{"id":8887,"date":"2019-11-19T02:35:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T10:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/strangersinthelivingroom.com\/?p=8887"},"modified":"2023-12-21T11:17:29","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T19:17:29","slug":"slovenias-walk-in-the-treetops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strangersinthelivingroom.com\/8887\/slovenias-walk-in-the-treetops\/","title":{"rendered":"Slovenia’s Treetop Walk: Accessible, Sustainable Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Slovenia, a country filled with stunning panoramic views, just got one more. I was one of the first bloggers to experience Slovenia’s Treetop Walk in Pohorje on Rogla mountain. I definitely won’t be the last!<\/p>\n

You don’t have to be a world-class mountain climber to reach the highest point. This attraction, called Pot med Kro\u0161njami Pohorje in Slovene, \u00a0is accessible to nature lovers of all ages and abilities.<\/p>\n

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I was among the first adventurers to take the walk in the treetops. Local authorities hope it will jumpstart active tourism in the surrounding Pohorje region of Slovenia.<\/p><\/div>\n

Rogla, in the Pohorje region about two hours drive from Ljubljana<\/a> and one hour from Maribor<\/a>, is known for its ski resort and the purity of its air. The Terme Zre\u010de health and wellness spa is nearby. Private investors and local workers built the 500-meter wooden walkway that winds through fragrant and majestic Alpine spruce trees. Buy your ticket and take a deep breath as you begin your stroll across the top of the evergreen forest.<\/p>\n

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This imposing tower with a gentle, spiraling ramp to the top, offers an accessible path to stunning 360-degree mountain views at Pot Med Kro\u0161njami Pohorje.<\/p><\/div>\n

Adventure for Everyone<\/h4>\n

The platform is 20 meters (65 feet) above ground and about 1,537 meters (5,000 feet) above sea level. Don’t worry if it sways a bit in the mountain breeze. Juri, the director, assured me it’s strong enough to hold more than 20,000 people. But that won’t be necessary. A maximum of about 1,000 ticket holders will be permitted to experience the 1,000-meter walk at the same time.<\/p>\n

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Endless views and crystal-pure air are accessible to everyone on the Treetop Walk Pohorje.<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s kid-friendly with activities like an outdoor trampoline and lots of opportunities to learn about the local rocks, plants and wildlife. Your dog, however, will have to stay behind in one of the wooden kennels provided free of charge at the entrance.<\/p>\n

The highlight of the visit is the panoramic tower. A gently spiraling ramp leads to the top, 37 meters above the forest floor. The grade of only 6% makes it an accessible stroll for visitors of all ages, including those in strollers or wheelchairs. The corkscrew stairway at the center is roped off and intended for use only in emergencies.<\/p>\n

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The view from the bottom of the spiraling observation tower at Pot med Kro\u0161njami Pohorje on Rogla. This easy climb might be the highlight of your visit.<\/p><\/div>\n

On a crisp, sunny October day we could see Mount Triglav and other Slovenian peaks with the snow-kissed Austrian Alps in the distance. Lush green hills stretched in every direction through isolated farms to the shimmering valleys below. Organizers hope that this bird’s eye view will jumpstart year-round active tourism in the entire region.<\/p>\n

By the time you return to the parking lot through the gift shop, you’ll have worked up an appetite. There’s no restaurant or coffee shop on site (as yet), so you’ll have an excuse to explore the surrounding area. This video<\/a> gives you some idea of why you should!<\/p>\n

Wine Tasting at Zlati Gri\u010d<\/h4>\n

The Styria region has a long tradition of wine-making. Zlati Gri\u010d is one of the most modern wineries in Slovenia. It was founded in 1991, the same year Slovenia gained independence, and now is under Czech ownership. Ninety percent of the wine made here is consumed in Slovenia.<\/p>\n

