Hiking (mountain trail, in places narrow and exposed)
Alpine route (equipped or very exposed section, snow field, blocks)
R5
Predjama » Črni vrh
|
4h45 |
20.2 km
|
671 m
|
510 m
This stage passes through Karstic forest where numerous Karstic phenomena can be observed. There are sinkholes, Karstic caves and cliffs along the entire length of the route. Follow the trail gently up to Javornik (over 1,000 metres) then down the other side to Črni Vrh.
The stage begins at the Linden tree in the village of Predjama. Walk to the upper parking place then walk right along the tarmac road past the houses. After about 400 m, there will be a stone wall next to the road. Climb up the footpath that turns left. The path ends after about 50 m and gives way to a very steep macadam road, where you will turn left. Walk for another 50 m to the top of the slope, where the road makes a sharp right turn towards a house. Take the footpath into the forest. The road is quite flat at first then begins to climb gently. When you reach the macadam road, turn right and walk past the clearing to the tarmac road. 15 minutes. Walk up the road for about 500 m until the tarmac gives way to macadam at the crossroads. Continue walking straight ahead. The road leads runs through slightly inclining Karstic terrain. Keep walking north, passing several crossroads and macadam forest roads on the way. Just before you reach the hamlet of Hrušica, turn to the northeast. There is a crossroads with a direction panel to the left indicating the way to Javornik. Make sure to continue straight ahead along the main road to the Stara Pošta inn at Podkraj. 1h 15 min. Turn left here onto the macadam road and bypass the Svisli peak. Go right and walk along the main road down to the crossroads, then turn left onto a side road. The tarmac ends after about 50 m. Turn right here and walk along the macadam road. The walk to the crossroads takes 1h. There is a bench next to the road where you can take a rest. Walk straight ahead up the road climbing a slope overlooking a spacious meadow. You will be able to see the Gulf of Trieste in the distance. After a 10-minute walk, there will be a clearing on a pass. Follow the road to the left and walk down to the farmstead near the road. Behind the farmstead on the right, you will see Pirnatova Koča na Javorniku (1156 m). 1h From the hut, go north along the poor road that runs below the peak of Javornik (1,240 m). After a 20- minute descent, you will come to a well-kept macadam road. Cross to the other side of the road and follow a narrow path into the forest. Climb down through the forest to reach a large clearing and the road. Next to the road is a farmstead. The descent takes 39 minutes. Continue walking on the left side along the road and cross the clearing. On the other side of the clearing is a large quarry on the left. The road passes next the quarry and into the forest, then descends into the valley, where the forest ends and the terrain levels out. Walk along the road to the ski slopes and on to Hotel Bor. There is a road junction at the hotel where a macadam road branches off to the left. Follow this road and past the military barracks until you reach a primary school and a tarmac road next to a sports ground. Turn left onto this road for 100 m, then turn right onto a small path and cross a small meadow to reach the main square in Črni vrh. 40 min. The hike from the hut takes 1h 15min. Source: Atlas Slovenije. (1996). 3. izpopolnjena in razširjena izdaja. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga in Geodetski zavod Slovenije. Notranjski Kras. (1997). Izletniška karta. 1:50.000. Ljubljana: GZS. (Peter Šilak)
Natural and cultural heritage
The castle is an impressive building standing on an overhanging wall behind which is the opening to a Karstic cave, and is reminiscent of the Middle Ages. It is easy to imagine the robber-knight Erazem, last of the line of the belligerent Luegers who lived in the castle. A legendary warrior against the Ottomans, he fell out of the emperor’s favour and withdrew to his cavernous castle, harassing travellers moving between Trieste and Vienna. Eventually, the emperor instructed Raubar, the governor of Trieste, to capture the rogue knight. A long siege of the inaccessible castle was fruitless as Erazem had stockpiled supplies, including cherries from the Vipava valley, in the cave's secret tunnels. He was killed in 1484 after being betrayed by one of his servants. The new masters of the castle, which originally lay entirely within the cave, extended it in the late 16th century, giving it its current Renaissance form. Today, it houses museum collections and has well preserved period furniture. The northern fringe of the basin is known as Podgora. Here we find the last inhabited settlements before the terrain rises to the spacious Hrušica forests. Like Nanos, Hrušica belongs to the High Karst, a chain of high Karstic plateaux covered by Dinaric fir and beech. These Dinaric forests, and particularly those to the east on the Snežnik massif, are home to bear, wolves and lynx, who find it difficult to coexist with humans. Important routes from the Friulian lowlands to the Danubian area once ran across Hrušica. Here ran the Roman main road from Aquilea via the Vipava valley to Emona, present-day Ljubljana. Because of the ever-present threat of incursions by barbarians from the east, the Romans built an impressive chain of fortifications in this area. The main fort, Ad Pirum, stood on the Hrušica pass. The remains of the road and ruins of a wall can still be seen today. The Roman Empire fell despite its formidable fortifications, but the road remained, albeit with a lesser role. It was revived again centuries later when a postal route was established between Ljubljana and Gorizia and a post office was built on the pass. The post office is today an inn which also houses a museum collection showing the history of the pass. From Hrušica, a labyrinthine forest path leads past several sinkholes through the formidable fir and beech forest. We cross Javornik, from where there is a view of the Alps, and descend to the Črni vrh plateau. Sources: http://www.burger.si/Predjama/Predjama.html (Predjama) http://www.postojnska-jama.si/en/castle.htm (Predjama) http://www.ars-cartae.com/claustra/claustra.htm (Hrušica) http://www.gostilna-staraposta.com/manual.htm (Hrušica) http://lexikon.freenet.de/Birnbaumerwald (Hrušica) Ad Pirum. Jaro Šašel. (1988). Zbirka vodnikov Kulturni in naravni spomeniki Slovenije, 159. Ljubljana, Zavod RS za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine.
