Koča na Ljubelju is the best mountain hut and Kamniška koča is the best high-mountain hut 2026.

Koča na Ljubelju is the best mountain hut and Kamniška koča is the best high-mountain hut 2026.

In the 12th season of the Best Mountain Hut campaign by the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) and the media Siol.net, in which 147 mountain huts participated, the awards went to Koča na Ljubelju as the best mountain hut and Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo (PD Kamnik) as the best high-mountain hut. Both are celebrating their first victory - Kamniška on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the hut this year - and swear by good culinary offerings, a friendly and sincere attitude and simplicity according to the principle of less is more.

The Best Mountain Hut campaign promotes mountaineering and encourages active leisure time in nature, as well as raising awareness about safe visits to the mountains and responsible behaviour towards the mountain world. In the 12th season, on the 70th anniversary of the PZS Youth Commission, children and young people in the mountains and mountain villages with their mission and offerings were placed in the foreground. From 1 June to 8 September, participants voted among 147 huts - 27 high-mountain and 120 mountain huts in lower areas - and selected those that stand out for their tidiness, hospitality and offerings. For the best mountain hut 2026, Koča na Ljubelju (1367 m) in the Karavanke was chosen, and for the best high-mountain hut 2026, Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo (1865 m) in the Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe.



"Congratulations to the teams of the winning mountain huts - Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo and Koča na Ljubelju. The high-mountain Kamniška koča, owned and managed by Planinsko društvo Kamnik, has a long tradition of successful operation. It represents an example of good practice in managing a mountain hut with exemplary cooperation between the association and the caretaker team, which gives the well-maintained hut crucial good energy, a high standard of quality service, but still primarily cares for a pleasant mountaineering atmosphere. In a way, it is also recognition for huts outside the Julijske Alpe that mountaineering ascents in other mountain groups in Slovenia are rewarded with good well-being in mountain huts. A pleasant surprise is Koča na Ljubelju. Although it is not owned and managed by a mountaineering association, it has become a popular hiking point for the wider public. Not only because of sledding when snow conditions allow it in winter or easy access on foot, but because of good offerings and hospitality. After all, the hut stands right on the border and is also a popular hut for hikers from Austria," emphasised Dušan Prašnikar, expert associate of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.



This summer season was marked by drought, even in the high mountains. "Many mountain huts were forced due to drought to implement smaller or some very extreme measures to save water. Also because of these changes, we face challenges on how to manage mountain huts in the future due to the ever smaller inflow of water. At the same time, all visitors to mountain huts, especially high-mountain ones, must be aware of these problems and adjust our expectations regarding water availability and learn careful handling of it," Prašnikar pointed out and gave an assessment of this summer's mountaineering season: "Otherwise, the summer season in the high mountains was very good, which was certainly helped by above-average stable and nice weather. The increasingly mass tourist visits to Slovenia are also reflected in visits to mountain huts, where, especially in the high mountains, the trend of an increasing number of overnight stays by foreign guests continues. Mid-mountain and lower-lying huts had, as is usual, relatively poor visits in summer. Usually there are more visitors outside the summer season. Therefore, we can already invite visits to mid-mountain huts in the autumn period, when caretakers will welcome you with open arms with mountaineering culinary delicacies."



High-mountain huts remain open mostly until the end of September, some longer, while lower-lying huts mostly maintain constant openness or some switch at the end of September or end of October to openness only on weekends. Mountain visitors should check exact information on hut openness before departure on the PZS website pzs.si/koce.

Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo (1865 m) won the award for the best high-mountain hut for the first time. "Being selected as the best high-mountain hut means a lot to me, but I am really surprised because I did not imagine that so many people would vote for us," rejoiced Iztok Kolenc, caretaker of Kamniška koča for the seventh season, which will remain open this year until 3 October. "This is certainly the sum of everything - good work by the mountaineering association and us at the hut. The hut is really well maintained; if we compare it with other first-category huts, the guys in PD Kamnik are very active. From 2011 to today it has been renovated three times, they have invested a lot in it, we have additional solar panels, new facade and roof, well-maintained toilets. The association really does its job, and so do we - four summer months, every day, all day. We try with our story. We do not have štruklji, but we bake a very good pie with forest fruits that others do not have. We persist and perhaps we have stood out a bit from the average, which people recognised and rewarded us by selecting us as the best hut. The hut stands in a good location with fantastic views, and the food is also good; we have found that less is more. We have less in the offering, but what is there is really good - stews such as jota, ričet and golaž, and this pie, which is our success, and we also have large portions."



