This border-crossing stage starts at the direction panels in the centre of the village of Zgornje Jezersko (880 m). Follow the direction of the Slovene balcony trail "No. 1" across the bridge over the Jezernica stream, then turn left immediately on the other side. Follow the stream along a good macadam road to the junction with the tarmac road. Turn right at the junction and walk for a few hundred metres to the tourist buildings near the lake of Planšarsko jezero. 15 minutes. Turn left here and follow the tarmac road, which joins the main road at the church and the Jezerski vrh border crossing. Do not go that way, but rather turn right onto the tree-lined macadam road. To the south, you will notice a beautiful Alpine scene with the Ravenska Kočna valley (cross-country skiing in Winter, hiking trails in the summer) and sheer rock face of the Kamnik Alps, with the peak of Grintovec (2,558 m) towering in the background. Cross the courtyard of the farmstead and walk to the end of the fenced area, then turn left onto the dirt track. Follow the track to the tarmac road until you reach the main road and border crossing after about 100 m. 15 minutes. Cross the road and climb up the steep dirt track. After a few sharp turns, the dirt track leads you to a monument and a bench. Continue walking along the dirt track until you reach the holiday house, then follow the macadam road to the main road. The Jezersko international border crossing at Jezerski vrh (1,218 m) is 1 km down the main road. 40 minutes. There will be direction panels 10 m beyond the border to left.
Source: Atlas Slovenije. (1996). 3. izpopolnjena in razširjena izdaja. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga in Geodetski zavod Slovenije (GZS). Kamniško - Savinjske Alpe. (2ooo). 1:50.000. GZS. Ljubljana: Planinska Založba (PZS).
(Peter Šilak)
On reaching the Seebergsattel mountain pass, cross the border into Austria. Follow the signs for Trail 08 along a forest road flanking the Kärntner Storschitz to the Pasterksattel pass at 1,401m. Here, Via Alpina takes a turn to the West to the Kepp, which stands at 1,635m. The trail leads along a downhill track through the woods and across meadowland to the hamlet of Trögern (988m) (approx. 3h from the Seebergsattel pass). Here, the inn invites you for a cosy afternoon tea under the lime tree. From Trögern, a forest road leads further downwards to the Gasthof Franzl inn and into the Trögern Klamm ravine. The path in the ravine is unfortunately covered in asphalt, but even that cannot undermine the beauty of the ravine. The Trögernerbach stream has eaten its way into the precipitous rocks, flooding numerous stone troughs of varying size, in which the water takes on a dark green colour. After approx. 3km, the Trögern stream flows into the Ebriachbach. Keep to the right here, in other words towards the East. After a short while walking along the road, Via Alpina swings off to the left at the Gasthof Schmied inn (Kovac). An extremely steep track leads uphill in the direction of the Eisenkappler Hut. First, however, you will reach the ancient Meierhof residence in the Obiralm pasture. From there, it is no longer far to the refuge. Crossing the private roadway twice, you will arrive in approx. 30 more minutes in the lovely setting of the Eisekappler Hut at 1,553m. The detour to the summit of the Hochobir, the highest peak in the eastern Karawanken Alps standing at 2,139m, should not be missed. From the refuge, the summit can be reached in approx. 1h 30min. The view is really unique: on one side, the entire Klagenfurt basin with its numerous lakes stretches out before the observer and on the other side, there is an outstanding extensive view on good days – even the Großglockner, the highest mountain in Austria, and the Triglav at whose feet the Purple Trail branches off from the Red Trail of Via Alpina, can be seen. A compass card makes it easier for visitors to pinpoint the famous surrounding peaks.
At the Gasthof Schmied Kovac inn, follow the road on the right-hand side for a short distance and then head to the left into the Trögerner Klamm ravine. From there, the trail to Trögern and on to the Seebergsattel pass is well marked out.
