled - Kranjček in the city of Kranj Bled is an amazing place to see any time you visit, but sunset from Osojnica Hill is truly something magical, photo by Jošt Gantar courtesy of Picture Slovenia Feel the rush of adrenaline in the Adventure Parks Kranjska Gora 50 of Bled, Bohinj, Jezersko, Naklo 64 Kranjska Gora and Krvavec Preddvor 65 Radovljica 66 Šenčur 73 Škofja Loka 74 Select from a palette of entertaining activities in the great out- Tržič 77 doors all year round: Summer sledging, cycling, swimming in lakes, rivers and pools, rafting, kayaking, rowing, riding, golf & mini golf, Železniki 79 paintball & airsoft, zorbing, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, horse-drawn Žiri 80 carriage rides, sledging, cross-country and Alpine skiing and much more awaits you in the Slovenian Alps. Most visitors may come to Gorenjska for its world famous Žirovnica 81 destinations, but nearly every corner of the region holds something special, photo by Rok Godec courtesy of Picture Maps 82 Slovenia slovenian-alps.inyourpocket.com 2013 4 FOREWORD INTRODUCING GORENJSKA 5 Gorenjska, or the Slovenian Alps as it is most commonly Embraced on nearly all sides by the Julian Alps, Karavanke called in English, has officially become the latest region in Publisher and Western Kamnik-Savinje Alps ranges, the so-called The Green Card Slovenia to join the In Your Pocket family, which now includes Slovenian Alps In Your Pocket Slovenian Alps was formed as a unified tourist destination somewhere around 70 of the country’s municipalities and Drenikova 33, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia in order to combine all the amazing things that the 18 con- Those who travel frequently are sure to be familiar the vast majority of its population and area - with Gorenjska Tel. +386 30 316 602 stituent municipalities of Slovenia’s Gorenjska region have with the standard tourist cards that seem to be found accounting for approximately 10 per cent of each. The region [email protected], www.inyourpocket.com to offer in one easily manageable package. Tourists need in most major cities these days, usually offering dis- is comprised of 18 separate municipalities, all of which are not pay attention to municipal boundaries, and can instead counts for a variety attractions, restaurants, trans- bound together by culture, history and of course geography, Director Niko Slavnic M.Sc. focus on experiencing the the sights, activities and events port, shops and services. The region-wide Gorenjska but at the same time also have their own unique stories [email protected] that will surely make their visit an unforgettable one. Guest Green Card follows this same model, but with to tell, which we’ve done our best to communicate in the ©IQBATOR d.o.o. two notable exceptions: it’s valid for up to 30 days following pages. and is completely free of charge! One card is also Both in terms of attractions and infrastructure, Gorenjska is Printed Evrografis d.o.o. Active Gorenjska sufficient for the whole family, so you don’t have one of the most tourist-friendly regions in the country, and the The entire Gorenjska region is a paradise for lovers of to worry about the kids losing theirs. Cards can be main difficulty in producing this guide was the formidable task Editorial sports and outdoor activities no matter if it’s winter sports ordered online in advance, downloaded as part of a of trying to condense everything down into one informative, Editor Yuri Barron such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing free Slovenian Alps mobile app, or collected directly useful and hopefully entertaining resource for visitors. This Writers Yuri Barron, Will Dunn, James Cosier, Jeroen Nab or ice climbing, or those more suited to warmer weather from participating accommodation providers in the was only made possible by the exceptional cooperation we Layout & Design Vaida Gudynaitė like hiking, cycling, fishing, golf or numerous water-based region. A full list of all the card’s benefits and more received at the local level in each of the municipalities, who Consulting Craig Turp activities. If you’re feeling especially adventurous you can info can be found on the official website at www. helped us out immensely during the project - from arranging Photos Picture Slovenia, RDO Gorenjska, Bled Tourist Board hike to Slovenia’s highest point (the 2864m Mt Triglav) or slovenian-alps.com. tours and excursions to explaining local myths and legends even literally take flight on a paraglider, ultralite aircraft or to recommending the best places to stop for a drink or meal. (BTB), Kranj Tourist Board, Jošt Gantar, Jana Jocif, Bas Lammers, Luka Dakskobler, Jana Kuhar, Branka Jovanović, Rok regular panoramic tour, all of which provide unforgettable Whether you come to Gorenjska for an active holiday, a family vantage points of the region. In all there are said to be more trip, business meeting, quick weekend away or any other Godec, Tanja Sodja, Mitja Sodja, Izidor Jesenko, Primož Suša and YMB than 60 different sports that can be easily participated in reason, we sincerely hope that you enjoy yourself as much or organised with the help of local agencies. as we did, and always have over the years. As with all of our Cover photo Drejc Karničar guides, we welcome any and all feedback from our readers, Sales & Circulation be it on Facebook, Twitter or even old-fashioned email. Family Fun Sales & Operations Management Irena Jamnikar Gorenjska not only provides countless ways for families to enjoy themselves together, but it also offers great value when Cover story Copyright notice doing so - one of the positive benefits of visiting a region that Selecting a fitting image for the cover of our first Text and photos copyright IQBATOR d.o.o. Maps copyright is known throughout Slovenia for being home to the country’s Slovenian Alps guide posed quite a challenge, with so cartographer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication thriftiest people. From the various discounts bestowed by the many worthy contenders capably depicting the region’s may be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for freely available Green Card to the hearty portions and large magnificent natural beauty, while at the same time the purpose of review, without written permission from the family apartments found at many guesthouses, you’ll find that representing the symbiosis between land and people publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket your euros tend to go quite far here. In addition to the sports that is still so highly valued here. We finally settled on is used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Bernardinų 9-4, and outdoor activities mentioned above, younger family mem- the idyllic image of Šenk’s Homestead, which with some Vilnius, Lithuania, tel. (+370) 5 212 29 76). bers will be enchanted by the local fairytales that come to life Biathlon, to some truly unique local festivals like the an- effort can be found tucked away in the far northeastern during special events or at attractions such as Kekec Land. For nual Potato Feast in Šenčur or the celebration of one of Maps corner of the region, more specifically in the Ravenska older kids there are no less than five adrenaline parks in the Slovenia’s most beloved folk heroes during Kekec Days Kočna Valley of the Jezersko municipality. AV Studio courtesy of RDO Gorenjska region, where they can quite literally run across treetops and in Kranjska Gora, hardly a week passes during the year swing through the air like Tarzan (all with the utmost safety of without some worthwhile event taking place in the region. course). In recent years, even many museums and exhibitions The calendar is at its fullest during the late spring and have become more child-friendly, with the development of summer months with an especially wide variety of music interactive presentations and special guided tours. festivals taking place, but the winter is also a joyous time Europe In Your Pocket of year, and one of the Slovenia’s largest cultural events, It’s now 21 years since we published Prešeren Fair, is held in Kranj each February. Much more Northern Traditional Events info about these and dozens of other traditional events Ireland Estonia the first In Your Pocket guide - to From top international sporting events attracting tens can be found in this guide. Ireland Vilnius in Lithuania - in which time Latvia Russia we have grown to become the largest of thousands of spectators, such as the Ski Flying World Championships in Planica or the Pokljuka World Cup Lithuania publisher of locally produced city guides Triglav National Park in Europe.