(Igor Maher)
Useful topographic maps
Notranjski kras ~ Geodetski zavod Slovenije (1 : 50 000)
Useful guidebooks
Vodnik po planinskih postojankah v Sloveniji ~ Planinska zveza Slovenije (ISBN 961-6156-10-1)
Picture gallery
Add your own pictures!
Comments
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.
Rembert Biemond - 2024-03-31
continued...
This time of the year we could not find accomodation in Crni Vrh. The 2 places mentioned on this site did not answer and link is outdated. booking and airbnb did not help either.
So we decided to add the next stage on this day....
There is a small supermarket in the village (But we were there on a sunday. Then closed)
The next stage, I will comment there is not very long but added to this one, and in melting snow conditions made it a long 33 km day were we needed almost all daylight available this time of the year and were 12 h on our feet. In summer conditions this might all be very different
Rembert Biemond - 2024-03-31
As per comments on previous stage- we did this stage out of season on March 24 2024. There had been a thunderstorm during the night and some 20-30 cm snow had fallen all the way down to the valleys.
We started 07:15 and arrived around 14:15. The fresh snow snowed us down. We had also secondaruy snow / rain falling from the trees for most of the day. We met absolutely nobody.
(Light-)crampons were of little use as the snow was fresh and later wet.
No alpine parts . Komoot adequate.
We were carrying a little bell so that blackbears would hear us early. But no wolf, lynx or bear encounters.
Von der Javornik-Hütte führt ein kleiner Pfad auf den Gipfel des Jarnovik. Dieser kurze Anstieg ist sehr empfehlenswert, denn oben bietet sich auf dem hölzernen Aussichtsturm ein herrliches Panorama.
Tony - 2023-07-20
Just outside Predjama you touch the most eastern spot of the Via Alpina. Congrats! From this point on the direction will be mainly west and north.
Julien Trieste Monaco - 2022-08-05
Right before getting into Crni Vrh (coming from predjama) there is a kind of ski resort on the left with toilets and water plus some grassy spots. At Crni Vrh the hotel was still close as it welcomes Ukrainian refugees. There another place that is never mentioned: Turistična Kmetija Pr Mark. There are rooms restaurant and a camping. Lots of nice grassy spots but no so much of shade. 25€ for camping and dinner. Friendly
Oliver - 2022-07-04
The hostel Gostisce Metka in crni vrh is now a house for refugee from Ukraine. No food or lodging. Supermarket in crni vrh still exists.
Carsten - 2022-01-10
No water except at end of R5 in Crni Vrh: faucet labeled "drinking water" in square. Crni Vrh also has a good supermarket (on the same square).
Edgard Belgian hiker - 2021-11-08
Pause hier 07/11/2021 au refuge de Javornik. Très bel accueil et bonne nourriture à un prix très correct.
kessel_kolumna - 2019-06-27
Beim Wandern hier in Slowenien sollte man auf jeden Fall aufmerksam sein. Ich wäre heute Morgen kurz nach der Burg im Wald fast auf eine Schlange getreten. Gestern haben wir ebenfalls schon eine gesehen. Wir sind zwar keine Reptilien-Experten, aber die beiden sahen aus wie Höllenottern. Die sind sehr scheu, aber die Hitze hat sie wohl raus getrieben. Laut Netz sind die Höllenottern giftig. Doch auch wenn ein Biss selten tödlich endet, passen wir jetzt lieber noch ein bisschen besser auf. Auf dieser schönen Tour können wir so etwas nicht brauchen. :-)
Automatic translation
[Google]
When hiking here in Slovenia, you should definitely be attentive. Shortly after the castle in the forest I would almost have come on a snake this morning. Yesterday we also saw one. We are not reptile experts, but the two looked like hell-eaters. They are very shy, but the heat has probably driven them out. According to the net, the venomous creatures are poisonous. But even if a bite rarely ends fatally, we now prefer to watch a little better. We can not use this on this beautiful tour. :-)
Pedro57 - 2019-06-24
Update on info: we are sitting in the beer garden of Gostisce Metka in Crni Vrh. Run by a lovely lady with both English and French. I'm 62, carrying 20kg and we cruised the walk from Premuda in 5 1/2 hours, excluding stops. Lovely walk, we were happy to have the shade as it's turned hot again. On Monday all options along the way were closed. The route passes a Roman castle, vestiges of Roman roads, first views of the snowy Alps. Great day and more to come!
