STKP stands for Slovenian Mountain Bike Route and with Nada and Baki we decided to do the part of it in Upper Savinja Valley and Carinthia. Yesterday we made it to Mežica and today we simply moved on. Our first stop was the abandoned mine in Mežica, now a museum, but unfortunately closed. We continued on the boring road to Črna na Koroškem, where we visited one of the bunkers of the 6th sector of the Rupnik Line. Soon we stopped following Meža river and turned into Topla valley. Step ascent took us to the border between Austria and Slovenia and from there we didn't have long till the Mountain hut on farm Kumer, 1220 m, where we had a nice goulash, I fixed Nada's flat and Baki recharged his bike. Soon we moved on, passing Saint Ana's church and cruising on the altitude of 1300 meters over Repov Creek to the source of Meža river. Short downhill section along Meža soon ended and we started to climb towards "Cerkev sv. Jakoba" church. Cycling part was over for a while, as the terrain was too steep to pedal, so we simply pushed the bikes to the top of the Zg. Sleme pass. After a while our trail joined the Solčava Panoramic Road and from there we took the shortest route back to Solčava, where our 2 day adventure ended.
The Mežica lead and zinc mine was one of the last lead-zinc mines in Europe that was still operating at the end of the 20th century. Now it operates as a tourist mine and museum and has been opened to visitors since 1997.
We wanted to do the bike tour in the mine, but the mine was still closed.
TAB (Battery factory) was established in 1965 as a subsidiary of Rudnik Mežica Holding (Lead Mine Mežica Holding) in a region where different lead activities are more than 350 years old.
Ski resort in Črna na Koroškem, where we visited one of the bunkers of the Rupnik Line.
We left SKTP and we discovered some new scenic trails.
We saw many afforestation areas, that were established after the natural disasters - glaze and heavy wind.
The road to nowhere. Well, with stubbornness we changed that.
Almost back on trail.
Meža has its source on the Austrian side of the border north of Mount Olševa in the Karawanks range, becomes subterranean a kilometre from its source, and reappears on the surface in Koprivna west of Črna na Koroškem in Slovenia.
Towards Mežnar farmsted.
The Gothic parish church of St. James the Great, patron saint of labourers, pilgrims and soldiers, as well as intercessor for weather and field crops, was presumably built in the 13th or 14th century and is a unique landscape monument.
Rural area.
Because of its special location, the church can be seen from all neighbouring valleys, even though it is situated in a rugged mountainous landscape. The ringing of its three copper bells can be heard at even the remotest homesteads.
We should have done a prayer here and maybe the upcoming section wouldn’t be so steep.
STKP stands for Slovenian Mountain Bike Route and with Nada and Baki we decided to do the part of it in Upper Savinja Valley and Carinthia. Baki drove us to Solčava, from where we started cycling towards Solčava panoramic road. This section involved also a little bit of bike pushing, but it was worth it. The path of the shepherd boy Krištof led us to Črna na Koroškem, where we had a short break, before we set foot on the STKP trail. First new stamp for our logbooks was added on Koča na Pikovem mountain hut, 992 m. From there we continued to Dom na Peci mountain hut, with 1665 meters the highest point of the day. Baki's battery drained out, our legs were also tired, so we decided to spend the night in a hostel in Mežica. Nice downhill section brought us straight to city centre. Pizza and a few goodnight beers ended our day.
Črna settlement was first attested in written sources in 1309 under the German name Swarzenpach.
The centuries of mining traditions in Črna and its surrounding areas affected the appearance of the town and its way of life.
The preserved cultural heritage which tells the stories of searching for lead ore and bringing it to the surface is set in a stone in the middle of the square.
In more than 330 years the upper part of the Mežiška valley in the mines that cover more than 64 km2 they dug up 19 million tons of ore and by doing so created a labyrinth of over 800 km of tunnels.
In front of the tunnel there are some machines and devices that contribute to the story of the use of these riches of the earth.
First new stamp for our logbooks was added on Koča na Pikovem mountain hut.
Regrouping on the Vrh šteng intersection.
Entering new planet.
Low battery.
Last part follows the forest roads.
Go Nada!
In the immediate vicinity of the mountain hut is the cave of King Matjaž.
