Through the forests of Kočevsko to the Kolpa canyon

You will get a chance to discover the beauty of pristine nature, the abandoned “kočevarske” villages, Ribnica & Kolpa valleys and the history of Kočevsko from the horse's back. The numerous surprises await on the way.

You can also spend more days on the horse back, uniting the routes. You can overnight in the embrace of the forests of Kočevje, using tents, or sleeping in mountain cottages. Get to know the authentic cuisine and get used to the life in the forest.

About the route

A trip begins at the Kočevje Horse Club, located 2 km from the city center of Kočevje on the way to Novo Mesto. Following the flat, sun-covered pastures, the path will lead us to the black pine forest. The winding path will lead us to the shores of the lake in the shade and resin fragrant forest. The Rudniško Lake resulted in the basin of a former Kočevje brown coal mine. The lake is about 40 ha long and 35 meters deep in the deepest part. The good quality of water indicates the presence of crayfish and a few fish species. You can observe the Great crested grebe throughout the year, except in winter when the lake freezes and turns into a natural ice rink. In addition to these, you can also spot frequent breeders as Mallards, while on the upper ponds, you can find Little grebes and Common moorhen. Over a hundred different species of birds can also be observed throughout the year.

Only a few meters from the lake lies the village Šalka vas, a home to the very special master from Kočevsko region, Mr. Kobola. He is carving and designing from various types of wood, turning it into beautiful products that have become a part of the souvenir offer for the entire Kočevsko region. You can visit his workshop and choose the products reminding you of this wonderful trip.

After a pleasant stop, we return to the horses and continue the path towards Željne. This is a village that lies on the edge of the forest - the Kočevska small mountain, which continues to the Kočevski Rog on the east. This village is also known for the Zeljnske caves, a wonderful creation of Karst world and a sight for a sore eyes, definitely worth seeing.

The path continues along the Kočevska small mountain forest of Kočevski Rog. In the shadow of various tree species we can admire the beauty of this pure nature.

You can enjoy the different birds’ singing, maybe meet a squirrel, weasel, fox, doe, deer, hay or if you are really lucky, even a bear as we are walking through the bears forest.

The forests of Kočevsko region are full of delicacies throughout the year, except in winter, when the nature is at rest. We can refresh ourselves with sweet forest fruits or pick mushrooms that can be prepared as delicious meal.

We continue the way heading west in the direction of Lovski vrh. This is a beautiful viewpoint over the city of Kočevje and its surroundings. The view is especially beautiful at sunset. There is also a hunting lodge, where you can meet hunters, who can tell you a lot about the adventures in the forest and the game of the area. After having a pleasant conversation with the hunter, it is now time to return to the path.

We rise above the town of Kočevje again, this time to the west side of the Mestni vrh and Fridrihštajn. The forest path starts to descend slowly into the valley to Dolga vas. The path leads us through the spruce forest "Šohna". We can also spot some game while enjoying the beauty of pristine nature. We can spend the morning taking a rest at a forest cottage, looking like a fairytale cottage in the middle of a forest. We can drink the spring water, previously poured from a well under the Mačkovec.

The conversation about the traveler from Kočevsko presents the history of Kočevsko, its characteristics and its natural features. The path continues to the cottage in Dolga vas, where there is a place for horse mooring and a covered sheds for our rest and refreshment. Before climbing to the Stojna you need to rest and treat yourselves with a good snack.

We ride through the woods and persecution paths of the ecological farm "Kerneža" at the edge of Stojna, towards the village of Štalcerji, where we cross the regional road G2 106 Kočevje - Petrina. We continue through the village riding the very first macadam road to the village Morava. From here we head toward the village of Ajbelj, where you can visit the village water trough, renovated in 2004. The water trough was used for feeding livestock. Up to 20 cows could be fed at the same time.

Descend to the Briga village and follow the macadam road, parallel to the regional road, and ride to the village of Banja Loka. We stop at the Tourist farm Pri Papeževih, where you can spend the night in tidy apartments, taste the homemade delicacies, while the horses will be taken care of in a well-kept barn. The landlord will offer you a local brandy of quality, the Kostelska brandy trademark under a protected geographical designation of origin.

If you can still find some strength, you can decide to extend the excursion, taking the path down the hill to the villages of Vimolj and Rajšele towards the Kolpa River, all the way to the village Selo pri Kostelu. You will be welcomed by the landlord of the Padovac tourist farm. They will also serve you a local brandy of quality, the Kostelska brandy trademark under a protected geographical designation of origin. The lady will prepare the meals, and you can spend the night in the hay or in the room with shared beds.