Prevala Mountain Pasture

Region	Upper Carniola Statistical Region
Starting point	Ljubelj Pass parking lot
Route length	5 km (3.18 miles)
route duration	1,5 h
Start Point altitude	1057 m (3,468 feet)
End Point Altitude	1311 m (4,429 feet)
Best time to visit	summer, early autumn, spring
Appropriate for	Baby Carriers , 3-6 years of age , 6+ years of age
Level of difficulty	Moderately demanding route

Route Description

The Prevala Mountain Pasture, located on the southeastern slope of Begunjščica Mountain, is a popular excursion and hiking destination. A picturesque, undemanding path from the Ljubelj Pass through the Born Tunnel leads us to an alpine pasture at an altitude of 1,311 meters (4,301 feet).

This is a well-visited location in the summer, as it is an excellent hiking destination for both young families and the elderly population. The macadam road that extends from the Draga Valley across the Planinica Mountain is a popular route for mountain bikers.

Your starting point is the Ljubelj Pass.

At the end of the parking lot under the former Ljubelj Hotel, find a road sign that says “Preval”. On the hike, you cross screes and edges, which descend from the Begunjščica Mountain towards the Podljubelj Valley and a bunker. This building is a reminder of the time before WWII, when border bunkers were built here because of a possible attack from the north. A little further on stand the remains of the Ljubelj Labour Camp. Do not forget to bring a flashlight.

You will soon reach the 200-metre-long (218 yards) Born Tunnel, which has an opening that serves as a source of light and ventilation. Passing through the tunnel using a torch will be a special adventure for every kid. Mind your head, especially at the entrance, and be careful not to step into large puddles.

When you leave the tunnel behind, walk on the edge of the eastern slope of the Begunjščica Mountain. Only a moderate ascent on a forest trail, which merges with the Potočnik Ravine path, separates you from the Prevala Hut. You can pick sour blackberries and admire peacefully resting butterflies.

Interesting Facts

The Born Tunnel

You will need a headlamp to cross it.

The tunnel was constructed in 1891 at the behest of Baron Julius Born, the owner of the St. Anne Mine and a villa on Ljubelj. He was a great lover of wildlife and had large numbers of ibex and deer settled in the region. The tunnel gave him easier access to hunting grounds on the southern side of the Begunjščica Mountain and it is now a pleasant hike across scree and through forest. Our kids were very excited to cross the dark tunnel!

Just below the Prevala Mountain Pasture, you can see the remains of the Ljubelj Labour Camp.

The Ljubelj Labour Camp was the only camp in Slovenian territory during the Second World War. It was one of 49 subcamps of the Mauthausen concentration camp complex not far from Linz, Austria. More than a thousand prisoners worked in appalling conditions from 1943–1945 to build the present-day tunnel on Ljubelj (Loibl). In doing so, about 40 people died because of hard work or were executed. In 1950, the Slovenian government allowed a monument to be built on the site of the concentration camp and declared it a memorial site. The suffering of the prisoners is shown with a statue made by the sculptor Boris Kobet. The location of the southern camp can still be seen today, because the concrete foundations of the barracks have been preserved. The makeshift crematorium, protected by steel fences, reminds us of the prisoners that were burned here.

Near this location lies the Dovžan Gorge.

This gorge is a journey through time as it is older than dinosaurs. Three hundred million years ago, this place was the site of a tropical sea, teeming with marine animals. The rocks of the gorge hide many one-of-a-kind fossilized remains.

There is a good reason for the Dovžan Gorge's status as a protected natural monument for more than 25 years. It is geologically one of the most fascinating areas of Slovenia. The picturesque valley, which is located 3.2 kilometres northeast of Tržič, was carved out by the Tržič Bistrica River deep into the heart of the Karawanks, laying bare the most complete sequence of rocks from the younger Paleozoic period, ranging from 300 to 260 million years old. The layers of rock are like the pages of a thick book, recording a fantastic story about unusual living creatures and a changing environment in the distant geological past. The Dovžan Gorge is distinguished by its extraordinary variety of sedimentary rocks as well as abundance and diversity of fossilized remains. These fossils have made a name for the gorge in the international specialized literature. The list of plant and animal species that have been found here is indeed long, but most notable are the brachiopod Karavankina schellwieni and the foraminifera Sphaeroschwagerina carniolica. Both were first discovered and described in the Dovžan Gorge and were even featured on Slovenian postage stamps.

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Nearby Restaurants

Prevala Mountain Hut

Here you can fill your tummy with all sorts of stews and other delicacies such as “štruklji,” meat and sauerkraut hotpot, the masovnjek dish, “žganci,” etc.