The Way of St. James: Snovik–Kamnik

Terme Snovik are the highest elevated thermal baths in Slovenia (located at around 440 m above sea level) and the first in Slovenian tourism to commit to green development. They are also known for reviving the famous tradition of Kneipping in the area. The nearby town of Kamnik was
one of the most prominent places for Kneipping in this part of Europe in the 19th century. It attracted many guests, even from the other side of the Atlantic.

The Way of St. James starts a little further from the central complex of the thermal baths, in the direction of the village of Snovik. You will walk along a stream through a beautiful valley bordered by meadows and forests. You'll soon see the first signpost for the Way of St. James that takes you onto a slightly uphill macadam track, but we recommend you keep walking to the second trail marker, a yellow metal scallop shell that takes you over a wooden footbridge. Route 6, which leads from Motnik to Snovik, also ends here.

From the stream, you continue on a moderate climb into the forest. You will still be accompanied by exercise points among the nature, placed there by the thermal baths for their guests – from instructions for Kneipping in the water, to exercise equipment in the forest. Over time, you will join the carriageway that you would have walked on if you had followed the first sign of the Way of St. James.

From here on, you will walk mainly on forest, grass, and stone carriageways while enjoying the shade of the treetops and the views of the vast meadows and pastures. On one side you will feel the proximity of the high hilltops, from the Velika planina mountain plateau to the peaks of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, while on the other side you will see the lower lying hills stretching above the Tuhinjska dolina valley. You will learn that Slovenia really is the land of hayracks, and you will get to discover the authentic Slovenian countryside with its traditional villages and old homesteads.

On the way, before reaching Kamnik, there are two churches: St. Agnes in Sela pri Kamniku and St. George in Nevlje, the latter of which is a well-known archaeological site. The bones of a large mammoth, approximately 20,000 years old, were discovered here. Its skeleton is one of the best-preserved mammoth skeletons in this part of Europe and is exhibited in the Slovenian Museum of Natural History in Ljubljana, while a life-size mammoth sculpture is on display in Kamnik. In addition, Nevlje is supposedly one of the oldest places in the region of Kamnik, while the Church of St. George is the oldest church in Carniola – the historical region that included the present-day Slovenian provinces of Gorenjska, Dolenjska and Notranjska, as well as parts of the Karst and Istria. The church is built in the baroque style, with the baptistery in it being the work of the greatest Slovenian architect, Jože Plečnik.

From here it's just under half an hour's walk to Kamnik. As you approach the Kamniška Bistrica river, which flows into the city from under the mountains, you will see the Mali grad and Stari grad peaks above the city, both popular viewpoints offering wonderful views of the Alps. The path will lead you past the mammoth sculpture and into the old town. On Glavni trg, be sure not to miss the picturesque facade of the building designed by Jože Plečnik, who dedicated the last years of his life to many creations in Kamnik and its surrounding area. You will then walk to the Franciscan monastery with the Church of St. James. The great architect Plečnik left his mark in this church as well. He created the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.

The route ends at the beginning of Šutna, the most beautiful street in Kamnik, which used to be a lively craftsman's street, next to Evropa Park, under the hill with the Church of St. Joseph.