Logar Valley, nestled in the Kamnik Alps in the northern part of Slovenia near the Austrian border, is a haven of immense natural beauty. While planning our trip to Slovenia, we stumbled upon a picture of Logar Valley and instantly fell in love with it. We decided we had to see it for ourselves.
While planning our trip, I read numerous blogs and websites but still felt a bit unsure about what to expect from Logar Valley. However, the pictures were so stunning that we had to experience it for ourselves. And let me tell you, the photos don't do justice to this beautiful, untouched gem in the Alps!
After finally experiencing it ourselves, here are the things we discovered and learned:
How to get there?
Since Logar Valley is in a relatively remote area of Slovenia, off the popular tourist track, public transport to the valley can be infrequent, time-consuming, and weather-dependent. To ensure a smooth and convenient journey, it's best to rent a car in Ljubljana. This allows you to travel to and within this region at your own pace.
Having your own transport is essential and makes it fun and easy to explore the beautiful valley, allowing you to stop and take pictures whenever you want (and trust me, you will want to make a lot of stops due to the stunning scenery).
Another option is to hire a taxi to take you to your desired location, with prices ranging from 90 to 110 euros from Ljubljana or Bled. However, this is not very cost-effective.
When to visit the valley?
We visited in autumn, September. This is a great time to visit as the daytime temperatures are comfortable for outdoor activities. However, it does get colder in this part of Slovenia, especially in the evenings and early mornings, so make sure to carry a couple of jackets and preferably wear layers to stay comfortable throughout the day. Summer and late spring (May to August) are also ideal times to experience the valley and enjoy the numerous treks this region has to offer!
Where to Stay ?
There are a lot of family run farms in Slovenia, that offer a chance to stay and expoerience the farm life.
We stayed at the beautiful Govc-Vršnik farm, located in Robanov Kot. The location is superb, offering extremely peaceful and serene surroundings. The place exudes character and charm, lovingly managed by Mariana with the help of her wonderful family. The rooms are both beautiful and functional, providing a cozy retreat. Breakfast is served on the terrace, offering a stunning view. Although Logar Valley is about a 10-minute drive away, after a day of biking and hiking, this farm feels like the perfect home away from home. The pictures don't do justice to the farm and its surroundings!
Food:
Population of this region is around 200 people! And restaurants are few and serve mostly local cuisine. However, most restaurants do have a few vegetarian options. Having said that do try the local food while you are here, it is fresh as it comes directly from the farms. It is always a good idea to buy some snacks/fruits from the supermarkets in Ljubljana or Bled.
Language:
A lot of people speak English and are happy to help, so communication is not a problem.
Things to do:
Apart from admiring the natural beauty everywhere, there is plenty to do depending upon how much time you are planning to spend in this region. We explored the logar valley on mountain bike and then walked till the Rinka waterfall.
You can also explore the nature trails, velika planina and panoramic route among other attractions the place offers .
1) Cycling in Logar valley :
Bikes are available for rent at Hotel Plesnik at the cost of 10 euros for 3 hours or 20 euros till evening. The baby carrier was given free of charge.
You can bike all the way to the Rinka waterfall, however, we chose to stop at Plansarija Logariski kot – a small restaurant and I think, the final settlement before the Rinka waterfall. Our little one had fallen asleep and we thought why not grab a snack and drink before we set out on foot to the waterfall. We asked them to pack blue berry pancakes to take along .
So after parking our bikes at the Logarski kot we started on foot on one of the many walking trails to the Rinka waterfall. An easy walk through beautiful woods takes you to the base of the waterfall in less than half an hour. It is quite and beautiful. The trees were changing colors as it was the beginning of autumn – just completely surreal. Perfect place to escape from the busy city life and also enjoy the quality family time .
2) Rinka waterfall-
'Slap Rinka' as it is referred to in local language.
There are quite a few waterfalls in the Logar region, Rinka is one of the most beautiful and well known. The fall is around 100 mts. It is surrounded by a chain of mountains which are a sight to behold.
The walking trail ends at a restaurant/café . They also sell ice-creams – important to make young trekkers happy 😊.
From the café there is a moderate difficulty 15 minutes trek to the fall. On the way up you will come across extremely old trees with interesting intertwining roots . Also there are few caves along the way.
As you approach the fall it gets considerably cold due to the glacial waters – amazingly refreshing though.
There is a small restaurant right next to the waterfall, providing stunning views of the fall and surrounding mountains.
On our way back to Logariski cot we passed through a small meadow that had donkeys and some calves and A had so much fun!
Budget :
Expect to spend 60-80 euros for private room accommodation.
Renting a car is the cheapest option.
Meals will range from 10 – 20 Euros in restaurants.
Important tip:
Wear good hiking shoes.
Carry a stick (or pick up a stick on the way like we did – totally environment friendly option)- quite helpful in your last leg of the climb as it is full of small rocks and pebbles.
Carry enough water and snacks for yourself and kids.
Do plan a visit to the Logar valley, its nothing like you have ever visited before !
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