(Eberhard Klaura, ÖTK-Südkärnten, Christina Schwann, OeAV)

 

Zgornje Jezersko, a dispersed settlement, evolved on the Ravne plain along the road running from the Kokra valley through Jezerski Vrh to the Bela valley. The heart of the settlement, which was first mentioned in 1391, lies next to the Church of Sv. Andreja (St. Andrew) in the middle of the basin. The original lake is long gone. There is, however, a small lake known as Planšarsko jezero created by the damming of the Jezernica stream after the Second World War, giving some justification to the village's name. The cold lake attracts swimmers during the summer months and ice-skaters during winter, and thus contributes to the tourist attraction of the area, which is centred around mountain climbing. Zgornje Jezersko is the starting point for tours to several alpine huts and peaks in the western part of the central Kamnik Savinja Alps, including Grintovec (2,558 m), which is the tallest of the nearly 30 peaks rising above 2000 m. Two glacial valleys carve their way from Jezersko through the Kamnik-Savinja Alps: Ravenska Kočna, which has a natural mineral spring known as Ancljev vrelec, and the smaller Makekova Kočna, which features Slovenia's tallest waterfall, Čedca.
A merchant trail that ran through Jezerski Vrh during pre-Roman times continues to be used today, indeed, as an international border crossing. During the Early Middle Ages, starting in the 10th century, this was the route used by colonists from Carinthia who settled in the lake basin and surrounding hillsides. The Šenk homestead and the Jenko Barracks are an important part of the architectural heritage of Jezerski Vrh. The first dates from the 16th or 17th century and bears testament to the hardy peasant who made a living by stock farming and woodcutting. The second was built as an inn for travellers. Its name is probably derived from the fact that it once housed Napoleon's soldiers. The building is a country Renaissance manor dating from the 16th century and today houses a small museum of wagoner’s business and travelling.
Bibliography: Karničar, A. (1998). Jezerska kronika : Jezersko v ustnem izročilu. Kranj. http://www.jezersko.net/
(Mimi Urbanc)
The history of the Hochobir has changed over the course of time: in the late Middle Ages, mining was the main activity in this area. The detritic cones above the Eisenkappler Hut bear witness to this. The Obir Tropfsteinhöhlen caves were discovered due to the mining activity. Lead ore was the main target. The first documents on mining date back to 1696. In the late 19th century, science was brought to the Hochobir. A meteorological observation station was set up on the peak, which was even equipped with a telephone line. On the way to the summit, the remains of the Rainer Schutzhaus refuge can still be seen today. The scientists were accommodated in this two-storey building. After the mining pits below the summit were closed, the operating company left the miners’ and manor house at 2,042m in altitude to the then (1877) newly established Austrian Tourist Club (ÖTK). The ÖTK renovated the dilapidated building and named it the Rainer Schutzhaus (refuge) after the donator, Viktor Ritter von Rainer. After the occupation of the lower Carinthian area by troops from the Serbian Kingdom, the ÖTK broke up and a committee from the Slovenian Alpine Club took over the Rainer-Schutzhaus refuge. After the year 1920, the ÖTK Carinthia section based in Klagenfurt again took over the refuge and the meteorological station, manning them all year round. In the second World War, the Rainer-Schutzhaus became a military base. On the evening of 9 September 1944, partisans burned the Rainer-Schutzhaus and the meteorological station down. The refuge has not been rebuilt since then. The local Eisenkappel group of the Austrian mountain rescue service did however set up a service hut at the foot of the See Alp at 1,553m above sea level, called the Eisenkappler Hut, the ownership of which was transferred in 1958 to the ÖTK (South Carinthia section based in Bad Eisenkappel) and since then it has been continually improved and extended. The Hochobir peak has for a long time been a point of attraction for botanists. The reasons for its fame stretch back as far as the Ice Age. Its species diversity is particularly remarkable. The alyssum ovirense, Zois’ bellflower, white alpine poppy, Triglav gentian and many other species can be found here. (This and other interesting themes for the Hochobir area can be read about in the little book entitled "Hochobir, Begegnung mit der Natur".)
Literature: HOCHOBIR, Begegnung mit der Natur, Dipl. Biol. Kathrin Werner & Mag Michael Jungmeier, Österr. Touristenklub
(Eberhard Klaura, ÖTK-Südkärnten)