We were on our way to see friends in Austria but, we had two days to kill and the dog trainer at Grado had recommended we visit the Velinka Planina Plateau in Slovenia. This is a 600 hectare pastureland deep in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps at some 1,600 metres above sea level where; every year, the shepherds/herdsmen drive their goats/cattle for the hot summer months (late May to September). They have built numerous traditional shepherd huts of spruce shingles up on the plateau and this is one of very few places left in Europe where the traditional herdsmen’s culture is still alive. The timing would have been great but, Vanya was told our Van would be too big for the campsite up on the plateau and; she was never going to agree to the alternative approaches which would entail either (a) our walking up to the plateau along a well marked trail from Stahovica Village or (b) our taking a cable car and then a chair lift up to the plateau from Kamniska Bistrica village. Instead, she found us a first class campsite (Camping Menina) in Varpolje, Slovenia.
Camping Menina is located on the banks of the River Savinja not far from the Logar National Park in Slovenia. As with the Valinka Plateau, we were unable to visit Logar Park during this tour (Vanya was being troubled by her joints) but Camping Menina proved a great find (quite unlike anything we had stayed at before) and we stayed for two nights; taking time while we were there to visit nearby Mozirje (the subject of a separate blog). I also took a long circuitous walk to Nazarje to visit the local chemist but there’s little else of interest in Nazarje.
A little about Camping Menina:- It’s definitely one of the more welcoming campsites we have visited during our travels. The reception staff were especially helpful, speaking good English and proving very knowledgeable about things to see and do in the area. The Logar National Park sounds particularly interesting.
The campsite itself is criss-crossed with streams and natural ponds and is something of an adventure playground with it’s high level walk ways and obstacle course. I think they called it the ‘adrenaline park’. The site also offers climbing adventures, gorge scrambling, kayaking (when the river levels are high enough), horse riding, mountain biking and hiking, etc – not that we participated in any of those activities during this stay. We did, however, make good use of the restaurant-bar which offers breakfast, lunch and evening meals and, be warned, the portions are huge (and the prices reasonable). There’s even a small spa area; complete with sauna, jacuzzi and even massages.
A few photos…
We’d definitely revisit this area and would happily use Camping Menina again. Next time we’ll definitely visit the Logar National Park and, hopefully, the Velinka Planina Plateau.
