Discovering the River Kolpa
- Travelling time: 6 h
- Difficulty: Family
- Why we love it: The River Kolpa looks never the same throughout its run. It changes its character while flowing and offers different landscapes every time. All around there is Kolpa Landscape Park: you can explore it and overnight in one of its camp sites to live a unique experience. It is also the ideal place for active people. You can go canoe, bicycle or walk along its shores. During summer you can also find some refreshment diving into its warm waters.
- Length: 28 km
- Total Elevation Gain: 94 m
- Way to travel: On foot, by canoe or by bicycle
- Cost: 0
- Our Advice: Have also a moment to explore the wonderful Kolpa Landscape Park. It is full of marvellous flora and fauna!
If you are looking for a way to follow River Kolpa, you will be spoilt for choice. Along the river Kolpa there are indeed four types of itineraries: the Kostel Castle Trail, the Kostel Meditation Trail, the Kostel Mountain Trail and the one that follows the flow of the river. We will see together this last one trail, which is an easy route. It will let you see without much effort the nature around the river and offers wonderful spots of it. Moreover, you are always free to choose to spend the night in one of the camp sites of the Park around the river. These are a lot and different one another, from the more basic ones to the glamping options.
You will walk through the Kolpa Landscape Park and see how the river changes in its appearance while flowing. From a typical mountain torrent to a flat country river! Moreover, pay attention to everything around you. The rich flora and fauna of the park will surprise you in beauty and variety.
Start your trail by having a walk through Fara and, once out of the village, turn right towards Slavski Laz. Here you will be able to see several well-maintained Kočevje houses. Pass them and continue towards Gorenja Žaga, a small village on the left bank of the river where you can rest, spend the night or continue to the confluence of the Kotnica and Kolpa river. Here you have absolutely to admire the Jelovička jama cave and Mihova jama cave.
Continue towards Lobič, where you can see the lithopunctural stone and visit the Kobilna jama cave. Ascend then to Spodnja Bilpa and admire the Bilpa spring and karst cave in the Bilpa cliff. Here the Bilpa creek runs on the surface from a cave and eventually flows into Kolpa River during rainy days. This place is famous for the legends about devils and witches, which are said to have flown from here towards Klek.
Continue alongside the Kolpa river. If you love the adventure and sports, you should absolutely take a canoe and let yourself be guided by the flow of the river. There are lots of spots along its shores where you can rent different kinds of canoe, according to your abilities and your desires.
Arrive at Laze pri Predgradu. In the village you will see the Roman Catholic Church of St. Vitus and one of the numerous lithopunctural stones, demonstrating the energy points along the Kolpa river. You can see here an example of overgrown vineyards north of the village on the slope above the road.
Continue your trip to Dol, where you can see the former Venetian sawmill and the old farm house with a black kitchen. The bridge is really interesting: the shape of its fence looks like a boat. Take also a moment to admire the landscape all around you. The river valley is really beautiful from here!
Continue your route past a small camp and the former sawmill in Prelesje to the Sodevci border crossing where you will turn left towards Dečina. A typical Kočevje farmhouse can be seen on the left hand side of the road. You have almost finished your route down the river: go on following its shores and after just a km you will arrive at Radenci, the final destination of your journey.
Inspiration: Slovenia heritage trail
Cover photo by slovenia info