Stage K-B 2

Hut by the Krn Lakes–Ukanc

Hiking Researchers
Hard

The K-B 2 stage of the Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic trail starts at the Koča pri Krnskih jezerih (Mountain Hut by Krn Lakes), located in the immediate vicinity of Duplje Lake. During World War I a large hinterland infrastructure of the Austro-Hungarian Army covered a wide area around Krn Lake. To give you an idea, they even had a cinema on Duplje Mountain Pasture. From the hut follow the alpine trail towards Krn Lake. On Duplje Mountain Pasture stands a memorial – Hungarian Cross. It is the remains of a cemetery on which soldiers of different nationalities were buried.
If you have not yet seen Krn Lake, you should continue straight on at the next crossroad. After 10 minutes the trail will bring you to the largest high mountain lake in the Slovene mountains, where each November a memorial celebration is held to commemorate the end of World War I. Go back to the previous crossroad and turn towards east in the direction of Komna Plateau. Follow the marked alpine trail that goes along an old military road and trails, that went from Bohinj over the mountains to the rear areas of the front. Behind the enclosed depression Za Lepočami you come across a group of military buildings from the period of the Rapallo Border, when Italians built a border fortification, a complex of seven stone built buildings.
Continue your journey to the Vratca or Bogatinsko sedlo Pass, where the border between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia used to run. A stunning view opens in front of you on the wide Komna Plateau, adorned on the south-western side by a wreath of mountain peaks and stretching to the north, all the way to the Valley of the Triglav Lakes. To the west your view stretches all the way to the Karavanke Mountains. From the pass, which is the highest point (1,803 m) on this stage of the Walk of Peace, the trail along the old military road descends down the Valley of Gracija to the Planina na Kraju Mountain Pasture with Dom pod Bogatinom Mountain Hut and other buildings among which stand out the remains from the World War I. This was the location of the largest military camp in the Bohinj area with more than 20 buildings and barracks. Most of the buildings were used for hospital purposes and as storage facilities. A cableway ran from here to the Krn Battlefield.   In the immediate vicinity of the mountain hut, in the direction towards Dom na Komni Mountain Hut, stands an impressive monument in the form of a stone pyramid – a smaller charnel house for the soldiers who died in World War I. On the edge of the Komna Plateau stands the Dom na Komni Mountain Hut, supplied via a freight cable car that runs down the same route as the cable way built during World War I, which used to supply the battlefield. From the mountain hut you start to descend down an old military road down more and more steep terrain. The road brings you to the village of Ukanc, or more precisely its “tail” bellow the rocky slope of Mt. Komarča. From here you can visit the Savica Waterfall. From the Koča pri Savici (Hut by the Savica Waterfall) continue your journey across the bridge over the Savica stream (towards Mt. Komarča) and then past a memorial plaque and the information board dedicated to Fran Jesenko, a Slovene botanist and geneticist. Follow the wide forest road that descends down the left bank of the Savica stream to Ukanc, the finish point of the stage K-B 2 of the Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic trail.

 

Text: Martin Šolar, Kobariški muzej
Photos: (1) Mike Mareen, Turizem Bohinj; (2–4) Mitja Sodja, Turizem Bohinj

Suggestions

Mountain huts along the way:
-Koča pri Krnskih jezerih Hut (open from June to October)
-Dom pod Bogatinom Mountain Hut on the Planina na Kraju Alpine Pasture (Open from June to the end of September)
-Dom na Komni Mountain Hut (open all year round)
-Koča pri Savici Hut (open all year round)

Access and useful info

Access

Public transport:

Summer bus services:
Bovec–Lepena–Bovec (Hop on-Hop off)
Bohinjska Bistrica–Bohinjsko jezero–Ukanc–Savica (Line 1 or 3)

Regular bus services:
Tolmin–Kobarid–Bovec
Bled–Bohinjska Bistrica

Railway connections:
Jesenice–Bohinjska Bistrica–Most na Soči–Nova Gorica

Parking (start and end point of the stage):
Start: /
End: payable parking area by the lake, opposite the camp (on the crossroad where you turn for Mt. Vogel) or by the Koča pri Savici Hut.

Information

Center za obiskovalce Pot miru, Kobarid
(The Walk of Peace Visitor Centre, Kobarid)
Gregorčičeva ulica 8
SI–5222 Kobarid
+386 5 389 0167, +386 31 586 296
turizem@potmiru.si, info@thewalkofpeace.com
www.thewalkofpeace.com

Info središče čezmejne Ekoregije Julijske Alpe
(Infocentre of the Julian Alps Crossborder Ecoregion)
Na Logu v Trenti
SI–5232 Soča
+386 5 388 93 30
dom-tnp.trenta@tnp.gov.si
https://www.tnp.si

TIC Bovec
Trg golobarskih žrtev 47
SI–5230 Bovec
+386 5 3029 647
info.bovec@dolina-soce.si
www.soca-valley.com

TIC Bohinj
Ribčev Laz 48
SI–4265 Bohinjsko jezero
+386 4 574 60 10
info@bohinj-info.com
www.bohinj-info.com

Center TNP Bohinj
(Triglav National Park Centre Bohinj)
Stara Fužina 38
SI–4265 Bohinjsko jezero
+386 4 57 80 245
info.bohinjka@tnp.gov.si
www.bohinj.si

Hiking Researchers
Hard

GPS coordinates

Start: 46.288644, 13.696098
End: 46.279881, 13.829325

Length

18 km

Ascent

470 m

Descent

1,330 m

Notice

The Koča pri Krnskih jezerih Hut is closed. It will be open from 1 June 2024 until 30 September 2024. Reservations can be made via the Bentral reservation system (https://www.pzs.si/koce.php?pid=39). Important information regarding the system: https://www.pzs.si/vsebina.php?pid=268

Best time of year

May‒November

Equipment

Trekking clothing and footwear, drinks and food from backpack, flashlight, trekking poles
Interreg