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Where around
‘When you bathe in the energy of nature and tiny creatures with an exceptional mission.’
There are many natural and cultural gems hidden in Slovenia. Even the remotest places can be visited in one day due to the small size of the country.
But one can also find a great deal of wonderful tourist attractions in our region near the apiary – some are within walking distance and others can be reached by bicycle.
We would like to share a trip with you to some of our favourite spots, our starting-point being our home or the vacation house BEe in foREST.
Our daily roundabout trip, accompanied by the dog Lili, and sometimes even by one of the cats, leads through a small grove surrounded by picturesque meadows, through fields and tilled ground, and back to our home. The circular path lasts about thirty minutes.
Sometimes we decide to take a more distant walk which we call ‘through the pines’. Indeed, the gravel road takes us to the pine grove in which we breathe in the fresh air; we stop for a few moments, inhale deeply, and fill our lungs. We then continue past the church of the Holy Trinity (cerkev Sv. Trojice), situated on a small hill above the village of Trnje, and through the village Klenik back to our house. The trip lasts about 50 minutes.
We invite you to take a walk through our village Klenik and visit the wonderful Church of the Holy Trinity (cerkev Sv. Trojice), which is within 20 minutes of walking distance or 1,4 km from us. If the weather allows it, the path is also suitable for taking a stroll with a baby carriage.
On foot or by bicycle, the local road takes you to the middle of Pivka, which is 3 km away from us. There are many conveniences available such Spar, Šempeter Bar, Center Dina, and Petrol gas station.
Lake Palško is the largest and one of the 17 intermittent Pivka lakes. We can reach it on foot in approx. 40 minutes. Petelinjsko Lake is a bit further away, from 50 minutes to 1 hour of walking distance. The lake is in the middle of a meadow which is always mown when there is no water. Our lakes are rather capricious, and sometimes they simply disappear overnight. One can certainly see them during heavy rains. In the summer – when they are most desired and needed to cool off our legs – the lakes seem to hide in the soil.
When the summer heat is scorching, we prefer riding to the Rakov Škocjan Landscape Park where we can rest in a shadowy and cool spot. Sometimes the river Rak refreshes us, and other times we cool off in the shade of century-old oak trees or by absorbing the cave air under the natural arch of Big Natural Bridge.
In the immediate vicinity, we have the most frequently visited peak Sv. Trojica (Holy Trinity, 1106 m), on which stands a small but magnificent church. The splendid peak can also be viewed through the attic window in the vacation house. Sv. Trojica is also known after the folk tale of Martin Krpan who was a native of the region.
At the outskirts of Pivka, the summit PRIMOŽ (718 m) is also accessible on foot, a hike which takes about an hour to finish. The tourist-historical path is provided with numerous informative notice boards. The bunkers or fortifications are still present; these were built by the Italians during world wars due to the ideal location with the view of the entire Pivška kotlina (Pivka Basin). By prior arrangement, the inside of the fortress is available to visit in the museum Park of Military History.
At the exit road for the village Volče, approx. 12 km distant from us, the ascent towards VREMŠICA (1027 m) takes you through a grove. If the weather permits, a trip to the summit will award you with a view of the Julian Alps and an assortment of blue shades of the Adriatic Sea.
SNEŽNIK with an elevation of 1796 m is the tallest peak in the area. Travelling to the village Sviščaki – the starting point of the ascent – lasts about 50 minutes of driving and takes you through Ilirska Bistrica. The peak features a cosy cabin, in which delicious strudels are served, and a gorgeous view of Kvarner Gulf and nearby Kvarner islands. The mountain Snežnik is named after the long-lasting blanket of snow; we love watching the peak from the top of the small hill above our house, and admire its boasting white beauty. There are several routes of various difficulties that lead to the summit, and some are suitable for small children.
The village Sviščaki is located at the foothills of Snežnik and presents an excellent starting point for exploring the High Karst, and for hiking through many forest paths; in the summer, it is an ideal place to escape from the warmer basin of Ilirska Bistrica. There are two routes from the village – the Sviščaki Forest Education Trail and the View of Snežnik Walking Path, which introduce to visitors the greatest curiosities from this forest area.
SLAVNIK (1028 m) is a scenic mountain situated south of Kozina. The starting point for the ascent is the village Podgorje. The view from Slavnik is among the most gorgeous, because on a clear day we can observe the Adriatic Sea, the Italian Dolomites, part of the Julian Alps with Triglav, Karawanks, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and much more.
On the other side of the Javorniki hills (Javorniki), the summit of SLIVNICA is located to the north of Lake Cerknica (Cerkniško jezero, 1114 m). According to ancient lore, the mountain was home to witches. It is said they still dwell there.
NANOS plateau is in Postojna. Point of departure is in the village Razdrto, which is a 10-minute drive. The summit called Pleša (1240 m) features Vojkova koča (the hunting cottage Vojkova), and slightly below there is the Church of St. Jerome (cerkev Sv. Hieronima, 1020 m). When we lived in Postojna, Nanos was certainly the most frequently conquered summit. A beautiful view of it can be seen from the bedroom of the vacation house, especially in the evening when the sun goes down behind it.
Because of our respect for the bees, cycling enthusiasts are recommended to use the beekeeping bicycle path ‘BeeCycle’, connecting the municipalities Pivka, Postojna, and Ilirska Bistrica. It is divided into three difficulty levels, so you can adjust your trip to suit your wishes and abilities. With the QR code available on the website, individual routes are mapped on the .gpx files.
Close by, highly attractive tourist destinations are available, namely Postojna Cave (Postojnska jama) and the Predjama Castle (Predjamski grad). To this day, Predjama Castle still fascinates us, towards which we sometimes drive in the evening. When we stand in front of it in the stillness of the night, its magnitude is even greater and more mysterious.
We live in the karstic area where there are a few underground caves. The most famous is, of course, Postojna Cave. Personally, we suggest seeing Škocjan Caves (Škocjanske jame) in the vicinity of Divače village.
For museum enthusiasts, these are the places for you:
Our village also takes care of horse lovers. You can gaze upon the beautiful Lipizzaner – the Slovenian autochthonous horse species. The foals are born black, but become white, and only a few of them become brown. An opportunity awaits for you to meet them up close. Try riding them and enjoy nature on horseback or watch a demonstration in classic horse training. A picnic in the company of wonderful horses is also available by prior arrangement. Further information and booking available at horses.neapolitano@gmail.com or +386 51 383 609. There are no age restrictions, but the children enjoy the animals the most. They simply enthrall our girl Ela.
For any additional information, please contact the Tourist information centre Pivka (TIC Pivka):
Krpanov dom, Prečna ulica 1, Pivka
T: +386 (0)30 644 799
E: tic@pivka-turizem.si
Please also visit the following websites:
https://visitpivka.si/ in https://www.zelenikras.si/en/.
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Back to nature, back to simple life.
The bees. Living energy that has been here for us for thousands of years!