The Big Pasture Plateau ( sl, Velika planina} ) is a

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

ified

mountain plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps northeast of

Kamnik Kamnik (; german: Stein''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 a town in northern Slovenia. It is t ...

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 ...

. It measures and has an average elevation of above

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

. Its highest point is Mount Gradišče, at . There are numerous herders' dwellings that comprise several settlement areas: ''

Velika Planina Velika Planina ( ; literally 'big pasture') is a dispersed high-elevation settlement of mostly herders' dwellings on the karst Big Pasture Plateau in the Kamnik Alps in Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. History Velika Planina became an indepe ...

'' '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 late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

times the plateau was used for pasturing. The oldest huts, which date from the 16th century, are nearly identical to the present Preskar Hut ( sl, Preskarjeva bajta). 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, 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 ...

, German forces and the

Slovene Home Guard The Slovene Home Guard ( sl, Slovensko domobranstvo, SD; german: Slowenische Landeswehr) was a Slovene anti- Partisan military organization that was active during the 1943–1945 German occupation of the formerly Italian-occupied Province of Lju ...

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

Starting points

* With

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** Bi ...

from the

Kamnik Bistrica The Kamnik Bistrica ( sl, Kamniška 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 ...

Valley * From the Volovljek Pass (by car) * 3h: from

Stahovica Stahovica () is a settlement that stretches along the road leading into the upper Kamnik Bistrica Valley in the Municipality of Kamnik in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Sloveni ...

via Saint Primus' Church above Kamnik * 5h: from the

Kamnik Bistrica Valley Kamnik (; german: Stein''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 a town in northern Slovenia. It is t ...

and Kopišč via Dol * 4h: from the

Kocbek Lodge at Korošica The Kocbek Lodge at Korošica ( sl, Kocbekov dom na Korošici; ) is a mountain lodge standing on the Korošica Pasture on the Dleskovec Plateau, below the southern slope of Mount Ojstrica. It is named after Fran Kocbek, an early promoter of mou ...

* 4½h: from

Luče Luče (; sometimes ''Luče ob Savinji'', german: Leutsch) 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 Regi ...

via the Volovljek Pass

Ski resort

There is a small ski resort with a

, 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