Lakes and Forests in Kočevje (Home to Brown Bears)

The purpose of the day is to reach the Kočevje Area, the most forested area in Slovenia and one of the most well-kept in Europe. But as the drive is more than two hours, we suggest a short detour to rest at Lake Cerknica (Cerkniško jezero).
This lake has the peculiarity of being intermittent, that is, it only has water for 9 months of the year. It is also home to a great biodiversity. In July and August it may not have much water (you never know with the current climatic changes). If so, you can take the opportunity to observe the local flora and fauna.
At the lake, you can take a walk in the surroundings, climb up to a viewpoint that is signposted, or just stop to move your legs a bit or let the children play for a while on its shores.

You won't spend the night in this hostel today, but you should come here to get the best (and most importantly, up-to-date) information on how to get around the area of Kočevje, what hiking or biking tours can be done in the forest to see animals, etc. You can also ask about water sports and kayak or sailboat rentals on the lake (to do after the hikes).
You can also rent bicycles here, which is a very good idea for exploring the city and some of the trails.
In this link you can find other tourist information points. Be sure to stop by one of them to plan your day.

Before starting any hiking or going directly to the lake, it is a good idea to have lunch in town. You can choose one of the restaurants near the hostel or cross the bridge to look for other options.
You will find that most places offer pizza, but there are always other options in the same place. For example, at this place, besides pizza you can order salads, omelettes, crepes and some fried foods, among other foods.
Open Hours Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 21:00 Saturday - Sunday: 11:00 - 21:00
If you have enough time (according to the information given to you at the tourist information point), you can go before or after lunch to the river Rinža to see some beautiful postcards and several urban orchards.

Now it's time to get to know one of the most dense and beautiful runforest and forest areas in Slovenia!
In this link you can see some options for hiking and trekking (possibly by bicycle) in the forest area of Kocevje. On several of them you have the possibility to see brown bears and other animals.
The estimated time on the itinerary is about 3 hours (1.5 hours one way and 1.5 hours return), but this may vary depending on the chosen hike or on the way you decide to do it on your own (after getting information at an information point).

After the hike, return to the hostel to pick up your car (or the car park where you left it) and continue on to the main lake in town.

After all that walking or cycling, it's a good idea to take a dip in the lake and relax and enjoy the scenery.
You can also walk around the lake, although you may be a bit tired or the children may not feel like walking any further.
Another option is to do some water sports, such as sailing or canoeing. You can look around the lake for available companies or ask at the tourist information point. We do not offer a specific option in this case because they tend to change a lot and are not always available. However, if you make all the necessary enquiries at the beginning of the day, you will be able to solve this issue without any problems.

Before returning to Ljubljana you can have dinner near the lake.
This place could not miss pizza, but it differs from the others in that it offers more than 60 varieties and has a wood-fired oven. It also has many options of pasta sauces, salads and grilled meats. They also prepare vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.
Open Hours Mondays- Sundays: 8:00 - 22:00

Welcome back to Ljubljana!!