Sunny Velenje

Velenje is located in the Šalek Valley in northern Slovenia, by the River Paka. It’s known for mining and numerous castles. Here, you can find Velenje Castle, which is one of the most well-preserved renaissance castles in Slovenia, Šalek Castle, Turn Castle, and others. Velenje is famous for being one of the sunniest towns in Slovenia. One of the famous landmarks in this town is the more-than-10-metre-high monument devoted to Tito, the former leader of Yugoslavia.

This young town with a green heart and its green environs is suitable for many outdoor activities. The nearby Terme Topolšica Spa in the midst of green forests is suitable for wellness relaxation and refreshment. The people of Velenje and its many visitors love getting refreshed and doing exercise next to and on Lake Velenje. It was created as the result of a hundred years of mining activities in this area. The water in the lake is extremely clean and rich in fish. If you visit the area known as “Velenje Beach”, you can go swimming, sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, and surfing, and you can enjoy many other outdoor activities, too.

Mining has left a strong mark in this area. If you’ve never tried anything similar, you can visit the mining museum and go down 160 metres below the surface into an abandoned mine. A great deal of adrenaline and a miners’ snack are included in the price.

Active experiences in Velenje and its surrounding area

Velenje and its surrounding area have a network of many hiking and cycling trails. Well-known and well-organized are the so-called Heart trails, which consist of the Small Trail, the Big Trail and the Trail From Škalsko jezero lake to Vista and back

Lake Velenje and other nearby lakes are full of fish and are great for fishing. A licence is mandatory. Lake Velenje offers many other water activities, too; everything from swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, boat rides, sailing, and even scuba diving.

In winter, if the snow conditions are right, you can find dedicated cross-country skiing trails in Velenje and in its vicinity. There’s a ski jumping centre in Velenje, located below the Velenje Castle. It has no fewer than six ski jumps. The Velenje Ski Jumping Club boasts with more than 60 years of tradition, and this is where many successful ski jumpers first got their start.

You can go skiing and snowboarding at the nearby Golte or Kope ski centres.