Themed Trails in Udin Boršt

Three themed hiking trails wind past most of the natural and cultural heritage sites in the wider Udin Boršt area, offering visitors healthy recreation and a variety of experiences:

• The Conglomerate Karst Trail
• The Kriva Jelka Rural and Nature Trail
•  Strahinj Water Educational Trail

Along the first two trails, there are occasional rest areas with benches and tables where visitors can take a break and listen to nature.

Hiking Trail Through the Land of Conglomerate Karst

Theme of the hiking trail:
Udin Boršt is a conglomerate terrace between Kranj, Naklo, and Tržič, where a karstification process has been underway since the Ice Age, 200–300,000 years ago. Today, it is considered a textbook example of conglomerate, shallow, and isolated karst not only in the region but also beyond. Due to its topography, it is also one of the last remaining contiguous areas of lowland forest in the Gorenjska region.

The vast majority of caves and the highest density of sinkholes are located in the western part, which is why a themed hiking trail was established there.

Content and route:
The themed hiking trail runs along the western, mostly peripheral part of Udin boršt and connects 11 of the most characteristic, interesting, or educational features typical of shallow or young conglomerate karst: Arneževa luknja, Kačja jama, Dopulnik, Arneševa Zijalka, the sinkhole area, the blind valley, Kadunčev Studenec and the water intake above Strahinj, Velika Lebinca, the sinkhole-vent, and the blind valley. At all points, there are informational signs with the name and basic information about the feature; near the sinkhole-vent, there is also an entrance sign with a map and a sign with an introductory description of the conglomerate karst in Udin boršt. There is also one larger rest area along the trail, as well as several individual benches. The route is marked with directional signs featuring a twisted fir tree motif and colored marking bands on the trees.

Estimated duration of the tour: 3 hours
Trail length (in km): 9 km
Name and GPS coordinates of the starting point: Center of the village of Strahinj or center of Spodnje Dupelj near the Vogvar House
Mode of travel (on foot, by bike…): on foot or a combination of biking and walking

Seasonal accessibility of the route:
The route is accessible year-round, except from December through February and the first half of March, when most of the area is covered in snow. Due to snowmelt or soggy terrain from autumn/spring snow, November and March are less suitable for visits. Generally speaking, the trail is suitable for regular visitors between April and October.

Guided tour options and contact:

By prior arrangement, guided tours of the trail can be organized for small or large groups, including school groups, along with additional offerings (snacks along the way, lunch at local inns or restaurants, educational and experiential workshops along the route…).

Kriva Jelka Rural and Nature Educational Trail

Theme of the trail:

Thanks to the ideal hiding spots in the forest and the rich countryside and nearby towns, bandits operated here in the 19th century. These very special outlaws were mostly military deserters who, over the years of their clandestine activities, developed a unique lifestyle and their own language. Stories abounded about their deeds and (miraculous) abilities; today, you can relive them by visiting their site “Pod krivo jelko” or “finfranja,” a bandit celebration at the end of winter.

Content and route:
The Kriva Jelka Rural-Natural Science Educational Trail connects 25 points of rural life, natural landmarks, and ethnological-historical heritage (including the bandits) in the northwestern part of the wider Udin Boršt area. It is named after a spot in the heart of its forests where bandits once gathered, and which is now a very popular hiking destination.  The entire educational trail runs along village, forest, and field paths, with visitors guided by wooden signs featuring a stylized figure of a crooked fir tree and an arrow indicating the direction of the trail. The trail is not physically demanding, except for its length, as it spans a total of 15 km. A shorter loop is also available for visiting only the rural-historical landmarks, covering approximately half the total length. At some points, the landmark is simply described on a small sign, while at others it is recreated (a model beehive, an insect hotel, a bandit camp, etc.). At point 17, there is a rest area for visitors, and a few individual benches are located elsewhere along the trail. Three branches connect the trail with Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje and Strahinj.

Estimated duration of the tour: 5 hours (or approx. 2.5 hours without the section visiting karst features)
Trail length (in km): 15 km (or approx. 8 km without the section visiting karst features)
Name and GPS coordinates of the starting point: At the entrance to the Trnovc campground (Zg. Duplje, along the Tržiška Bistrica River), where there is an information board with a map, or in the center of Spodnje Duplje at the Vogvar House,
Mode of travel (on foot, by bike…): on foot or a combination of biking and hiking

Seasonal accessibility of the trail: The trail is accessible year-round, except from December through February and the first half of March, when most of the area is covered in snow. Due to snowmelt or soggy terrain from autumn/spring snow, November and March are less suitable for visits. Generally speaking, the trail is suitable for regular visitors between April and October.

