Vila Planinka, mountain oasi in Jezersko

Jezersko is a picturesque small village nestled between the mountains and a green valley in northern Slovenia. The time slows down there, and together with Vila Planinka, it is a perfect place to escape the crowds and stressful moments.

This hidden gem is a place where you can breathe the fresh mountain air, listen to the birds and the murmur of the Kokra River winding through the valley, taste delicious food made from local ingredients, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings all year round.

Everything you need is there to reset your body and soul, and to forget about stress and all those must-do things 🤩

 

 

📌 How to get to Jezersko village

Jezersko is the first mountaineering village in Slovenia, situated at about 1,000 meters above sea level. With its crystal-clear Kokra River, it is surrounded by the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karawanks mountain range, in northern Slovenia and on the border with Austria.

This green paradise is a 60-minute drive from Ljubljana (approximately 50 km), and approximately 30 km away from Kranj.
The fastest way is by car, and regular buses run from Ljubljana to Kranj (Arriva Slovenia) to Jezersko.

From Belgrade, it is about 600 km away.

The best time for visiting Jezersko… hm, anytime. Winter is ideal for skiing and relaxing in silence, looking at the alpine peaks.
From Spring to Autumn is the best period for long walks, hiking, riding a bike, and enjoying the green landscape.

 

 

🏞️ A few words about the history

According to the first written documents, the first settlers arrived in 811, when a wooden chapel was built, a shelter for merchants and monks. In the 14th century, more people settled there to escape the deadly plague. The area got its name from the glacier lake, which started to disappear due to the terrible earthquake in 1348. It caused considerable damage to the houses.

The Turks invaded and destroyed the Jezersko valley in the 15th and 16th centuries. However, a disappearing lake became the land for agriculture. During the 17th and 18th centuries, along with their neighbours from Sočava, farmers started to raise sheep adapted to high mountain conditions, known as the Jezersko-Solčava breed. They also transported goods and were engaged in the wood business.

Tourism began to develop in 1900, when the Chech businessman built Češka koča, a mountain hut located at 1,543 m above sea level. Many locals started to rent beds soon, and other trades also started to develop.

The First World War caused a decline in business, but it developed again after the war. Interestingly, due to its healthy environment, there was a hospital for eye diseases, which attracted even more people. But, after the Second World War, the number of farms decreased, many people moved to Kranj, and the hospital for eye diseases was closed down in 1982.

During the last decade, the economic situation has improved. More young families have decided to stay in the valley. Today, approximately 600 residents live there, helping each other, while the accommodation and restaurant facilities use local products to prepare culinary dishes.

 

🏩 Vila Planinka

In the heart of the picturesque Jezersko village, you can find the Vila Planinka.

 

Surrounded by the Alps and forest, this Boutique 5* hotel is a member of the SLH Group (Small Luxury Hotels of the World).

Once, it was a mountain hotel that had welcomed mountaineers and lovers of the Alps for decades. After the recent restoration, the new owners chose the luxury of silence instead of mass tourism facilities.

And when you step into Vila Planinika, you feel that you have come home.

 

You forget about the stress, traffic, and crowd, and you can only hear the sound of the forest and nature. The combination of the wooden structure and furniture, fresh air, and the view of mountain peaks leads you to reconnect with yourself.

 

By the way, the hotel is a holder of the prestigious environmental Green Key label. It means that it operates in an environmentally friendly way and develops sustainable solutions: saving water, reducing resource consumption, waste, and carbon footprint.

 

🍽️ Restaurant of Vila Planinka

Ahhh, the food was so delicious! Recognised by the prestigious Falstaff and Michelin Guide, the hotel’s cuisine offers delicious gourmet specialities.

All food is prepared with local ingredients: herbs, fruits, eggs, dairy products and meat from cattle and sheep grazing on Alpine pastures. Everything is homemade, including the delicious butter, jams, and charcuterie. The bread is prepared daily, using only organically grown grain, ground in a stone mill.

The perfect day started with a very delicious breakfast…

Breakfast at the Vila Planinka

 

By the way, Vanesa Centrih, somelier of the Vila Planinka and kombucha master, prepares Kombucha carefully.
It is naturally fermented and a light tea that has numerous benefits. Kombucha is rich in probiotics and antioxidants that support good health, strengthen the immune system, and help with digestion. Today, it is a world-famous refreshing drink and an elixir of health.

