Ribniško Pohorje Mountain- Ski Resort and Ribniška koča Hut

Route Description

This trip will be an adventure for the whole family! Ribniško jezero Lake is an interesting phenomenon, as it is a 8,000 year-old moor lying at a high altitude on a slope east of Ribniški vrh hilltop.

This unusual natural phenomenon has been on our road trip bucket list for quite a while. We sorted our 2-day accommodation in the town of Ribnica na Pohorju, which was also a starting point for exploring the Carinthian-Styrian region. This way, we fulfilled our wish of visiting this Slovenian gem with the whole family. 

Ribniško jezero Lake is a 8,000 year-old moor lying at a high altitude (1,490 metres/4,888 feet) on a slope east of Ribniški vrh Hill. Dwarf pines and swampy ground characterize the landscape, which is surrounded by spruce-fir forest. The lake is situated on Jezerski vrh hilltop in the Ribniško Pohorje Hills and fills up with rainwater only. It is 84 meters (275 feet) long, up to 40 meters (131 feet) wide and 0.6-1 meters (1-3 feet) deep. Three smaller marshy lakes, which are 10 meters (32 feet) wide, lie 20 to 40 meters in the southwest and southeast direction. The lake is protected as a forest reserve (Natura 2000), and its vegetation is a combination of dwarf pines and peat mosses. The bottom of the lake is overgrown with moss, and on the southern shore of the lake, peat grows up to 2 meters (6 feet) deep under water. Beneath it is a layer of black peat humus about 2 meters (6 feet) thick, followed by yellowish-brown sand. At about 3 meters (9 feet) deep, solid rock begins.

The trail to the lake is easy and undemanding, and the nearest starting point is below Ribniška koča Hut, which lies at an altitude of 1,530 meters (5,019 feet) above sea level. The walk to the lake takes about 30 minutes in one direction and is suitable for small children, since our 3-year-old daughter walked the trail on her own. There are many benches along the way, if anyone needs a rest.

You can leave your car at a small grassy parking lot, just below Ribniška koča Hut. At the end of the trip, you can stop by the hut and fill your belly with delicious hot dishes.

The path to Ribniško jezero Lake begins with a slight ascent to a meadow. After about 10 minutes, you arrive to Jezerski vrh hilltop, where a large monument to the victims of the National Liberation War stands and a beautiful view of the neighbouring peaks and valleys opens.

After a slight descent, you come across nature reserve signs, and further on a wooden-plank path leads right up to the lake, where you can enjoy the view in peace (if you do not have small children with you of course ;)). If the legend about the lake Merman (“Jezernik”) is true, we certainly chased him away with our kids screaming and you have nothing to fear anymore ;).