Over the years I’ve got to know the Koroška region, and it has plenty on offer. Below are some of my favourite things to do in the area.
For more activity ideas – visit the Koroska.si website, which has detailed information on hiking, biking, skiing, fishing, flying, climbing and more.
Biking and Kayaking in Mežica Mine
Mežica was once a thriving mining town, at its peak producing 1% of the world’s zinc! In 1994 the mine stopped production, but it’s still open to visitors, and you have a choice of three interesting ways to see it:
- Train – take the tiny train down in to the mine and take a guided tour deep underground, where English-speaking guides tell you about the life of the miners, the folklore and the history.
- Bike – explore the mine via bike, again with a knowledgable guide
- Kayak – the lower levels of the mine have now filled with water, which means you can explore this part of the mine by kayak – something quite unusual and fun.
You’ll need to book in advance for any of the tours – see the website for details.
Mountain Biking
Crna na Koroskem – the next town along the Mežica valley (approximately 15 minutes drive from Breg House) is a centre of mountain biking, offering a range of superb trails amongst beautiful mountains and forest. There is also miles of single track trails up at Jamnica, about 25 minutes drive from the house, and finally, there is Europe’s longest ‘flow trail’ at Petzen, just 25 minutes away.
Bike hire and guides are available – see BikeNomad for more details.
Walk to the Pikovo – Mountain restaurant and Church
A little under an hour’s walk up the mountain road is a small mountain restaurant that sits next door to a tiny church called Helena na Pikovem. It’s one of my favourite walks to do, with some stunning scenery along the way, rewarded further by a cool beer, glass of wine and food at the rest house: Koča na Pikovem.
Look out for deer, chamois and badgers that live in the forest, and the brightly coloured yellow and black Fire Salamanders, which can often be seen on the road after rain.
Walk along the Meža Reka (River Meža)
The pretty river Meža runs through the valley from Prevalje to Mežica to Crna and there is a path that runs along the bank for some of the way. This is a pleasant, easy walk with some nice scenery, interesting dam and weir constructions, and a children’s play park.
You can also fish in this river but will need a permit. See more about fishing the river Meža here.
Hike Mount Peca
At 2126, Mount Peca (Petzen in German) is the highest mountain in the area and a beautiful hiking route. The trip to the top takes about 2 hours starting from the car parking area, (about 45 mins walk from Dom Na Peci). The route is well signed and passes through pine and deciduous forests, and pastures. Read my account of Hiking Mount Peca here.
Further Afield
- Ljubljana – most beautiful of cities
- Lake Bled – very picturesque lake – hire a kayak or a rowing boat and take to the water (about 2.5 hours from Mežica)
- Lake Bohinji – less touristy than Bled, but very beautiful. Surrounded by alpine mountains (about 3 hours from Mežica)
- Julian Alps – beautiful spiky peaks – (about 2-3 hours from Mežica)
- Soča Valley – amazing blue-green river running through this valley, great for rafting/kayaking/hiking (about 2 hours from Mežica)
- Logarska Dolina – very pretty glacial valley (about 2 hours from Mežica)
- Škocjan Caves or Postojna Caves – both of these are incredible cave systems well worth visiting (I have been several times and am still impressed on each visit). Think ‘Mines of Moria’-scale underground caverns and mad-crazy stalactites and mites.
Slovenia: Life in the SLO Lane 