Peci Mountain Hut – 1,665 m

The hut is located in a clearing just below the summit on the eastern side of Mala Peca (1,731 m). Hut opening hours: June 1 through September 30, daily; during the off-season, open on holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays until 3:00 p.m. Winter opening hours depend on current snow and weather conditions. The Peca Mountain Hut serves as the main starting point for visiting Kordeževa glava, the highest peak of Peca (2,126 m). The summit can be reached via a gentle, easy trail (1 hr 30 min) or via a well-secured, challenging trail that leads across the initial section of the rugged southern slopes of the mountain (1 hr 30 min). The first route, after an initial strenuous climb through dwarf pine, which begins just above the saddle, leads to gentle meadows. Every year, sometime in mid-June, these are covered with colorful mountain flowers. The second route is more daring and exposed in some places; as is only fitting for trails of this sort. But good protection with pitons and steel cables, and above all the abundant clusters of early-summer mountain flowers—which have found a home here too in the cracks of the limestone rocks—wrap the seriousness of the route in a veil of familiarity and carefree ease. It is best to combine both routes into a single loop: up over the rocks and down around the other side. From the summit of Kordeževa glava, it is possible to continue along a wide, gentle ridge to Bistriška špica (2,113 m), which, viewed from the highest peak of Peca, can be reached in a mere 45 minutes despite the different sense of time. Along the way, we are accompanied throughout by rich alpine flora, and at the Knieps Saddle (2012 m), we are delighted by a modest yet authentic, cool alpine spring of drinking water. Another popular family destination is the cave where the bronze statue of King Matjaž, the work of academic sculptor Marjan Keršič-Belač, rests. It is a 15-minute walk from the hut along the marked trail. photo: Aljaž Horvat Views: For a slightly better view, you need to descend a few hundred meters from the hut to the grassy edge where the chapel of Sts. Cyril and Methodius stands. From there, a view opens up from north to east toward Strojna, Golica, Uršlja Gora, and Pohorje. The view to the south is hidden behind Mala Peca, while to the west it is blocked by the eastern slope of Peca. Additional vistas open up from the nearby summit of Mala Peca, where a viewing table with marked directions is located. From here, the Smrekovško mountain range, Raduha, and Olševa are visible to the south, while the eastern part of the Savinja Alps, led by Ojstrica, can be seen to the southwest. A magnificent panoramic view of Raduha, Olševa, and the Savinja Alps also opens up from the grassy saddle between Mala Peca and Peca. Access: On foot from Mežica; From the town center, follow the trail markers along Celovška Road to the Enci farm. Continue past the Grauf farm to Šteng (1h15 min). From there, follow the gentle road to the former Terčevo guardhouse (20 min). Past the guardhouse, turn into the forest and follow the marked trail past Tomaž’s hunting lodge to reach Dom na Peci (2h). By car from Mežica toward the Reht border crossing. At the signpost for Peca, turn left and continue along the gravel road to the former Terčevo guardhouse. Drive another hundred meters, then at the fork in the road, take the right branch, which leads to the Jakobe parking lot (15 km). From there, set off on foot along a comfortable, marked cart track to the Dom na Peci mountain hut (45 min). By car from Črna na Koroškem, take the local paved road to Podpeca (Helena) to the Helena junction (4.5 km); from there, continue along the forest road past the Mihev farm to Terčevo and Jakobe (16 km). From Jakobe, continue on foot along a well-marked cart track to the Peci Mountain Hut (45 min). By car from Črna na Koroškem, take the local paved road to the abandoned mine below the Končnik farm in the Topla Valley (10 km). From there, continue along the marked trail below the southern ridge of the mountain and across Mala Peca to the Peca Mountain Hut (2 hours). On foot from Črna na Koroškem to Podpeca and then past the Mihev farm and Tomaž’s hunting lodge to the Peca Mountain Hut (3h 30min). Cover photo: Vlado Jehart – PD Mežica website