Pohorje

Pohorje is the odd one out among Slovenian mountains: where nearly everything else is limestone, this massif is granodiorite and schist, so water does not sink into it. The result is a plateau of spruce forest holding raised bogs, small tarns such as the Lovrenc lakes, and streams that stay on the surface and fall over steps, the Šumik waterfalls among them, with a patch of virgin forest around them. A cable car climbs from Maribor to the northern edge.

What you actually see

• The Lovrenc lakes - tarns on a raised bog, reached by boardwalk and a lookout tower.
• The Sumik waterfalls - falls on a stream running through a remnant of virgin forest.
• The silicate geology - non-karst rock that keeps water at the surface.
• The Maribor cable car - the lift from the city to the plateau edge.

When to go

May to October for walking, with the bogs best in early summer. December to March for skiing at Mariborsko Pohorje. Autumn brings fog and mud on the plateau tracks.

Honest expectations

The summits are rounded and forested and there are few views; this is not alpine scenery. The plateau is boggy and paths get very muddy. The Maribor ski area is the busiest part and can be crowded.

Nearby

Maribor is northeast, and Rogla is southwest.