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The vineyard view from one of the tasting rooms at Zlati Gri\u010d Winery in Slovenia, built into the coutours of golden hills. The 15th century mansion offers apartments for visitors.<\/p><\/div>\n

The wine cellar is ecologically built into the contours of one of the golden hills that give the winery its name — and an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the surrounding vineyards. Our guide Katarina explained how some of Slovenia’s most popular “young” wines are made in towering stainless steel vats. Reserve wines are aged in French oak barrels. We got a peek through a glass window into the busy bottling room just after the October grape harvest.<\/p>\n

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Our tasting began with sparkling white Konji\u0161ka Penina made from pinot blanc, and a sparkling rose from the modra frankinja grape. The region is best known for white wines including Konji\u010dan + Sauvignon, Sivi Pinot and Bela Pinot. But we also enjoyed the light red modra frankinja and the heartier pinot noir, paired with local cheese. Hours and more information on the wines is on their website.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Situated among the vineyards is a nine-hole golf course and the Gostilna Gri\u010d restaurant,<\/a> offering a gourmet spin on fresh local ingredients. You’ll be ready for more exploring!<\/p>\n

Charming Town of Slovenske Konjice<\/h4>\n

Local guide Nina Buh<\/a> led us along the main street of her home town. She explained that the name — Slovenian horses — dates back to the Austrian Empire, when traders would stop here on the route between Vienna and Trieste. Or it’s the nearby mountain that looks like the saddleback of a horse. Take your pick. Either way, young Slovenes and other digital nomads are discovering it as an affordable place to live, with the big city action of Maribor and Ljubljana only a short car ride away.<\/p>\n

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Local guide Nina Buh explains why her hometown of Slovenske Konjice offers a charming break for active lovers of nature and history. Young Slovenes also find it an affordable place to live between the country’s two largest cities.<\/p><\/div>\n

You’ll see horse images everywhere as you stroll along the cafe-lined main street of restored merchant buildings. The brook that runs through the center of town is said to have originated from the tears of a young maiden who was lost in the surrounding hills. Think back to the times of Turkish invasions, when town residents would hide in the priests’ fortified house next to the church.<\/p>\n

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Zi\u010de Monastery<\/h4>\n

Continue your time travel just a short drive outside the town at the remains of the sprawling \u017di\u010de Charterhouse (pronounced Zee-chay). It was abandoned in 1782 when Austrian royalty outlawed the monasteries. Local residents helped themselves to the stones from the vast complex to rebuild their homes after a fire. Local authorities have reclaimed some of those artifacts to present visitors with a picture of what life must have been like here for the Carthusian order of white-robed monks.<\/p>\n

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Founded more than 850 years ago, the \u017di\u010de Charterhouse of the Carthusian Monks boasted a library second only to the Vatican.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the small museum, you’ll see examples of the monks’ handiwork and learn the legend of the monastery’s founding 850 years ago. A visiting nobleman fell asleep on a hunting excursion and had a vision of St. John the Baptist. He awoke when a rabbit jumped into his lap. That’s why the area is known as St. John the Baptist Valley and the monastery is named \u017di\u010de, a variation on the Slovenian word for rabbit (zajec).<\/p>\n

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Walking through the atmospheric ruins, you can imagine the grand church set amidst the humble one-room homes of the monks and the walls that protected their scholarly work from invaders.<\/p><\/div>\n

The remote location fit perfectly with the Carthusians’ strict rules of prayer, meditation, and silence. Stand in the remains of the Church of St. John the Baptist and try to figure out the location of the famed library that once boasted more than 2,000 books, second only to the Vatican in the 14th century.<\/p>\n

With their humble one-room dwellings protected from Turkish invaders by stone walls and the surrounding hills, the scholarly monks pursued knowledge of natural healing — the closest thing to medical treatment at the time.\u00a0 Worker monks cultivated food and tended the complex of buildings. This video will give you some idea of the atmosphere, complete with drone footage and a costumed monk:<\/p>\n