The best road cycling routes around Šoštanj

Strenuous and steep ascent

The Mozirski Gaj is a large flower park and open-air museum on the banks of the Savinja River near Mozirje, which shines from spring to autumn in a play of colours of tulips, perennials and thematic gardens such as the Japanese or herb garden.

The cheapest! Najceneje! Decent coffee place in front to the sign.

The church was closed but it is worthy just for the views and the graves.

The Roman necropolis in the now Slovenian town of Sempeter, which was once called St. Peter am Draufeld in the old Lower Styria, is today one of the most interesting archaeological sites of ancient grave architecture in Central Europe. Here it was not man who destroyed this unique cemetery of important Roman settlers. A huge flood of the Savinja River in the 3rd century AD must have torn even the largest tombs from their foundations and overturned them, so that the families of these dead probably no longer had the strength or time to restore everything to its previous state in honor of the deceased. They had enough to do with saving and restoring their villas and estates. The graves near the rising river collapsed because the foundations had been washed away, fell into the Savinja and were soon covered with sediment, disappeared and were only discovered again by chance almost two thousand years later during excavation work. The monuments further away from the river also collapsed, but were not covered by the river. Their marble components were later reused as welcome building material or were burned to make mortar lime and thus disappeared. It was not until the 20th century that the buried grave monuments saw the light of day again. In 1952, the first debris was discovered by chance and archaeology was called in, which was already exemplary in Slovenia at that time. These excavations lasted until 1956. Even then, there were plans for permanent preservation and public presentation on site. The reconstruction plans were ready in 1959. The findings so far have shown that at least this part of the cemetery must have been created in the 1st to 2nd centuries AD.

A very beautiful, but unfortunately paid, park on the Savinja.

Nice campsite right on the lake!

The largest coal deposit in Slovenia is located underground in the Šalek Valley. More than 230 million tons of coal have been mined in that area. Mining activity has permanently marked the image of the valley and its people. Where once there were villages, today there are lakes, the result of almost 150 years of lignite extraction. With a surface area of almost 1.4 km² and a volume of over 30 million m³, Velenje is the largest of the three lakes in the Šalek valley and among the largest in Slovenia, comparable to that of Bled. Its catchment area extends for more than 20 km². The lake is 1.4 km long and 1.3 km wide. With a depth of 54 m it is deeper than Lake Bled (31 m) and Lake Bohinj (45 m). On the south-eastern shore, at Plaža Velenje, there is a very popular beach, declared the best natural beach in Slovenia in 2018 and 2022. This place offers many opportunities for sailing, windsurfing, SUP and rowing. The area can count on numerous rooms, equipment, and an inflatable water park. Nestled among green hills, it is also a fantastic place for family travellers. There is no shortage of entertainment, as well as opportunities to play sports or stay near the lake. Relaxation is ensured by clean water, services, free use of deck chairs and tidy wooden surfaces.