Visiting Kamnik Slovenia, The Sunny Side Of The Alps

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Famous for the purity of its waters, there was once a thriving wellness scene here back in the nineteenth century centred around a fancy spa which offered treatments inspired by Sebastian Kniepp – the Wim Hof of his day – known for his advocacy of cold water. While the ancient spa has long since fallen into disrepair this low-key town retains its peaceful atmosphere. It’s a place to get back into nature, bathe in some cold water, maybe hike up those sunny alps, and return reset and reinvigorated.

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EAT + DRINK

Attracted by the town’s incredibly pure mountain water, several craft breweries have set up here. Maiser Brewery opened in 2017 and Janez, its enthusiastic owner, will talk you through the various different options and brewing processes in his beer tasting room. And if you really want to learn about craft beer, a Beer Way tour will take you all around the various breweries in town. Slovenia’s wine scene is under-rated. The country specialises in producing biodynamic and natural wines, some of which are exceptional. We recommend a glass or two of Batič Rosé at the end of a long day.

Kamnik is home to a coffee roaster of international renown called Stow, located in a former chair factory. You can try their excellent coffee at Korobač, Kamnik’s only hipster café, which offers shady outdoor tables, refreshing home-made lemonade, and a decent selection of salads and wraps for lunch.

However, the most fun place to eat is a short drive out of town, near Tito’s old hunting lodge, deep in the Kamniška Bistrica Valley. From the outside Pr’Jurju looks like an ordinary alpine house but set foot inside and you’ll feel as if you’re time travelling. The place is totally untouched since Yugoslavian days: it looks like a museum or a film set. This was where Naomi Watts filmed Infinite Storm. The food here is simple, rustic and generous; Riki will bring you the biggest schnitzel you’ve ever seen. Order a glass of ‘Cockta’ to complete your retro experience. This drink was created in the 1950s and was Slovenia’s patriotic attempt to rival Coca-Cola. It became a surprising success, selling more than four million bottles the year it was launched. For a simple dinner in town, locals recommend Tsnim, a neighbourhood Syrian restaurant that’s inexpensive and authentic.

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The To Do List

Slovenians are known for their sporty lifestyle and with the Kamnik-Savinja Alps surrounding the town, the very best thing to do is to spend the day outside and walk until your legs ache.

Kamniško Sedlo is a great half day hike, although be aware that the final ascent can feel hair raising with wire ropes and nails in the rock. A helmet is recommended. The views from up here are well worth the ascent and you can continue on from here up to Mt Brana although this is even more technical and you’ll definitely need to be experienced. 

For a more relaxed hike, head along the Koželj Trail which winds alongside a crystal clear river, through green woods and up to a dramatic gorge. It’s about 10km in total and mostly flat. At times the sound of the water is so loud you can’t talk over it. Children will love looking for the giant edible snails that live in the woods, and if you’re lucky you might spot a fire salamander making its meandering way along the forest floor. These dramatically coloured black and yellow lizards are as poisonous as they look, but the main thing to worry about is ticks in the summer, take the usual precautions. 

In the centre of town you can visit the ruins of the Mali Grad (the little castle) where Countess Veronika, half-woman, half-snake, supposedly resided. You can learn all about her legendary stinginess, and see the hole she made in the stone doorway as she flew into a rage when someone asked for money. 

For a sense of the country’s rural heritage, Velika Planina is a short drive from town and worth a day trip even if you don’t opt to stay overnight up on the mountain. Reached by cable car, this claims to be one of the last working shepherd’s villages in Europe, and up to 500 cattle are still grazed here each summer. There’s a nice easy circular trail that you can self-guide around, it takes roughly three hours to complete and loops around different shepherd’s villages. Be sure to check out the tiny museum which shows how shepherds lived in the nineteenth century, and the church of Madonna of the Snow. Fog comes in fast and thick up here, so check local conditions before you set out. After all that hiking, take a pit stop at a mountain hut for lunch and try ričet, a filling bean and barley stew, or traditional sour milk and buckwheat spoon bread. Strudel comes with various fillings, the sweetened curd cheese is the one to order. 

If you’re missing the buzz of the big city, you can head over to Ljubljana for shopping or to indulge in some fine dining – it’s only 40 minutes by train, but time has a way of drifting in sleepy little Kamnik, and my hunch is that you’ll want to forget the rest of the world after a couple of days here.