The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Dobrna

The trail runs directly along the lake, over wooden boardwalks, beautifully landscaped gravel paths, and across the floating bridge, sometimes shaded, sometimes in full sun, is truly beautiful. The hike around the lake is rather modest, as the road portion is estimated at over 90%. No, this isn't nature-based hiking; that's life-threatening. Conclusion: Stay by the lake, walk, swim, and drink coffee. Thumbs up for that. Frank Häfner, August 20, 2025

Nice campsite right on the lake!

This footbridge crosses Šmartinsko jezero, a beautiful artificial lake to the north of Celje. It connects Loče to the western shore of the lake, where the boathouse and Skondonga beach bar are found. The beach bar is named after a legendary creature that inhabits the lake, so keep your eyes peeled when crossing the bridge!

Situated just to the north of Celje, Šmartinsko jezero makes for a gentle and rewarding hike. Its wooded banks are reflected beautifully when the water is still and there's the option of sitting outside the Skondonga beach bar or the Kaverna Panorama (Panorama Cafe) and soaking the scenery in with a beverage. A popular location, you can expect to meet cyclists, kayakers and paddleboarders on any hike here.

Galerija Velenje is located in the heart of the city, next to Titov trg. It is a modernist building erected in 1971 based on a design by architect Adi Miklavc (1937-2002). It focuses on exposition, research, documentation and pedagogical work. With almost a thousand works, its collection is among the most important in Slovenia and includes, in addition to paintings and sculptures of modern and contemporary Slovenian art, also works by ALUO students of graphics, photography and drawings, as well as an international collection of paintings. Since 2015 it has hosted the Center for Creative Industries, an incubator of ideas for the 10 municipalities of the Savinja and Šalek region, both in a strictly artistic and architectural sense, encouraging cooperation between artists and the economy. http://www.galerijavelenje.si/

The Promenada (riverside) area is located in the center of Velenje. On the northern side the promenade ends at Trg mladosti (near the school and health centre), while on the southern side its end is bordered by Cankarjeva Street. With its position, the Promenade constitutes a dividing line between the service area and the work area of the city. It represents the fundamental communication artery that pupils and students (and not only) use daily to access the city centre. The promenade is crossed by the Paka river, over which a new bridge has been built. The new two-storey garage building, located on the north side, along Tomšičeva Street, is also part of the promenade. With the renovation of the riverfront, the city has obtained a modern and attractive area for walking, meeting and socializing, taking advantage of the natural qualities of the area.

Completed between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, Vista Park is an extremely evocative place to host concerts, festivals and large events. The entire complex extends for more than 46,000 m² and is able to accommodate up to 30,000 visitors. The stage area is one of the largest in Slovenia and offers state-of-the-art technical support. The architectural design of the space was inspired by the mysterious image of the Pozoj dragon, with its attractive viewing platform that invites you to climb 14 meters and enjoy an exceptional view of Lake Velenje. To the east you can see Kinta Kunte, an interesting garden settlement. To the north you can see the surrounding hills (Lubela, Vodemlja, Razborje) and Uršlja Gora, up to the slopes of Peca. Towards the west you can see Smrekovec and Golte. On the south-east side, beyond the town of Velenje, the view opens onto Paški Kozjak. The surroundings of Vista Park invite guests to stroll on the paths among the green islands that are home to more than 11,000 newly planted trees and shrubs. There is a tennis court, a beach volleyball court and even a bowling alley. The area is also designed for the enjoyment of cyclists, skateboarders and skaters. There is also a nice children's playground with huge 5m high anancus and mastodon sculptures. Below the viewing platform there is a tourist information center (TIC) and the BarVista, from whose terrace a 50 meter long pier begins which invites you to observe the water surface up close. www.visitsaleska.si/en/vista-2/

The largest coal deposit in Slovenia is located underground in the Šalek Valley. More than 230 million tons of coal have been mined in that area. Mining activity has permanently marked the image of the valley and its people. Where once there were villages, today there are lakes, the result of almost 150 years of lignite extraction. With a surface area of almost 1.4 km² and a volume of over 30 million m³, Velenje is the largest of the three lakes in the Šalek valley and among the largest in Slovenia, comparable to that of Bled. Its catchment area extends for more than 20 km². The lake is 1.4 km long and 1.3 km wide. With a depth of 54 m it is deeper than Lake Bled (31 m) and Lake Bohinj (45 m). On the south-eastern shore, at Plaža Velenje, there is a very popular beach, declared the best natural beach in Slovenia in 2018 and 2022. This place offers many opportunities for sailing, windsurfing, SUP and rowing. The area can count on numerous rooms, equipment, and an inflatable water park. Nestled among green hills, it is also a fantastic place for family travellers. There is no shortage of entertainment, as well as opportunities to play sports or stay near the lake. Relaxation is ensured by clean water, services, free use of deck chairs and tidy wooden surfaces.