The geography of Slovenia’s greatest mountain range, the Julian Alps is a confused mess. Mapmakers are much more at home with the Karavanke. This chain extends for about 75 miles – 120 kilometers – in a west to east fashion geographically separating the Drava and Sava river valleys. They form a border between Slovenia and Austria. The Karawanke continue the function of the Carnic Alps separating Italy and Austria further to the west. As a border, the Karawanke have served that purpose since at least Roman times.
THE RANGE
The Karawanke are what I would consider to be more of a “home” mountain region. That is as opposed to mountains drawing interest from a much wider audience. On the bigger stage, these mountains are probably best known for providing a backdrop to the famous tourist pictures of Lake Bled and its island church. For those in more of a hurry, they may know the range from the A11 – the Karawanken Autobahn. The highway shoots under the mountains connecting Villach in Austria with Jesenice in Slovenia. Probably more importantly, northern Europe connects with the seashore of Croatia.
The range and its mountains, being a borderland, generally have both a German and a Slovene name – Karavanke or Karawanken in German. They are a popular chain for locals on both sides of the border. Several mountain huts can be found along the range. While the mountains present a steep profile on both sides, the Austrian side presents a much rockier nature. The Slovene side is clad in forests and meadows up high.
I read the Karawanke are popular with ski touring in the winter. From experience, there are a multitude of trails leading up and along the crest from both Slovene and Austrian sides. The range generally is not as dramatic visibly as their cousins to the south of the Sava River, the Julians. They do offer up superb views of their better-known relations. Time of day is an important factor since you can end up taking your picture into the sun.
My experience with the range is a bit limited. I have seen them from the Julians. One of the best viewpoints of the Slovene side of the range is from Jerebikovec or Debela peč, south of Dovje-Mojstrana My hiking experience is limited to the western part of the long range.
DOVŠKA BABA – FRAUENKOGEL
Dovška Baba is not the highest peak in the Karawanke – 1929 meters/6,204 feet – not even get into the top ten. It does give good views into the Julians, along the Sava River valley and out over southern Austria.
I was staying on my first trip to Slovenia in the village of Dovje. No car was not a major problem for walking up into the Karawanke rising right out the front door. The first time in Slovenia, I had never heard of the Karawanke. The currency of the country had not changed yet from the tolar. Like the Italian lire, the tolar had a crazy conversion to the dollar like 200 tolar = $1. As for hiking maps, the Karawanke above Dovje were included barely on the edge of a “Triglav” map. Today excellent hiking maps can be found online.
Being a longtime fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, I could have stopped and visited with future star Anze Kopitar. He was still playing as a teenager in the nearby town of Jesenice.
Weather had settled into the area as I arrived. Clouds obscured the peaks of the higher Julians – my goal, as everyone else’s being Triglav – but the Karawanke were clear. My host suggested a hike up Dovška Baba or Kepa. Looking at the map, I decided to do both.
beginnings
With a car, it is possible to get a higher start. Dovje is at 704 meters while with a car, you can get up to about 1120 meters leaving only 771 meters to go to reach the top – instead of 1187 from Dovje. Two streets come out on the village’s east side, take either one. They both merge just to the east before crossing the Mlinca creek. Just after the now dirt-gravel road bridges the stream, look to the left at the first turn for the footpath to Dovška Baba – there is a little sign.
Now, the path heads up through the trees to begin gaining those thousand meters in earnest. You meet up with the road leading above Ravne – where those with cars can start from. Next, use the road for a short time before heading into the woods. Then it is directly up to the hut at Planina Dovška Rožca.
history lesson learned
From the hut to the peak is all meadows and cows will be your friends. Having done this trip a few years ago, I was able to meet an elderly couple, keepers at the hut. They gave me a chance to get a quick history lesson. The husband had taken German during his school days in the Second World War. I picked up a little German serving in the US army, so we could converse.
Slovenia had been planned to be annexed in part to the greater German Reich by the former Austrian Führer, Hitler. (Other parts of the country were split between Italy and Hungary) That meant everyone in the new Civil Administration of Carinthia and Carniola had to speak German. This was similar to those Slovenes living in the Soča-Isonzo Valley where they had to learn Italian. World War Two in Slovenia did not seem to be any better than the rest of Europe.
It is a short distance from the hut to the top of the peak, which I promptly reached after shooing some of the cows aside. The Austrian side of the peak is like much of the range, much steeper. The approach from this side is usually from the Rosenkogelhütte, 1238 meters. The hut lies directly atop the Karawanken rail tunnel. From the hut, the way leads up to the pass at the pass at Rosenbachwattel 1587 meters. Then you traverse west along the Karavanke crest trail over Hruški vrh/Rosenkogel to the hut at to Planina Dovška Rožca.
KEPA – MITTAGSKOGEL
Returning to the hut from the peak, it was time to head for Kepa to the northwest. An easy, fairly level trail goes north to the Mlinca-Mlinzasattel where you can observe the border in detail. To the west rise the summit pitches of the Bärenkogel-Visoki Kurjek 1973 meters.
From the saddle, the Karavanke crest trail skirts around the summit cliffs of Visoki Kurjek heading for the next peak, Gubno or Hühnerkogel 2034 meters. A “kogel” in Austrian and southern German dialects translates to a rounded mountain top. “Bären” is Bears and “Hühner” means Chickens. So, here we traverse from the Bear’s peak to the Chicken’s! The path is airy and the views far.
The paths up and down to the crest are all second-rate compared to the trail along the crest. This trail is why you sweat getting up here. Magnificent views, even on a hazy day. And surprises lie ahead.
From Gubno the trail continues along the crest northwesterly towards Kepa. The trail marking changes on newer maps from a normal to a demanding mountain path (Zahtevna planinska pot-Schwieriger Bergweg). My old map had no such indication. The reason for the increase in difficulty reached in the western gully of Gubno. The path is suspended in air by wires – a short iron route. It is certainly not difficult – no via ferrata gear really needed – but it is certainly airy. There may have been an iron peg or two thrown into the mix, as well.
On the other side, after a short descent, the trail becomes more “normal”. First, the path meets a much busier trail up from the Austrian side. Then, the last the extra hundred meters or so are gained to the big cross atop Kepa-Mittagskogel 2139 meters – third highest peak in the Karavanke.
summit
The whole day on the Slovene side, I had seen no one on the trails – midweek. Coming up from the Bertahütte to the north on the Austrian side was a veritable army. Here is a good place to note the difference between German-Austrian trails – in my experience – and Slovene trails. Slovenes do know what switchbacks are, but many times, they seem reluctant to employ them. Why put a switchback in when an iron peg or two works just as well and is quicker, to boot.
Views from atop Kepa are outstanding, even if when I was looking across the Sava valley towards Triglav directly into the sun. The range drops off considerably to the west of Kepa, quickly descending to the Jepzasattel-Sedlič at 1438 meters. Here, the Karavanke begins transitioning into the Carnic Alps beyond.
After taking in the views, I returned along the crest trail. The hanging trail was much more fun when I knew what to expect. Walking all the way back to a trail junction beneath Visoki Kurjek called Koritec on the map. From here, the long descent into the Mlinca valley and Dovje beyond, dropping from 1600 meters back to 704. Thus, an end to a long, but rewarding day in the high Karavanke.
There are many other high points to consider in the range – Stohl comes to mind. That is, if you can get yourself away from the crowds in the Julians.