The Big Pasture Plateau ( ) is a

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

ified mountain plateau in the

Kamnik–Savinja Alps The Kamnik–Savinja Alps () are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps. They lie in northern Slovenia, except for the northernmost part, which lies in Austria. The western part of the range was named the Kamnik Alps () in 1778 by the sc ...

northeast of

Kamnik Kamnik (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 26–27. or ''Stein in Oberkrain'') is the ninth-largest town of Slovenia, located in t ...

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. It measures and has an average elevation of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. Its highest point is Mount Gradišče, at . There are numerous herders' dwellings that comprise several settlement areas: '' Velika Planina'' 'Big Pasture', ''Mala Planina'' 'Little Pasture', ''Gojška Planina'' 'Gozd Pasture' (named for the village of Gozd'Čerček, Edvard. "Planine v južnih Kamniških Alpah (s karto v prilogi in 5 slikami v besedilu)." ''Geografski vestnik'' 20/21: 37–85, p. 60.), ''Tiha Dolina'' 'Quiet Valley', and others. The Big Pasture Plateau is a tourist destination both in winter as a ski resort and in summer as a place for relaxation.

History

There is evidence that man has been present on the Big Pasture Plateau since prehistoric times. In

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times the plateau was used for pasturing. The oldest huts, which date from the 16th century, are nearly identical to the present Preskar Hut (). The hut is oval, covered from roof to ground with shingles, without windows, doors, or a chimney. In the winter of 1931–1932 a new form of tourism began, known as ''bajtarstvo'', which involved renting the huts in the winter when there was no pasturing. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, German forces and the

Slovene Home Guard The Slovene Home Guard (, SD; ) was a Slovenes#World War II and aftermath, Slovene anti-Slovene Partisans, Partisan militia that was founded and supported by the Germans and fought alongside them against the Partisans. It operated during part of ...

burned all of the huts to the ground. The chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows, built in 1938 by the Slovenian architect

Jože Plečnik Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a Slovenian architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, most notably by designing the iconic Triple Bridge a ...

, was also burned, but it was rebuilt in 1988.

Starting points

* With cable car from the

Kamnik Bistrica The Kamnik Bistrica (, ) is an Alpine river in northern Slovenia, a left tributary of the Sava River. It springs from the Kamnik Alps (part of the Southern Limestone Alps) near the border with Austria. It is long. The Kamnik Bistrica flows th ...

Valley * From the Volovljek Pass (by car) * 3h: from Stahovica via Saint Primus' Church above Kamnik * 5h: from the Kamnik Bistrica Valley and Kopišč via Dol * 4h: from the Kocbek Lodge at Korošica * 4½h: from

Luče Luče (; sometimes ''Luče ob Savinji'', ) is the largest settlement and the centre of the Municipality of Luče in northern Slovenia. It belongs to the traditional region of Styria and is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region. Geography ...

via the Volovljek Pass

Ski resort

There is a small ski resort with a cable car, one two-seat chairlift, and six surface lifts. The length of tracks is 6 km. For environmental reasons, artificial snow cannot be produced.

Mountain lodges

* Črnuče Lodge at Little Pasture (, 1526 m) * Domžale Lodge at Little Pasture (, 1534 m) * Jarše Lodge at Little Pasture (, 1520 m)

Gallery

File:Velika planina 04.jpg, Largest settlement on the Big Pasture Plateau File:Velika planina 03.jpg, Highest point of the Big Pasture Plateau File:Velika planina 05.jpg, The Big Pasture Plateau in April

References

External links

Routes, Description, & Photos

Tourism page

WebCam
{{Coord, 46, 17, 43.82, N, 14, 39, 12.67, E, type:mountain_region:SI_dim:4300, display=title Kamnik–Savinja Alps Karst plateaus of Slovenia Plateaus in Upper Carniola Ski areas and resorts in Slovenia