Here you will find the latest news and testimonials of some of the travelers who were discovering Kamnik with surroundings and Velika planina with me:
Spring taking over at Velika planina mountain. Enjoy the beautiful flower blossom of crocus vernus waiting for you up there just when the snow melts. Don't you just love it?!? 
Happy to announce that the 3rd, revised edition of the illustrated Family Map of Kamnik and its Surroundings has saw light. The renowned Slovenian illustrator Ivan Mitrevski did the illustrations (again) and I did the writing (again).
Design by Katarina Goltez and Ivan Mitrevski. English translation by Josh Rocchio.
Photo: Irena Grmek, Local Guide Kamnik
The illustrated Family Map of Kamnik and its surroundings provides you with a number of great tips for discovering the charming medieval town of Kamnik in a fun and creative way. It has been designed for both locals and foreign guests who visit Kamnik and its surroundings and prefer to explore the region on their own. It offers an overview of the must-see attractions in the area, accompanied with numerous humorous inserts which give the map a special charm.
The map doesn't follow the formal line of classical maps. Its essence is an illustration accompanied by shorter texts. Our aim was to design a map that would be informative and instructive, but also practical, likable and »digestible«.
A BIG thank you to the local stakeholders who decided to support our work and made it possible. Special thanks to Kamnik Tourism and Sports Agency and to the Municipality of Kamnik.
Photo: Kamnik Tourism and Sports Agency
Irena, it was such a great experience! Thank you!
Zachary (USA)
Andrea, Marta, Elena and Magda stayed in Slovenia for several days. They spent a day in Kamnik where we met and then we headed up to Velika Planina.
"Irena, the day we spent with you in Kamnik and Velika Planina was our favourite day!"
Thank you, chicas, for having me as your guide, I had so much fun with you (and listening you talking in 'catalán' while practicing my 'castellano'). I hope you had a chance to try some more local craft beer after returning to the valley.
Andrea, Marta, Elena, Magda (Catalunya, Spain)
I was enjoying the acoustic Skunk Anansie concert in Italy when I got the call from Lennart saying that he is staying in Kamnik region with his wife and 2 daughters and would like to discover the town, the Kamniška Bistrica river valley and Velika Planina with me.
We had to wait for a few days for the rain to stop, but it was definitelly worth it, wasn't it Lennart?
Thank you, Irena.
Lennart and his family (The Netherlands)
"Please have in mind we are not fit at all. Well, at least the majority of us," were one of the first words I heard from my guests from TIC Murska Sobota just a few moments after we met in Kamnik the other day.
Well, let me tell you - they did great!
We hiked up to the herdsmen village on Velika planina plateau and they were so busy enjoying the amazing views of Kamnik-Savinja Alps, they forgot all about them (supposedly) not being fit.
I had fun with you, guys! Thank you for your visit! Hvala!
Have a look at what Greg from Slovenia for you wrote about spending a day in Kamnik with me.
Thank you Greg! 
LETS GO TO KAMNIK!!!
Bled, Piran, Skocjan...its all good. But where to go for a totally relaxing day and enjoy some amazing scenery and enjoy the ambiance of a quaint medieval town?
Kamnik is the answer!! An hour from Ljubljana, you will love it.
And if you need a guide to explore the area, we have the perfect person for you too!
Read the exclusive review of a day in Kamnik, Slovenia by Slovenia for you.
In April 2019 I had the honor to meet one of the best independent travel journalists, Chris Christensen, the man behind the award winning travel online site Amateur Traveler podcast with a weekly audio podcast on travel destinations.
Despite the fog and some freshly fallen snow we hiked up to the herdmen's settlement on Velika planina plateau and visited Preskar's museum cottage.
If just a few days before our visit the mountain was covered with violet blankets of crocuses vernus, that day the image was completely different and it was really impressive to see their violet heads looking for their way out from the white snow. Something you don't get to see often. Beautiful!
And yes, it was quite chilly up there, in case you were wondering (but luckily we were prepared as one should always be when visiting the mountains.
Thanks to Velika Planina d.o.o., Visit Kamnik and Feel Slovenia for making it possible.
"We had such a great day! Thanks so much for such a great experience. It's going to be hard to beat."
Pina and her family (London, UK)
Here's what Sandra & Robert think about discovering Kamnik with me.
Our plan was to hike up the Velika planina mountain but due to the weather conditions and lots of new snow in the surrounding mountains, we had to switch from plan A to plan B, but had great time in Kamnik and Kamniška Bistrica valley despite all.
Enjoyed spending time with you, Sandra and Bob, and hope you'll be back soon so I can take you to Velika planina too.
Last summer I hosted special guests on Velika planina pasture mountain near Kamnik, Slovenia – François Pérusse & his family. They came all the way from Quebec, Canada, with their filming crew to shoot some episodes for a documentary called »Off the beaten path with family« (Partir Autrement en Famille) that is broadcasted on TV5 Monde Canada. We spent a great day together, getting to know the shepherds way of life in one of the oldest and best preserved herdmen settlement of such size in Europe, Veliki stan. Of course we tried some »žganci and kislo mleko« (buckweat porridge and sour milk) and later on, two of the women shepards, Andreja Bečan and Rezka Mali, tought them how to make »trnič« hard cheese (by the way, they did great job!). We stopped at the Preskar's hut museum, too, but mostly we enjoyed the beautiful landscape, cows and their cowbell sound and the unique architecture of the place.
I enjoyed spending time with you, guys, and can't wait to see the episodes you shot on TV screens!
A few days ago I hosted travel bloggers Lowcosteros, Lucía & Manu from Spain. After Rok Pravljica / Fairytale - Velika planina welcomed them in their "casa" to be for a next few days - his beautiful and cozy hut, koča Bistra - it was my turn to show them around the magical landscape of meadows on Velika planina.
It was so nice meeting you, Lucía & Manu, hope to see you again soon.
You can read what they wrote afterwards here.
"We had a tour with Irena at Velika planina and I can still say that it was truly one of the best experiences we have ever had. It was amazing. The atmosphere .. the sorroundings .. scenery and, ofcourse, our tourguide! She was kind, helpful and patient and really knowledgable and I will surely recommend this tour to any one who tells me that they'll be visiting Slovenia! It couldnt have been any better! So on behalf of the group I would like to say a big thank you to you because you were amazing in all ways possible and you provided us a perfect day. This is the photo we took, thanks again and I hope you have everything your heart desires.
♡ Thank you,Irena!"
Justine and the rest of the group (Malta)
"I enjoyed the day with you very much! These parts of Slovenia are stunning!"
Renate Sandvick, blogger Renates Reiser (Canada)
Read her article about Kamnik & Velika planina here.
"Thanks for yet another unforgettable day and for showing us this truly amazing place!"
Ronalee and Greg Kodrič, founders of Slovenia for you (Australia)
Read their article here.
"It was a pleasure to meet you and we had an amazing day visiting your country."
Francesc Balagué, blogger at Ruta Boabob (Spain, Brasil)
Read his article here.
"Thank you - you were our best guide in Slovenia!"
Irina Tabakova, journalist at Helsinki Newspaper (Finnland)
"Thank you, we had great time visiting Kamnik and Velika planina. Hope we will be back soon."
Isabela Discacciati, blogger at Italia per amore (Italy)
Read her article here.
A journalist Mirjana Momirović while talking to the shepherd Peter Erjavšek, infront of his hut at Velika planina pasture moutain, preparing him for the interview for a TV documentary on Velika planina and trnič hard cheese (European Culture Channel ARTE).
"Irena, thank you for your excellent guiding."
Mirjana Momirović, (Germany), Micafilm and European Culture Channel ARTE
"Eslovenia es un pequeño país perteneciente a la UE y que se conoce poco en nuestro país. Este verano estuve con mi familia y unos muy amigos una semana y allí conocí a Irena, una guía magnífica que habla un español perfecto y que nos hizo disfrutar enormemente de los paisajes, de las gentes y de las historias de dos zonas eslovenas: el pueblo de pastores de Velika Planina y de la cuidad de Kamnik. Qué decir de las maravillosas sensaciones que nos hizo vivir Irena. No olvidamos la mágnífica excursión que hicimos contigo por Velika Planina y por Kamnik. Nos enseñaste muchas cosas interesantes sobre la vida en esta región de Eslovenia. Nos quedan ahora las fotos que tenemos de esos paisajes y tus palabras adornándolos. Esperemos que pronto podamos vivir parecida experiencia."
Marta Fernández Casado (España)
Here's what Fernando from Barcelona, Catalunya, thinks of exploring Kamnik with me:
It was a rainy and foggy day in early November when Marica and her husband visited Kamnik with their four grandchildren. They stayed at Slovenia Ecoresort and decided to visit Kamnik on their last day.
I had so much fun discovering Kamnik with the kids! Thank you!
"It was so nice, our grandchildren will remember that for a long time!"
Marica Frančeškin, Slovenia
"It was a wonderful day yesterday at Velika Planina and in Kamnik. Thank you for your guidance and information."
Joan (USA)
"Irena and I spent a long but EXCELLENT day together at Velika Planina, Mala Planina, Bela Partisan Hospital, and finally, Kamnik. We had talked about my interest in Plečnik during the day. In Kamnik, she took me to a candlemaker’s shop to see if they would show me their still-preserved black kitchen. While there, she scored us an invitation to see a dining area in the candlemaker’s father’s apartment; the dining area was created by Plečnik himself for the family. It was spectacular!
Irena, thanks for the great day!"
Dave (USA)
Remember Sandra & Robert? Well, guess what? They DID return to Kamnik and had more luck with the weather the second time. We spent a wonderful day hiking the Velika planina plateau.
Dear Sandra and Bob, thank you for your visit, hope to see you again next year!
Glagolite d.o.o.
Javni zavod Center za mlade Domžale
Jezikovni center Palatin
Pravljica / Fairytale Velika planina
Ministrstvo za obrambo
Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve
Panteon College
Študentski klub Domžale
Univerza za tretje življenjsko obdobje Društvo Lipa, Domžale
Zavod za turizem, šport in kulturo v občini Kamnik
Kulturni dom Franca Bernika Domžale
Paraíso Mediterráneo Travel Agency