Guided tours available.

Strahinj Water Educational Trail

Theme of the walking trail:
Wherever water surrounds us, it is also a part of our bodies. Whether saltwater or freshwater. In rivers, streams, ponds, puddles, or rainwater—freshwater is found in nature. Where it isn’t, it flows from our taps. Otherwise, we can bring it closer to us in our own backyard, for example, by creating our own pond.

Based on this, students and teachers from the Naklo Biotechnical Center designed the Strahinj Water Educational Trail* (with an extension to Udin Boršt), which is equipped with five educational panels.

Content and route:
The Strahinj Water Educational Trail, with an extension to Udin boršt, encompasses 11 points where various forms of water intersect with human life in the countryside. Six of these are water-related, while the others focus on rural management and cultural heritage.

The first point on the trail is at the pond (1) in front of the entrance to the school building of the Biotechnical Center, where the trail begins. There is also an informational and educational panel here. Next to it, you can sit on a bench, relax to the sound of the water, observe aquatic and riparian animals, and learn about the importance of vegetation in aquatic ecosystems.

The second board describes how the plant-based water treatment system works. It operates at the other end of the pond from spring through fall.

From here, we continue toward the second stop, which consists of the school’s ecological orchard and apiary (2). It’s interesting to observe the surroundings of the trail closely. In addition to students engaged in practical lessons, we spot Carniolan honeybees. This is a native Slovenian bee species. And how are bees connected to water? The answers are hidden on the informational board titled “What Do Water, Bees, Honey, and Fruit Have in Common?”

A walk along the cart track takes us from the Biotechnical Center to Nacovka, a terrace of glacial origin. We stop by a hedge that provides pleasant shade in the middle of summer. From the text on the information board, we learn what a hedge is and what Nacovka (3) is. And where is the water here?

When we leave the shaded part of the path by the forest, we continue across the field to a small bridge over the Dupeljščica stream (4), along the Strahinj–Spodnje Duplje road. At this fourth point, the information board explains the importance of the natural stream for the diversity of life along its banks. And why is this area called Suha dolina (Dry Valley) if a stream flows here?

From here, we can return to the starting point through the small forest at the edge of the Nacovka terrace and, along the way, take a look at the charming wooden cross of Janezovec below Ograjenka; if we still have enough time, we continue through the village of Strahinj and, at the intersection by the chapel, turn toward the Biotechnical Center. Along the way, we can also see a few cultural monuments (paintings of Our Lady of Višarje, St. Nicholas, and St. Florian at Pavlet’s House (5), the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes, and next to it the Baroque Janezovec House (6) with paintings of St. Martin and St. Florian.

If, instead of returning to the Biotechnical Center, we continue through the village of Strahinj, we first stop at the Za kaduncem water intake (7), whose waters flow here through the karst underground of Udin boršt. The intake was first built in 1930; at that time, it was used for washing clothes and watering cattle. The next stops are the karst caves Mala and Velika Lebinca (8); according to recent speleological surveys, the latter is also the largest cave in the area. Here we enter the forested world of Udin Boršt, where we can already observe diverse vegetation (9). After a short walk, we arrive in the southern part of the Udin boršt heartland, where the two Race ponds (10) are located; these were created by damming the Želinj stream in the 1960s. The first, or lower, pond was built and is managed by fishermen, while the upper one is managed by local hunters. In the lower pond, we find white-breasted ducks, and among the fish, carp, rudd (so-called “fish scraps”), chub, catfish… The chub was artificially introduced here, thereby displacing the brown trout. After about a 5-minute walk up the path, we reach the upper lake, which is fenced off. Here we can spot mallards, and nesting boxes have been set up for other forest birds. In winter, when the ponds tend to freeze over, the ducks migrate to the Sava River.

The trail almost ends here, but we don’t turn back yet; instead, we continue for a while along the Želinjski Stream, the main surface watercourse in this area. It originates in a small part of the Udin Boršt, which has an impermeable surface. The forests here are home to a whole range of forest animals, such as the European pine marten, the European white-tailed marten, the European water shrew, frogs, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, badgers, foxes, stoats, and polecats. The Potik Valley and our trail end at the picturesque source of the Želinj Stream. Here, amidst the green forests, the tranquil murmur of the water, and the sensation of water as our fundamental element of life, no one is in a hurry to leave….

Estimated duration of the tour: 2–3 hours
Route length (in km): 5 km
Name and GPS coordinates of the starting point: Pond in front of the Biotechnical Center Naklo near Strahinj.
Mode of tour (on foot, by bike…): on foot or a combination of biking and walking