Veliko Špičje & Seven Lakes Valley: 2-Day Hike in the Julian Alps, Slovenia

Veliko Špičje (2398 m), also called Lepo Špičje, is a prominent peak in the Julian Alps in Slovenia.

It’s the highest point on the Špičje ridge, which rises between the deep Trenta Valley and the high Seven Lakes Valley (aka Triglav Lakes Valley) in Triglav National Park.

The riveting Špičje ridge trail overwhelms with its lofty views, varied terrain, and carpets of Edelweiss flowers. It’s an adventurous hike that requires two days, with an overnight stay in a mountain hut. 

Starting at Planina Blato, accessible from Stara Fužina (a village in Lake Bohinj), you’ll first hike to the Seven Lakes Valley via the Bohinj Alpine Pastures.

When you reach Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (Triglav Lakes Mountain Hut), you’ll continue hiking up the valley for 1.2 km (20 minutes), until you reach the Veliko Špičje trail intersection. 

The trail steadily ascends along a quiet path to the foot of the Veliko Špičje spur. It’s then a steep climb to the summit, followed by a long, exciting ridge trail.

Eventually, you’ll descend the ridge and cross a sea of karst pavement to Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih. 

We recommend overnighting in Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih, and then descending the Seven Lakes Valley the next day.

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Veliko Špičje Hiking Map

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Veliko Špičje Trail Difficulty 

This is a high-alpine, technically-difficult hike.

It requires a lot of stamina. On Day 1, you have to hike 14.6 km and conquer 1470 meters. 

Anyone undertaking this challenging trail should be surefooted and have absolutely no fear of heights. There are some exposed and very narrow passages along the Špičje ridge trail. 

It’s critical that you only undertake this hike when the weather conditions are favorable.

If Day 2 is looking better than Day 1, then I recommend reversing the route, so that you hike the Špičje ridge on the better weather day.

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Veliko Špičje Packing List 

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Mountain Hut Essentials 

Passport

Alpine Club Membership Card (if you have one). Learn more about Alpine Clubs in Hiking in the Alps.

Sleeping Bag Liner like this Sea to Summit Silk-Cotton Blend Travel and Sleeping Bag Liner. More options: Yen’s Mulberry Silk Sleeping Bag Liner, or this Cocoon Cotton TravelSheet. 

Sleeping Clothing: Leggings, Shirt, and Fleece

Hut Slippers. We bring our crocs.

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Hiking Essentials 

Hiking Backpack: Osprey Kyte 36 (for women) and the Osprey Kestrel 38 (for men).

Grade B/C, high-cut hiking boots like the women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX / Meindl Schuhe Island Lady (what Kati and I wear) or the men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX.

Cat 4 Sunglasses like these Julbo Shield Mountain Sunglasses, hat, and sun lotion.

Trail Poles: Unisex Black Diamond Hiking Poles.

Hiking Clothing: Merino Wool shirts, Rain Jacket, Puffer, and Insulating Layer

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How to Get to Planina Blato Trailhead

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Drive to Planina Blato

First, drive to Stara Fužina, an alpine village located on the eastern-end of Lake Bohinj. From Stara Fužina, drive 8.2 km (20 minutes) to Planina Blato. 

Note: There’s a driving ban for camper vans and RVs, because the road is narrow and there’s limited parking at the trailhead.

Planina Blato is an alpine pasture and a popular trailhead in Triglav National Park. 

To access the road to Planina Blato, you have to pay a 20 EUR toll.

Follow the serpentine road all the way to the parking area just below the mountain pasture. 

Given the popularity of this trailhead, we highly recommend getting an early start (6 am).

You can park your car overnight at the trailhead.

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Take a Free Bus to the Vogar-Blato Crossroad (high season only)

During the high summer season, a free shuttle connects the villages of Lake Bohinj with Planina Blato.

The shuttle drop-off point is called “Križišće / crossroad Vogar-Blato” (Google Maps), and it’s located 640 meters from the trailhead.

When you get off the shuttle, head towards Blato (not Vogar).

For up-to-date timetables, check out the Lake Bohinj website and the Promet website.

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Veliko Špičje Trail Description

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Planina Blato to the Triglav Lakes Hut (3:30 hours)

We wrote about the hike from Planina Blato to the Triglav Lakes Hut in detail in our Triglav Lakes Valley Trail guide.

From the Planina Blato Trailhead (46.310829, 13.849299), follow signs to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru. You’ll steadily ascend for 1 hour along a forest road to the scenic Planini pri Jezeru alpine pasture.

Directly on the planina, there’s a managed hut overlooking a small lake, which sells food and drinks. 

From Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, continue ascending 30 minutes to Planina Dedno Polje, another beautiful mountain pasture. From here, the wide gravel track ends, and you’ll hike along a narrow trail through lacey larch and lush meadows to Planina Ovčarija. 

At Planina Ovčarija, a trail sign indicates two ways to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (Triglav Lakes Hut): Štapce (“Preko Štapce”) or Prodov (“Preko Prodov”). Both routes take 1-hour, but we recommend the more difficult Štapce route, as it’s 1-km shorter. 

The trail continues to ascend for 40 minutes to Štapce, which is essentially a gap in the ridge (saddle), between Mala Tičarica (2071 m) and Rustnata glava (1899 m). The initial descent is secured with fixed cables.

At the base of the short secured section, a narrow trail leads diagonally to Dvojno jezero (Double Lake), which you can already see. 

When the trail joins the path parallel to the lake, turn right, and walk 5 minutes to the Triglav Lakes Hut. 

This is the best place to eat on today’s hike. If you need to refill your water bottles, there’s a water fountain just outside the hut. 

If you have time, walk to the southern-end of the Double Lake. From this vantage point, you’ll see Veliko Špičje and the Špičje Ridge. This massif forms the picture-perfect backdrop of the Triglav Lakes hut. 

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Triglav Lakes Hut to Veliko Špičje Summit (2 hours)

Continue hiking up the Seven Lakes Valley for 1.2 km (20 minutes), until you reach the Veliko Špičje (Pot Stanka Kosa) trail juncture. Turn left and follow the quiet footpath across lush, verdant meadows and forest, towards Veliko Špičje. 

When we hiked here in July, the trail was lined with martagon lilies (Lilium martagon), round headed rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), kidney vetch (​​Anthyllis vulneraria) and Alpine Anemone. 

The trail traverses thick vegetation and can feel a bit “wild,” because of the overgrown plants. Nonetheless, waymarks are frequent and the path is very clear. If you don’t like plants brushing against your skin, wear long pants. 

As you progress, larch gives way to dwarf pine and the trail is increasingly rockier. 

Climbing steadily now, the path passes through a rocky channel. The trail will veer left quite suddenly (we almost missed it).

You’ll hike across limestone pavement, moving towards the rocky grassy spur  – the lateral ridge projecting from the main Špičje ridge – which you’ll soon ascend.

The trail zigzags it’s way up the steep spur along a tight path. Keep your eyes open for Edelweiss and Enzian.

After about 15-20 min, you’ll reach the base of a secured section with fixed cables. 

After climbing up the short protected passage, some scrambling is required over rocky steps. 

The grade lessens and you can take a breather, as you gently ascend a grassy slope brimming with wildflowers. 

The views of the Zelnarica mountains, flanking the other side of the Seven Lakes Valley, are magnificent. As you gain elevation, you’ll begin to see the teal waters of Jezero v Ledvicah (Kidney Lake).

You’ll also see the valley trail cutting across the scree slopes of Mala Zelnarica, which you’ll hike tomorrow. 

When you crest the main ridge of Špičje, turn left and hike 100 meters to the summit of Veliko Špičje. 

Our views were completely obstructed by clouds on the Trenta side. But, on a good day, you should have panoramic views of the whole Julian Alps. 

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Veliko Špičje Summit – Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih (2:30 hours)

Retrace your steps from the summit back to the ridge intersection, and follow the waymarks along the ridge towards Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih and Prehodavci. 

Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih means mountain hut on the Prehodavci Pass, the mountain pass which connects Trenta valley with the Triglav Lakes Valley.

The undulating trail continues along, or just below the ridge for 2 km to Mala Špičje (2312 m). There are some very narrow passages. 

After 2 hours, you’ll start the descent to Prehodavci. Stay vigilant as you traverse loose rocky terrain, scree, and finally a vast sea of karst pavement. 

Eventually, the slabs of white stone flatten out, making it easy to walk. You’ll arrive at a signed trail intersection. Turn left and walk to the hut. 

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Stay in Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih (2071 m)

Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih overlooks Jezero pod Vršacem (Lake below Vršac), the highest of the Seven Lakes. Located just above the Prehodavci Pass, this hut dazzles with its views of the Julian Alps.

Slovenian Alpine Association Hut Page: Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih

Reservation: You can make a reservation online using the Alpsonline Platform. Here’s the Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih reservation page. 

Payment: Cash or credit card

Rooms: Dormitory rooms only

Learn more about staying in Slovenian Huts: Slovenian Mountain Huts

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Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih – Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (2 hours)

Today, you’ll descend the Seven Lakes Valley, passing Zeleno jezero (Green Lake) and Jezero v Ledvicah (Kidney Lake), before returning to the Dvojno jezero (Double Lake). 

