بلدية لوتسكا دولينا

Late spring to early autumn is the best time. Days are warm, the walking trails are clear of snow, and cave tours run most often. Winters are long and cold, with regular snow. Cold air collects in the karst fields, and the village of Babno Polje, in the east of the municipality, holds Slovenia's lowest official temperature record. Some sights open only at weekends or by appointment in the cold months.

Autumn is the season of the local dormouse tradition. Hunting is allowed in October with special permits, and it is a good time to visit the dormouse museum at Snežnik Castle.

Snežnik Castle sits in a large park at the southern end of the valley. It was first recorded in 1269 and later became a princely summer home and hunting lodge. It is one of only two Slovenian castles with authentic interiors, and visits are by guided tour. The park, with old tree avenues and small lakes, is free to walk.

Dormouse Museum and Hunting Collection is in an outbuilding next to Snežnik Castle. It explains how local people hunted dormice for meat, fat and fur for centuries. A second room shows hunting trophies of local game.

Križna Cave has a chain of 22 underground lakes that can be crossed by boat. The short tour takes about an hour and includes a boat ride on the first lake when the water level allows. Over 2,000 cave bear bones have been found inside. Bring warm clothes, as the cave is cold.

Lož Castle is a ruin on a hill above the small town of Lož. It was built in the 12th century and abandoned in the 17th century. A short walk leads up to the walls and a view over the valley.

Holy Cross Church on Križna Gora dates from 1750 and stands on an 857 m hill at the northern edge of the valley. Pilgrims still come here, and the hilltop was also an Iron Age settlement. It takes about 30 minutes to walk up from the road to Križna Cave.

St Gertrude's Church is a small medieval church in the village of Nadlesk. Inside are frescoes from 1511, a painted wooden ceiling and a richly gilded Baroque high altar.

Most experiences here are tied to the forests and caves.

• Watch brown bears: Local guides take small groups to hides in the Snežnik forests. Ask the tourist office in Stari trg for details.
• Learn about dormouse hunting: Dormouse hunting has been part of life here since at least the 13th century. The best-known product is the polhovka, a winter fur hat. The museum at Snežnik Castle tells the story, and the season opens in October.
• Take the long boat tour in Križna Cave: The tour to the Kalvarija chamber takes about four hours and crosses many underground lakes by boat. Only four people a day are allowed, so book well ahead.

Some of Slovenia's best-known karst sights are within an hour by car. A car is the practical choice for all of them.

• Lake Cerknica — ≈20 min by car, near Cerknica. This intermittent lake floods the valley for most of the year and drains away in dry spells.
• Mount Snežnik — at 1,796 m, it rises south of the valley, above Ilirska Bistrica. It is the highest non-Alpine mountain in Slovenia. The climb is easy, mostly on forest tracks, and a mountain hut stands near the top. The most common start is the mountain lodge at Sviščaki. Allow a full day.
• Postojna Cave — ≈40 min by car, at Postojna. Slovenia's most famous show cave is visited partly by underground train.
• Predjama Castle — ≈50 min by car. A castle built into the mouth of a cave in a high cliff. Combine it with Postojna Cave.
• Ljubljana — ≈1 h by car. The country's small, walkable capital.

North of the valley, Cerknica has its famous intermittent lake and the gorge of Rakov Škocjan. To the west, Postojna is the centre of Slovenia's cave country.

South, beyond the Snežnik forests, Ilirska Bistrica is the usual base for climbing Snežnik.

• By air: Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport is the nearest international airport. Most travellers continue via Ljubljana by car, about an hour's drive.
• By train: The nearest station is Rakek, on the line from Ljubljana to Koper. It is about 25 minutes from Stari trg by car. Slovenian Railways
• By bus: Buses link Stari trg with Ljubljana via Cerknica, but there are few of them, so check times before you travel. Ljubljana bus station timetables
• By car: The drive from Ljubljana takes about an hour, on the A1 motorway towards Koper and then on local roads through Cerknica.

• Car: The easiest way to get around. Snežnik Castle, Križna Cave and the villages are several kilometres apart, and local buses are rare.
• Bike: The flat valley floor and quiet roads suit cycling. The tourist office in Stari trg rents e-bikes.
• On foot: Stari trg and Lož are small and easy to walk. Marked trails lead to Lož Castle, Križna gora and through the castle park, but the main sights are too far apart to link on foot in one day.

• Is a car worth it?: Yes. Buses are rare, and the main sights and the nearby lakes and caves are spread out.
• Parking: Parking is easy in the small towns, and there are car parks at Snežnik Castle and Križna Cave.
• Roads: Local roads are narrow and pass through deep forest. Watch for deer and bears, especially at dusk. Snow and ice are common in winter.

Food is simple, filling inland Slovenian cooking. Menus often feature game from the Snežnik forests, mushrooms in season and hearty stews.

For a meal, look in Stari trg or at the restaurant in the renovated farm buildings next to Snežnik Castle. Inns and tourist farms in the valley villages also serve home cooking.

Loška Dolina is very safe, and crime against visitors is rare.

The main risks are outdoors. Brown bears live in the surrounding forests. Keep to marked trails, make some noise when walking, and never leave food out. Ticks are common in grass and forest, so check your skin after walks. Caves are cold and wet, so wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes. Winter nights in the valley can be very cold.

People lived on the hills around the valley long before the towns. Around Holy Cross Church on Križna Gora you can still see traces of an Iron Age hillfort.

In the Middle Ages the valley belonged to the Patriarchate of Aquileia, which built Lož Castle in the 12th century. A new settlement grew around the castle from 1341 and received town rights in 1477. During the Ottoman raids of the late 15th century, the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Lož was fortified and a wall was built around the town.

In the 17th century the lords moved their seat to the more comfortable Snežnik Castle, and Lož Castle fell into ruin. In 1853 the German princes of Schoenburg-Waldenburg bought Snežnik and turned it into a summer home and hunting lodge. Its caretaker protected the castle in World War II, so the 19th-century interiors survive. It opened as a museum in 1983.

Quick practical facts for Slovenia at a glance: