Winter walk in an invigorating snowy forest 🌲❄️❄️🌲

These days, when almost the whole Slovenia is wrapped in a blanket of snow, I thought that it was a perfect time for a winter walk in the snow. I live in a region where snow is a rarity, almost exotic. We tend to jokingly say that we live in California because, like there, there is also no snow. So, with the first snow this year, my family and I, we went to the Trnovo plateau, half an hour's drive away from our home, and there, we were able to experience the joys of snow. When my son heard that we were going to the snow, he was all excited and wanted to go sledding. We agreed to go sledding first and then go for a walk in the winter nature.

The little village of Lokve was originally a shepherd's settlement, today, it has now become a well-known tourist and excursion destination. The clean air, natural attractions in the wider surroundings, pleasant walks and climbs to nearby peaks attract visitors all year round. In winter, Lokve is a winter-sports centre with a small ski slope and groomed cross-country skiing trails. And, of course, a sledding hill for children 🛷

When we arrived at Lokve, the parking space was almost full, as there were already a lot of people. I believe that many families with young children had a similar idea, wanting to make the most of a beautiful sunny winter day. My son was overjoyed and all happy. He walked steadily up the hill and went down the snowy bank on his sledge. He kept going like that for two whole hours, he must have walked quite a few kilometres 😊 While he was enjoying the winter joy with some friends on the sledge, my wife and I drank warm tea and soaked up the winter sunshine. Even though it was sunny, my wife and I still felt the winter temperatures, so we slowly persuaded our son to move further and we made our way to the starting point of our winter walk.

We started our hike few steps from the main road, just outside the village of Trnovo, where we parked the car. The snow was dry and light, not difficult at all, which made the walk even more pleasant. Occasionally we came across a patch of ice, but fortunately it didn't cause us any problems, as we all stayed firmly on our feet.

The countryside was beautiful, the snow-covered trees were bathing in the sunshine. The sunlight filtered through their canopies and gently warmed us as we walked along snow-covered roads and forest paths.

The sun's rays had just enough power to shyly melt the snow, and consequently create the icy candles that accompanied us throughout our walk. Some were bigger, some smaller, but all were ice cold 😊 The cold temperatures kept these little ice sculptures alive and calling out to be photographed.

During the walk, my son had the brilliant idea that we could make a snowman. We quickly joined forces and immediately rolled up our sleeves. Since we didn't have much time to spare, and the sun was already setting, we cheated a bit and made a mini snowman, which took us all of five minutes. Despite his small size, he was quite nice and interesting to look at.