There are two pathways that lead from Zasavska koča to Zeleno jezero, one of which passes next to Rjavo jezero (Brown Lake). 

It takes 30-minutes to hike down to Zeleno jezero (Green Lake), a beautiful shallow lake set amidst a jungle of limestone boulders. The trail wraps around the lake, with views of V. Zelnarica (2310 m). 

The trail meanders gently across grassy meadows, before descending once again to Jezero v Ledvicah (Kidney Lake), the largest of the Seven Lakes.

After cutting across the scree slopes of M. Zelnarica, just above the lake, you’ll arrive at a grassy hill. Look for Edelweiss here and enjoy the lake views. 

Continue hiking the easy path down the valley.

You’ll walk through patches of larch forest and between slabs of limestone pavement, before making the final descent to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih. 

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Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih – Štapce – Planina Viševnik – Koča na Planini pri Jezeru – Planina Blato (3:30 hours)

We recommend hiking back to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru via Planina Viševnik. Ascend to the Štapce pass and hike down the dwarf pine flanked path to Planina Ovčarija.

Alternatively, you can bypass Štapce pass by taking the easier route to Planina Ovčarija via Prodov.

From the Ovčarija planina pasture, head right to Planina Viševnik (45 minutes), another scenic mountain pasture peppered with herdsmen huts.

At Planina Viševnik, you can grab refreshments at Bregarjevo zavetišče na planini Viševnik (Bregarjevo Shelter on Plateau Viševnik). Bregarjevo used to be a cheese factory.

In 1981, the old farm was transformed into the shelter which offers overnight stays. It’s open from early June until the end of September.

From Planina Viševnik, the trail descends for 25 minutes (1.1 km, 179 m descending) to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru.

Once you arrive at Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, follow the familiar wide track back down to Planina Blato.

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Where to Stay Before / After this Hike

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Ribčev Laz

Ribčev Laz is the main hub at Lake Bohinj, with a direct bus connection to Lake Bled and onward to Ljubljana.

Here, you’ll find a cluster of eateries, grocery stores, and boat rental shops.

Budget | Hostel pod Voglom is located along the southern shore of Lake Bohinj. This budget-friendly accommodation offers simple twin, single rooms, triple, and quadruple rooms. Bathrooms are either private, or shared.

From the hostel, it’s a 20 minute walk (1.8 km) to Ribčev Laz, the closest village (restaurants, shops, etc…). You can rent kayaks, SUPs, and bicycles on-site. 

Midrange | Apartments and rooms Cerkovnik is located in Ribčev Laz, a mere 10-minute walk to the lakeshore (1 km). This sparking clean accommodation offers double and triple rooms as well as well-equipped apartments.

Breakfast is available for an additional fee. On-site parking is free. 

Luxury | The newly renovated Hotel Bohinj is located in the center of Ribčev Laz, only a few meters from Lake Bohinj. Designed to impress as much as to pay homage to the region’s cultural heritage, Hotel Bohinj is the most striking hotel in the Bohinj region.

All rooms have air-conditioning. Guests are treated to a healthy and delicious breakfast buffet. You can also enjoy dinner at the hotel and indulge in a wellness package.

Look for accommodation in Ribčev Laz. 

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Stara Fužina

If you want to combine this hike with lakeside goodness and afternoon dips in Lake Bohinj, consider staying in Stara Fužina.

Midrange | Ideal for families, the top-rated Pr `Agotnik apartmaji sobe Bohinj offers spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments with fully-equipped kitchens, and washing machines. 

Midrange | The recently renovated Residence Novak Bohinj offers stylish one-bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens in an idyllic area of Stara Fužina. Guests love the idyllic surroundings and mountain views, the proximity to Lake Bohinj, and the kind hosts. There’s a minimum stay requirement of 2-3 nights.

Midrange-Luxury | Apartmaji Triglav is a stylish aparthotel in Stara Fužina with an on-site restaurant and bar and spa and wellness center. Rooms are clean, modern, and feature balconies, kitchenettes and seating areas. Guests particularly love the mountain views and the hotel’s proximity to hiking trails and the lake. Breakfast is included.

Luxury | Hotel Majerca is a lovely boutique hotel with an on-site restaurant in Stara Fužina. The restaurant extends onto a grassy lawn, with views of farmland backed by the Julian Alps. It’s wonderful to start and end your day here. The al fresco breakfast is phenomenal.

Look for accommodation in Stara Fužina.

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More Hiking Trails in the Julian Alps

• Julian Alps Hiking Trails
• Triglav National Park Hut to Hut Hike
• Climbing Mount Triglav
• Viševnik
• Mount Vogel
• Debela Pec
• Martuljek Waterfalls
• Vintgar Gorge

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