Zelenci

What makes it special

The colour is the reason to come, and it gives the place its name: zelen is Slovenian for green. From the platforms, look down into the small clear pools where the springs rise through the pale lake bed.

Zelenci is known locally as the second source of the Sava Dolinka, a tributary of the Danube. Upstream at Tamar the river sinks underground, and it rises again here. The springs stay at about 6 degrees all year.

The emerald pool sits at the western end of a marshy wetland about 1,200 metres long, a nature reserve since 1992 and a Natura 2000 site. On a still day the green-blue water mirrors the limestone peaks beyond it. The wooden tower beside the lake gives you the whole pool from above.

Visiting

Short and flat, the path from the car park runs through the woods for five to ten minutes to the lake. Stay left at the fork and you come out on a wide wooden boardwalk along the water.

The boardwalk carries you over the marsh to two platforms above the water, then on to the observation tower beside the lake. Stop on each platform to look down into the springs, then climb the tower for the view over the whole pool. The boardwalk itself is about 500 metres and takes 15 minutes or so at an easy pace; plan half an hour with the tower and the platforms.

A restaurant and a playground sit near the entrance. Space on the path and the platforms is tight, so step to the side when you stop to look or take a photograph. Allow extra time if you want to wait for the boardwalk to clear.

Tips

Come early in the morning, when the light on the water is best for photographs and the path is still quiet. The first car park can be full by 10 a.m. once the tour buses arrive, and in summer you should avoid a weekend altogether.

Winter is the striking season, with snow over the marsh and white peaks behind the green water. Spring suits an unhurried walk, with the first flowers out and birds singing in the reeds. Wear sturdy shoes and watch where you step, since snakes live in the reserve.