Golica (1835 m) (german: Kahlkogel) is a peak in the Western

Karawanks The Karawanks or Karavankas or Karavanks ( sl, Karavanke; german: Karawanken, ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps on the border between Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: ...

, on the border between

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, above the Slovene town of

Jesenice Jesenice (, german: Aßling''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is a Slovenian town and the seat of the Municipality of Jesenice on the ...

. It is known mainly for its fields of wild white

narcissi ''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as ''Sternbergia'', ''Ism ...

, swathes of which cover Golica and surrounding pastures in late April and early May. This marks the beginning of a popular time for mountaineers to visit, extending through the end of summer. The slopes provide great views of the

Julian Alps The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...

and Austrian

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...

; the

Ljubljana Basin The Ljubljana Basin ( sl, Ljubljanska kotlina) is a basin in the upper river basin of Sava. It is the most populated area in Slovenia and it is metropolitan area of Ljubljana. Its main rivers are the Sava, the Kamnik Bistrica and the Ljubljanica ...

can be seen from the summit on clear days. Golica also gained considerable fame as the subject of the 1955

Slavko Avsenik Slavko Avsenik (November 26, 1929 – July 2, 2015) was a Slovene composer and musician. Beginning in 1953 with the formation of the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, Avsenik produced more than 1,000 songs and garnered success both in Slovenia and in ...

polka '' Na Golici'' (On Golica), the Avsenik Ensemble's most popular song. Despite having given the song this title, Avsenik was never in his life on Golica. 250 m below the summit, there is a

mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization d ...

at an altitude of 1582 m, with 40 sleeping berths. The original hut on this site - as well as a second hut at the summit itself - were burnt down during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by partisans to prevent their use by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

soldiers. The hut at the summit was never rebuilt.Jesenice Mountaineering Association website
/ref> The slopes of Golica are today used as pastures for

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

, but until 1957 locals from settlements at its foot would clear the entire slope of grass for

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticated ...

(a possible etymology of the name, which derives from the adjective "''gol-''," or "''bare''."). The best way to reach the peak is from

via the mountain village of

Planina pod Golico Planina pod Golico (; german: Alpen''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 145.) is a mountain village in the Municipality of Jesenice, in the ...

, which bears the peak's name.

Gallery

Image:Narcise-Golica1.jpg, Narcissi fields under Golica Image:Kocha na Golici Julijci.jpg, Golica mountain hut Julian Alps from Golica

References

External links

Information about Golica on Hribi.net
* {{Jesenice Mountains of Upper Carniola Municipality of Jesenice Karawanks Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Carinthia (state) Austria–Slovenia border One-thousanders of Austria One-thousanders of Slovenia