Kofce is a mountain pasture below the Košuta ridge in the Karavanke (Karawanken) Mountains of Slovenia.
On the planina, you’ll find the happily situated Planinski Dom Na Kofcah (Kofce mountain hut), surrounded by grazing cows and horses. On a clear day, you can see both the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Julian Alps from the mountain pasture.
Locals swarm here for the best Štruklji in Slovenia. Hikers venture here to start the hike to Veliki Vrh. And bikers take a break here while cycling the Trans Karavanke MTB Trail.
Visiting Planinski Dom Na Kofcah
Payment: Cash and credit cards are both accepted.
Opening Times: Open daily from June 15th until September 15th. During the rest of the year, Kofce is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only.
Overnight: Yes, you can spend the night in the hut. They accept Alpine Membership Club cards. Learn more about European Alpine Clubs in our guide to Hiking in the Alps.
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How to Get to Kofce Mountain Hut
There are a few ways to get to Kofce, all explained on kofce.si.
The most popular ascent route is from the Matizovec farm. This is the best place to start.
Kofce – mimo Kapelice (“past the chapel”) Trailhead
Update: A reader has informed us that the road past Jelendol to the trailhead has deteriorated. We highly recommend approaching Kofec via Matizovec farm.
Because of road construction, we had to approach Kofce via Jelendol. It’s a long drive to the trailhead, but the hike to the planina is very short, a mere 25-30 minutes.
From Tržič, you’ll drive through Dovžan Gorge to the Jelendol village. At the end of Jelendol, the road divides. Turn left and continue driving along the macadam road.
About 2.7 km from Jelendol, you’ll see a red trail sign on the left side, right before passing a house. DO NOT PARK HERE. We thought this was the trailhead to Kofce and got lost for a good 40 minutes, before deciding to return to our car and continue driving.
The drive continues to a signed intersection. Turn left here and continue driving for another 1.5 km until you see a red sign on the right signed 30 minutes to Kofce.
You can park on the side of the road.
GPS coordinates of the “Mimo Kapelice” trailhead: 46.414792, 14.331497 / 46°24′53.25″N 14°19′53.39″E.
Exact Location: Google Maps
Hiking to Kofce mimo Kapelice
From the road, follow the sign and waymarks through the forest to the tiny chapel. After 15 minutes, the steep forest trail emerges above the timberline. You’ll enter the alpine pasture and hike up the steep grassy slope to Kofce mountain hut.
Hiking from Kofce to Veliki Vrh
The most popular hike along the Košuta ridge is to Veliki Vrh, the western-most summit of the ridge.
From Kofce, it takes 1:30 hrs to reach the summit. We tried to do this hike, but the weather gods cursed us with rain, so we didn’t get very far.
This hike requires a head for heights and comfort with scree (tiny / loose rocks).
What to Eat at Kofce Mountain Hut
Kofce is famous for their Štruklji, which is a traditional Slovenian dough roll (or dumpling) made with various fillings. We ate their blueberry-filled Štruklji Borovničevi and it was divine! We’ve eaten Štruklji all over Slovenia, and nothing comes close to the one we had here.
We also ordered the Gobova Juha, Pasulj, and Ričet. The stews are served in huge portions and are very filling, though on the bland side.
The service was friendly but very slow (and a bit forgetful).
When we visited Kofce in mid-June, the menu offering included the following.
Soups & Stews
- Jota – sauerkraut and bean stew
- Ričet – barley and bean stew
- Pasulj – bean stew
- Gobova Juha – mushroom soup
Savory Dishes
- Kranjska klobasa – Carniolan sausage
- Ajdovi Žganci – buckwheat spoon bread, or buckwheat porridge, served with pork cracklings.
- Kislo Zelje – Sauerkraut
- Zimski krožnik – “Winter Plate”
Štruklji
- Štruklji Sirovi – cheese filling
- Štruklji Borovničevi – blueberry filling
- Štruklj Čokoladni – chocolate filling
- Štruklj Čokolada malina – chocolate and raspberry filling
- Štruklj Ajdovi z orehi – buckwheat and walnuts filling
Where to Stay
The best place to stay for exploring the Košuta ridge and the Karawanks is the village of Tržič.