 

I have to admit that I couldn’t get enough of drinking the mineral-rich, natural Jezersko spring water from the nearby Jezerska Slatina Mineral Spring!

 

🍷Lunch time and Wine tasting

Young chef Jernej Kamić and sous-chef Jure Koren Vodnik use local and organic ingredients to make specialities whose taste is unforgettable. The menu is available in several courses, including a vegan option. For example, a four-course tasting menu costs from 64 EUR to a seven-course menu that costs 100 EUR. Take a look at the carefully prepared menu here.

Even though you are not a hotel guest, you can enjoy their food with a prior reservation.

 

Good food pairs well with good wines, and it is well known that Slovenia produces excellent wines.

 

Wine tasting is always a special experience. The sommeliers of Villa Planinka, Vanesa Centrich and Marko Koren, will help you to choose the wine that perfectly pairs with food, and tell you the story of each Slovenian wine.

 

The interesting part of the degustation was the opening of bottles of Movia Puro Rosé, which stands on its head. Well, it requires a little skill, using a bottle opener specially designed by the Movia winery for opening sparkling wines.

 

By the way, the villa’s wine room is very impressive, featuring 250 wine labels from all nine wine-growing regions of Slovenia.

Wine lovers can make a reservation for the Food and Wine Pairing Workshops and enjoy the Slovenian gastronomy.

 

🛏️ Accommodation in the Vila Planinka

Time slows down there, and four energy points that surround the hotel make you sleep well and rest in specially designed rooms that overlook the natural surroundings.

On every room door, you can see discreetly drawn inhabitants of nature, such as the Mountain Apollo butterfly, Carniolan bee, ibex, sheep, spruce, or various plants.

 

Are you ready to put away your mobile phones in the wooden box and forget about “emergency” calls?
So, let’s “Unplug to recharge” 🤩

 

Rooms in the Vila Planinka

In Vila Planinka, there are 22 unique rooms, equipped with natural materials, stone and wood.

Every detail is carefully selected and integrated. The philosophy of the hotel is a digital detox: TV screens are hidden behind wooden doors, and there is no air conditioning.

The most luxurious room is the Corner Deluxe Apartment (64 m2). It features a kitchenette with a dining area, a living room with a sofa,  a fireplace, and a very spacious terrace.

 

A separate master room offers maximum comfort for two people.

 

The Corner Deluxe Family room (55 m²) has two separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a daytime nook, accommodating up to 6 people.
By the way, modern bathrooms have glass walls, but unlike many hotels, they are surrounded by curtains for privacy.

 

There are also the Corner Deluxe Suites, the Junior Suites, and the Superior rooms.

 

Generally, if you stay at the hotel for 10 days or longer, you can get 10% discount on the accommodation price.

From every room, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the valley and the nearby mountains. Amazing, isn’t it?

 

🌟 Wellness in the Vila Planinka

After long walks, cycling or hiking, detox your body in an Infrared sauna or Finnish-bio sauna (both up to 60 °C).  Sauna treatment lasts one hour, and the benefits of sauna are widely known.

Another option: indulge yourself in classic, sports or anti-stress massages to relax body and soul.

 

📍 What to do in Jezersko valley

There are many options for leisure activities regardless of the season.

Depending on your health and fitness level, there are various hiking and mountaineering organised tours, which can last from 2 to 4 hours, half a day or a full day.

Klemen from Hotel Vila Planinka was our guide on the walking route around Jezersko. And, step by step, we didn’t notice that we walked about 10 km! Well, it is not possible to describe the fifty shades of green forest, grass and meadows.

The amazing scenes of unspoiled nature took our breath away with every step while we walked around Zgornje Jezersko.

 

The Lake Planšar (Planšarsko jezero)

The landmark of Jezersko and the region is the little heart-shaped Lake Planšar.

Actually, it is an artificial lake made by local inhabitants in memory of a larger glacial lake that had drained away, and after which Jezersko got its name. Today, it is the most attractive tourist point in Jezersko.