This geocache is the kind that brings you to a place you would probably never have otherwise heard of or visited. Set deep into a forest on Slovenia’s northern border, this multi-cache will take you on a hike in the woods past old mining artifacts, culminating in an old manganese mine dating back to the 19th century.
The mine itself is still accessible via two entrances — but use caution. And if you’re not comfortable going inside the tunnel, there’s plenty of lovely nature to explore nearby. Plus, if you find this cache, or any cache in Slovenia, you’ll earn a shiny new Slovenia country souvenir.
This cache was the first to be awarded the Geocache of the Month award by the Slovenian Geocaching Club.
What the cache owner has to say:
What sorts of things will a geocacher find while on this multi-cache tour? On the beginning of the path, you can see water slide between the two dams and an interesting springs of the stream Javornik. At the upper dam on the information board find the coordinates of the manganese mine. Do not forget to look the ore below an information board on the entry of the 200 year old manganese ore mine.
Why did you want to bring people to this location? Beautiful nature, walking in silence, without other visitors. Historic mine in which it is still possible to enter, but only a few – 10m.
What can you tell us about the history of the manganese mine? This mine was just one of many manganese mines in Slovenia. Manganese ores were processed in Jesenice ironworks. From this ore it was in Jesenice ironworks under the leadership of ing. Lambert PANTZ in 1872 that, for the first time (in the world), that blast furnace was used to produce manganese iron. The Industrial Company Kranj was awarded with the gold medal for extraordinary innovation at a global industry exhibition in Pennsylvania on the hundredth anniversary of the United States.
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Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.
Slovenia is the first of FIVE geocaching country souvenirs to be released this year!
That’s correct! If the allure of varied landscapes, rich culture, and countless barrels of wine weren’t enough, you can now earn a geocaching country souvenir for logging a geocache in Slovenia (in addition to four other new countries that will be revealed soon). Souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that are displayed on your geocaching profile page when you find a geocache in certain locations.
As an aperitif, we’ve put together five must-see geocaches from “the green piece of Europe.” Enjoy!
GC14916 Vas Kocno is a 6 stage Multi-Cache in a charming village
According to the geocache’s listing page, this geocaching is in one of the most idyllic regions of Slovenia:
Kočno is a wonderful small village, surrounded by unspoiled nature. It counts about 20 homes with 85 inhabitants. It’s located on the eastern side of Pohorje mountain at some 500 meters altitude and on the south side of the Polskava river. The villagers are mostly occupied with farming, primarily agriculture, growing cattle, fruits and wine. The village is nicely arranged and is a real open-air ethnological museum. Old farming machines, tools and gadgets that were used in old times on farms in Kočno and surroundings, are put on display all around the village.
GC488RH – Ljubljanski nebotičnik / Skyscraper is a Traditional Cache with an amazing view of the capital city
In the capital city of Ljubljana, one of the most recognizable landmarks is Nebotičnik also known as Ljubljana’s skyscraper. When construction was complete in February of 1933, it was one of the tallest buildings in all of Europe. When you enter the skyscraper, take a moment to admire the gorgeous spiral staircase before heading up to the grand 360° view and tiny geocache on the observation deck.
GC3QWBD Morigenos is a Traditional Cache in the seaside town of Piran
This geocache will take you to a beautiful location overlooking the Adriatic Sea, and was made in partnership with the Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society who study a resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the area. For an additional cost of 1 € and some extra time, head up to the top of the church tower for a view of the town and coastline.
GC26YR7 Blejski otok / Island on Lake Bled is a Traditional Cache on Slovenia’s only island
One of the oldest castle in Slovenia is the site of countless picturesque postcards. As tradition goes, if a couple gets married at the church on Bled Island, the groom must carry the bride up all 99 steps to ensure a long and happy marriage. You have three methods for reaching the geocache on Bled Island:
Take a boat
Swim over in the summer months (make sure to bring extra clothes that are appropriate for entering the building on the island), or
Walk across the frozen lake in winter
One would think that the storybook nature of finding this geocache would be impossible to top, but inside the geocache is another set of coordinates for a nearby bonus geocache. Fairy tales do come true!
Given the piercing green color of this lake, it’s obvious to see how Zelenci Sources got it’s name: Zelen means “green” in Slovene. You’ll be able to spot mini water “jets” that resemble tiny volcanoes under the surface of the water, and find two types of lizards in this area. If you want to see super cool 360° photos of this natural wonder, click this link.
Inspired yet? Better start packing your bags and exploring the wonders of Slovenia and meeting their lovely citizens!
Slovenian GIFF Weekend 2015 in Ljubljana
We’ll unveil one new souvenir every week until all FIVE are officially released and awarded by mid December. Souvenirs that are currently available can be found here. A list of currently available geocaching souvenirs and even the ones you’ve already earned can be found on Geocaching.com. And, if you’ve already found a geocache in Slovenia, we will retroactively add this souvenir to your profile after all five country souvenirs are announced.
Wir freuen uns sehr, Dir ein neues Länder-Souvenir anzukündigen, das Du bei Deinen Geocaching-Reisen erhalten kannst: Slowenien! Slowenien hat mehr als 7000 Km Wanderwege und ist eines der Länder dieser Welt mit der größten Biodiversität. Außerdem gibt es dort ziemlich coole Geocaches! Wenn Du nach Slowenien kommst, besuche unbedingt die folgenden Orte:
Pssst … Ländersouvenirs sind virtuelle Kunstwerke, die nach dem Fund eines Geocaches in bestimmten Ländern in Deinem Profil angezeigt werden. In den nächsten vier Wochen werden wir wöchentlich ein neues Ländersouvenir vorstellen. Lies die Geocaching-Rundschreiben, um zu erfahren, welches das nächste Ländersouvenir ist.
A beautiful view from a path in the city near one of the geocaches
Why this GeoTour is unique:
The name says it all: Valley of the Sun. If you need a little vitamin D and dry desert air in your life, you’ll love this GeoTour location.
All the geocaches on the tour are translated into both English and Spanish, making it the only bilingual GeoTour in the nation.
In the last year, families walked a combined 3,500 miles together while participating in the KohlsFit GeoTour.
A beautiful view from a path in the city when you are finding one of the geocaches on the tour.
Best time of year to visit:
Visit October through April to beat the heat. The area is beautiful in the winter, especially if you want to escape the cold.
Must-see attractions:
All the geocaches on the GeoTour are placed in unique locations around the Phoenix area including art installations, parks, an amazing library, and beautiful hiking & urban trails.
Hidden gems only locals know about:
Our focus is to help families be active. Many of the caches are tucked away on urban trails and in Maricopa County Parks, all of which bring you to breathtaking desert views.
Prizes:
This fall, the first 150 geocachers to complete their passports will earn a special trackable. See more details on the October passport.
Geocachers pedaling away at Pedal Power, one of the geocache locations.
What Geocachers are saying about KohlsFit GeoTour:
“Very cool! I was taking a stroll around this neat park. What better way to see it than to cache. Thanks for the stash. Thanks for the cache. SL. Nice Hide!”
“A beautiful spring day to go and look and find… great flowers, nice breeze, no snakes, great hides,… what more could a gal want???”
“This was our first day of vacation. We always enjoy our visits to Arizona to see roadrunners. Thanks Kohlsfitgeo for placing these caches for us to find and contributing to our fun. from South Dakota.”
Additional Information:
Make memories, have fun, and be active along the way! For more information and to print a passport, visit www.kohlsfit.com/geocaching.
Note: All the above information was provided by the GeoTour host. Copy has been edited by Geocaching HQ.
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