Wanderin - 2019-05-17
Sehr nette Unterkunft mit regionalem Frühstück in Crni vrh: Gostilna Metka
Automatic translation
[Google]
Very nice accommodation with regional breakfast in Crni vrh: Gostilna Metka
POPEYE GG - 2018-06-12
11 juin 2017
L'hébergement indiqué sur le site se trouve en dehors du village aux coordonnées N45°55,950' E14°02,300'. Pas facile de se faire expliquer le chemin quand on ne parle pas le slovène!
Automatic translation
[Google]
June 11, 2017 Accommodation indicated on the site is outside the village at coordinates N45 ° 55,950 'E14 ° 02,300'. Not easy to be explained the way when you do not speak Slovenian!
In Hrušica is a nice restaurant, Stara Pošta (with beds I believe) and it's a good place to camp in the garden.
Sophia - 2016-09-23
Pirnatova koča is only open on weekends and holidays! ...luckily we had our tent with us
Klaus - 2016-09-16
Tour 13.09.2016 - 5:30 Std.
- 2:00h bis Dobrodošli Hrušici mit z.T. schlechter Wegführung und mangelhafter Markierung. Man kann hier auch übernachten, Öffnungszeiten in der Woche ab 11:00.
- 2:15h bis zur Prnatova Koča mit hervorragender Aussicht, aber geschlossen (Di).
- 1:15h bis Crni Vrh mit einem sehr steilen Waldabstieg.
- BB ist am Hauptplatz vorhanden, wirkt aber auf mich nicht sehr einladend. Also weiter nach Idrija.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Tour 13.09.2016 - 5:30 hrs. - 2:00 hrs. To Dobrodošli Hrušici with partly bad route and poor markings. You can also stay here, opening hours in the week from 11:00. - 2: 15h to Prnatova Koča with excellent views, but closed (Tue). - 1: 15h to Crni Vrh with a very steep forest descent. - BB is available at the main square, but does not seem very inviting to me. So on to Idrija.
Henk - 2013-04-27
Pretty trail. But if you can't stay in Crni Vrh, catch a bus to Idrija. Next day you can take the 5:45 bus back to Crni Vrh.
Elisabeth - 2012-11-17
Horaire très sous-estimé pour atteindre Hrudjika (+ 1h30 minimum). Refuge Pirnatova fermé le L 16/07.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Very underrated reaching Hrudjika (minimum 1:30) schedule. Refuge Pirnatova closed L 16/07.
If you like walking for hours through dense forests, and not seeing anybody: then this is your lucky day!
Halfway, at Hrusika, there are rooms at the Post Office, which is situated on the compound of a Roman castle.
At Crni Vrh (Black Peak, pronounce: 'Churney Vurch'), there is a neat guest-house. 25 pp Try zlikrofi: small potatoes that are wrapped in pasta.
Alpinisten - 2011-09-08
Achtung: Die Stara Post hat Montags und Dienstags geschlossen. Am 1.August 2011 (immer Montags?) war auch die Pirnatova koch na Javorniku geschlossen. Die realistische Gehzeit beträgt auf dieser Etappe eher ca. 6 h.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Attention: The Stara Post has closed Mondays and Tuesdays. On August 1, 2011 (every Monday!) Also Pirnatova cook na Javorniku was closed. The walking time is realistic at this stage rather about 6 h
Neko - 2011-01-23
Wir sind den Weg oberhalb (nördlich) von Ajdovcina auf der Hochebene gegangen (slow. Weitwanderweg Nr. 1) mit sehr schöner Sicht. Im Hinterland unterhalb des sinji vrh ein Gasthof mit sehr guten Essen.
Automatic translation
[Google]
We are way above (north) of Ajdovcina gone on the plateau (Slovenian long-distance trail No. 1) with a beautiful view. In the hinterland below Sinji vrh an inn with good food.
gonzom - 2010-08-10
A direction panel before Hrusica indicate a way to Javornik to the RIGHT! It misleads - I lost 4 hours flanking Srednja Gora through Podkraj and uphill
miriam - 2009-09-04
Die angegebene Zwischenziel-Hütte "Pirnatova koča na Javorniku" ist als Übernachtungsmöglichkeit NICHT zu empfehlen. Normalerweise wird in dieser Hütte nicht übernachtet, wie wir dort erfahren haben. Die Zimmer sind sehr verwahrlost - schimmlig, staubig und stinkend - unsere Wanderstecken wurden von lauten Ratten oder Siebenschläfern in der Nacht angeknabbert, die uns auch den Schlaf raubten. Nicht einmal das Hüttenpersonal übernachtet noch dort, wir wurden allein in der Hütte zurückgelassen.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Between the specified target hut "Pirnatova koča na Javorniku" is highly recommended as a place to stay NOT. Normally not stayed in this cabin, as we learned. The rooms are very neglected - moldy, dusty and smelly - our Walking Stick were nibbled by rats and dormice loud at night who robbed us of sleep. Not even the cabin staff have stayed there, we were left alone in the hut.
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.