Zasavje, the Sava mining valley that hardly anyone visits

What to see in Zasavje in one day

I would start in Litija. The tourist centre describes the Sitarjevec mine as one of the richest in the world for variety of minerals, with more than 60 kinds and crystals of cinnabar, cerussite, native lead and copper and mercury on show in the visitor section. Close by at Slivna, the GEOSS monument marks the geometric centre of the country, and next to it is Slovenia’s largest adventure park, with seven treetop courses and a 915 m zipline. At Klenik, near Vače, stands an enlarged replica of the Vače situla, one of the most important archaeological finds in Slovenia; the original is in the National Museum in Ljubljana. Litija’s town museum covers the old Sava raftsmen, the railway and the mine.

In the afternoon, Hrastnik. Muzej Hrastnik is free and includes a classroom from 1920 and another from 1960, a room on the Second World War in Zasavje and the largest marionette collection of the local troupe that performed from 1946 to 1977. At Dol pri Hrastniku, the tourist board mentions a museum that is also a restaurant, with exhibits and wall paintings on local history and typical regional cooking.

Zasavje’s four municipalities

Trbovlje is the largest town, with 13,665 people, and the government lists it among the country’s major towns. Zagorje ob Savi is the most populous municipality, with 16,347, and Hrastnik the smallest, with 8,755. Litija, with 15,890 people spread over 107 settlements, is the largest by area and the most organised for visitors, with its own tourist information centre.

All four share the river and the mining past, and they are proud of it. The miners’ greeting, «srečno», gives its name to a walking trail that links them, and all four receive very few tourists according to SURS; Hrastnik itself suggests sleeping in mountain huts, private rooms or neighbouring towns. Litija belongs to this region in SURS’s current classification, while its neighbour Šmartno pri Litiji, home of Bogenšperk Castle, counts as Central Slovenia.

Miners, brass bands and photographers

What strikes me most about Zasavje is not in a display case. Hrastnik boasts two brass bands, the miners’ band, nearly 160 years old according to the municipality, and the glassworkers’ band, at 80, plus choirs over a century old. Its photographic club is among the three oldest in the country.

The municipality also suggests a heritage route taking in a Roman shrine, several churches, the Rižnar house and the Mlakar flat, a miner’s home protected as a local monument, as well as the miners’ memorial. It points out that the valley has Natura 2000 areas, isolated rock outcrops and chestnut trees that end up at autumn chestnut gatherings. In Litija, the tourist centre keeps the charcoal-burning tradition alive at Dole pri Litiji, with events in May and September and a black bread you can taste on the spot.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Ljubljana on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Pot Srečno, Mt Kum and other trails

Pot Srečno is a 29.7 km themed trail linking Laško, Hrastnik, Trbovlje and Zagorje ob Savi along their mining heritage; Zagorje municipality splits it into 7.7 km in Laško, 9.3 in Hrastnik, 7.8 in Trbovlje and 4.9 in Zagorje. Litija adds, according to its tourist centre, 340 km of walking trails and 380 km of cycling routes. And the tourist board mentions a long-distance trail climbing from Bizeljsko to the summit of Kum, the mountain that dominates the region.

Getting there and where to stay

Zasavje lies in the Sava corridor east of Ljubljana, and Southern Railway trains towards Celje and Maribor follow the valley. With so little accommodation, my advice is to visit on a day trip from Ljubljana and head back to the capital to sleep, or stay in Litija if you want an early start at the mine. For me, Zasavje is the best excuse to leave the classic route of a Slovenia trip and see the working-class side of Slovenia that hardly anyone shows you.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Ljubljana and pick one that fits your day.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Ljubljana on Booking.com and filter by area before price.