Sveti Miklavž na Gori (St. Nicholas on the Mount) (757 m)

From spring to spring, with the sound of rushing water below you. . .

Did you know that St Nicholas (Sveti Miklavž in Slovene) is the saint with the second largest number of churches dedicated to him in Slovenia? One of them stands on the forested hill of Gora (“The Mount”) above the village of Gradišče in the valley of Tuhinjska Dolina. Rolling countryside extends below it and the Alps can be seen “peeping” from behind the higher hills to the north. One of the most popular routes up Gora is the very well marked easy and pleasant route leading from Terme Snovik, the only thermal spa in the Central Slovenia region. It is therefore probably no surprise that the route passes several springs and that you are almost always accompanied by the sound of trickling or rushing water. A wonderful blend of the natural and cultural landscape, with wide forests, extensive meadows and pleasant villages.

From the Terme Snovik car park, take the quiet asphalt road leading towards the centre of the village of Snovik. The meadows on either side are bordered by forest. The road runs through a valley that rises slightly at either end. From time to time you will see a Knafelc blaze (a circular red waymark with a white dot at its centre), but otherwise you should follow the yellow signposts. After less than a kilometre you will reach a wayside shrine where a signpost reading “Sv. Miklavž” (St Nicholas) points to the right, past a spring and a sign with information about bathing the hands. After around a hundred metres or so, the asphalt gives way to macadam and you will soon see a collection of wooden signposts, including one to “Sv. Miklavž”. Follow this to the left, up some wooden steps, across a meadow and onto a forest track. The path rises and falls slightly and the track briefly becomes a narrow little path. The trees open up from time to time as the path crosses grassy slopes or runs among fruit trees.

A steeper descent leads back to an asphalt road, in the village of Hruševka. At this point you already have a view of Gora and its church. To reach it, you will follow a horseshoe-shaped route – initially along a quiet asphalt road past houses, hay drying racks, orchards, gardens and forest-fringed meadows, all the time to the accompaniment of rushing water further down in the valley.

The route is very well marked and it is practically impossible to get lost. After walking for approximately a kilometre and a half, cross the little bridge onto the macadam road. From now on you will not only hear the water, you will also see it, as you follow the wide road uphill along a stream. The road passes through forest and slowly begins to wind its way around the hill whose summit is your destination. Never fear, though: the climb is a moderate one. At one point the route passes between tall rocks before descending to more open terrain offering wide views. From here it is just a short climb to the summit. It is almost a surprise to find yourself suddenly standing in front of the sacristan’s house that doubles as the headquarters of the local tourism organisation. The church and its freestanding bell tower are slightly higher up, as is the partly renovated surrounding wall built to defend against the Ottoman Turks. In fine weather it is nice to sit below this wall and enjoy the sunshine.

Gora also offers a fine view of the Alps (a circular summit indicator is on hand to help you interpret the view). In the distance, Grintovec peeps out from behind the hills, and even Triglav puts in an appearance.

Descent

Same route as the ascent.

Starting point

Terme Snovik (33 km from the centre of Ljubljana): at the side of the car park you will see a large board showing the relief of the surrounding area, for the purposes of easier orientation; the first signs for Sv. Miklavž are at the car park exit. The red hiking signpost indicates a walking time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, while the yellow sign next to it shows a time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. Depending on how fast you walk!