Glamping | Glamping Mountain Fairy Tale are air-conditioned glamping cabins in Bistrica pri Tržiču. Each unit features kitchenettes and private bathrooms. Hot tubs are available at an extra charge with prior notice. Breakfast is included. And, you can rent bikes on-site.
Look for accommodation in Tržič.
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Slovenia Trip Planning Essentials
Use our Slovenia Travel Guide to plan an unforgettable trip.
When to Visit Slovenia
Summer and Fall Seasons. The best time to travel to Slovenia is between May and October.
The best time to hike in the Slovenian Alps is between June and October. For hut-to-hut hiking, we recommend planning your trek between early July and mid-September.
Winter Season. For skiing and winter activities, the best time to visit Slovenia is between mid/late December and March.
Car Rental
It’s possible to visit Slovenia without a car if you want to concentrate your time in Ljubljana, Lake Bled, and Lake Bohinj.
When we visited without a car, we planned two linear hut to hut hikes.
Unless you’re trekking, we recommend renting a car, because many places are simply not accessible with transit. For example, there are no buses to Logar Valley, Vrata Valley, the Košuta mountain pastures, and the Debela Pec trailhead.
Check out our itineraries for road trip inspiration:
Use the intuitive Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip.
Tip: If you can only drive automatic transmission cars, as opposed to manual transmission cars (stick shift), book your car rental as early as possible.
Where to Stay
We’ve summarized our favorite destinations and accommodations in Best Paces to Stay in Slovenia, including Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Logar Valley, Kranjka Gora, and Kobarid.
Top Things to Do
- Summit Mount Triglav.
- Eat Štruklji Borovničevi at Kofce Mountain Hut.
- Trek across Triglav National Park along this epic 4-day Triglav National Park Trek.
- Visit an alpine dairy like Koča na planini Dolga njiva.
- Stay in a farm stay like Tourist Farm Šenkova domačija in Zgornje Jezersko.
- Swim in the crystal clear waters of Lake Bohinj.
- Watch the sunrise at Mala Osojnica, overlooking Lake Bled.
- Hike to the Kamnik Saddle.
- Glamp in a treehouse like Ribno Alpine Glamping.
- Uncover hidden gems like Solčava panoramic road.
Slovenia Packing List
Guidebooks
- Lonely Planet Slovenia
- DK Eyewitness Slovenia
- Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia
- The Julian Alps of Slovenia: Mountain Walks and Short Treks
- Trekking in Slovenia: The Slovene High Level Route
- Trekking Slovenia’s Juliana Trail: Three-week trek: Bled, Triglav and the Julian Alps
Hiking Gear
- Day Pack: Osprey Tempest 30 Women’s Backpack / Osprey Talon 33 Men’s Backpack
- Grade B/C high-cut hiking boots: Meindl Schuhe Island Lady (Kati’s Boots), Women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (Sabrina’s Boots), Men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (men’s equivalent)
- CAT 4 Sunglasses: Julbo Shield Mountain Sunglasses
- Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles
- Reusable Water Bottle: Ion Leakproof 32 oz Water Bottle
Outdoor Photography Gear
- Camera Body: Sony Alpha a6400
- Mid-range Zoom Lens: Tamron 17-70mm 2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Wide angle Zoom Lens: Sony – E 10-18mm F4 OSS Wide-angle Zoom Lens
- Backpack Camera Clip: Peak Design Camera Clip
Slovenia Hiking Guides
Slovenia is heaven on earth for hikers. We recommend allocating sufficient time to discover both the Julian Alps and the Kamnik Savinja Alps.
In Best Hikes in Slovenia, we’ve summarized the most thrilling day hikes and multi-day hikes across the Slovenian Alps, ranked by difficulty.
If you’re interested in hut-to-hut hiking, read our guide to Slovenian Mountain Huts and Hut-to-Hut Hiking in Slovenia.