They arouse enthusiasm among visitors because without mincing words but respectfully they present what managing a mountain hut means, share their observations about mountaineers and encourage responsible visits to the mountain world. "We have very educational posts on social networks; we try to raise awareness among people about mountaineering ethics, respect for nature and hills, about mountaineering etiquette, that mountaineers greet each other, that we must save water, which was once clear but today is no longer," Kolenc sincerely emphasises, whose right hand is his partner Eva Udovič. The caretaker is also satisfied that they were well prepared for the dry summer and did not run out of water, despite another record visit: "This year we again have a record season, which is even better than last year's. More and more people stay overnight with us and this year there were a huge number of Slovenians, for the first time more than foreigners, in August especially many families. Day visitors and those who stay overnight stand out a lot - they praise how clean and well-maintained the hut is and that we have good food."

Kamniška koča stands on the sunny side just below the ridge of Kamniško sedlo (1903 m), which connects Planjava and Brana. Access to it is possible from Kamniška Bistrica (4 hours) or Logarska dolina (3 hours); technically it is not demanding, but in places it is exposed, and about a thousand metres of elevation must also be overcome. The first hut was opened already in 1906, but because it became too cramped, a new one was built and the current Kamniška koča was opened in 1983, which thus celebrates 120 years this year, which will be marked on 19 September on the Day of Kamnik Mountains with a hike by PD Kamnik to the hut and a short cultural programme and gathering at the hut, "to preserve the basics that belong in the hills and respectfully honour the anniversary". On the occasion of this anniversary, special cards were made and everyone who collected 12 stamps for the ascent to the hut was rewarded with a meal of choice or a souvenir magnet; the caretaker team was truly surprised by the excellent response.



Planinsko društvo Kamnik manages both the best high-mountain hut 2026 Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo and Cojzova koča on Kokrsko sedlo, which placed among the top five in the same category. "We are very honoured by the news about the best high-mountain hut, both for Kamniška and Cojzova koča, as this is also praise and recognition for us that we are doing things right and well, that we have chosen the right caretakers - and it gives us momentum for the future," said PD Kamnik president Gorazd Žagar: "We are very satisfied with Iztok and Eva; we have been cooperating for the seventh year and we sincerely hope that Iztok will remain the caretaker. We have an exemplary relationship, we understand each other well, of course sometimes something gets stuck, but we always resolve everything well. We are glad to have them; they are young, energetic, full of energy and they themselves see opportunities for improvements and approach us with proposals on what else could be done." Žagar also explains the role of the mountaineering association in the operation of the mountain hut: "In the hut we have a caretaker who takes care of mountaineers, the catering part and overnight stays; each hut also has a manager from the mountaineering association who takes care that the surroundings are maintained, for maintenance of the hut, delivery of food and drink. In crisis times, such as this year when we lacked water on Kokrsko sedlo, we also transported it to Cojzova koča by cargo cableway."

The first victory in the Best Mountain Hut campaign is also being celebrated at Koča na Ljubelju (1367 m) in the Karavanke. "This is really happy news. The victory positively surprised us; I did not expect it. We are delighted, as it is a sign that we are doing well, that people are satisfied. The title of best mountain hut is a sign for the entire team that they are doing excellently. I hope that people will continue to like visiting our hut, and I can promise that despite this title we will remain as we are. I think we convinced them with our good will and good attitude towards guests, with our simplicity, by which people know us," summarised the first thoughts on the happy news the owner of Koča na Ljubelju Žiga Kavčič, already an eleventh-year member of the caretaker team.



Koča na Ljubelju stands on the old border crossing Ljubelj, which is the oldest road pass in Europe. From the parking lot in front of the Ljubelj tunnel, the ascent takes one hour, and the path is also suitable for families with children and the elderly. "We can boast of good food. Štruklji are known everywhere, but visitors also like to come for ours; they enjoy jota, ričet, roast meat. I think mountaineers do not expect much, but they want it to be good - so we try to cook tastefully and serve well, and people like to return," reflects Kavčič. Their guests are mostly Slovenians, due to easy accessibility for all generations; they also have some Austrians because they are on the border, and in summer they are also visited by foreign tourists from elsewhere. The hut is open all year except on Mondays and Tuesdays; on holidays also on those days.



At Koča na Ljubelju, various events are organised in all seasons to attract visitors from near and far. According to Kavčič, the best known is the August dance without borders, a traditional meeting of friends from both sides of the border, from Borovlje and Tržič. They also invite to events with a charitable note - on 12 September to the traditional cooking duel between Slovenia and Austria, and in October to the meeting of wild hunters. In winter, many people are attracted to the hut by sledding - and they hope there will be more snow this year than in the past two winters.

In the best mountain hut category, among the top five besides the winner Koča na Ljubelju were also (in alphabetical order) Blejska koča na Lipanci (PD Bled), Dom na Kofcah (PD Tržič), Koča na Blegošu (PD Škofja Loka) and Planinski dom pri Gospodični na Gorjancih (PD Krka Novo mesto). Among high-mountain huts, after the winner Kamniška koča on Kamniško sedlo (PD Kamnik) followed (in alphabetical order) Cojzova koča on Kokrsko sedlo (PD Kamnik), Dom na Komni (PD Ljubljana Matica), Dom Planika pod Triglavom (PD Gorje) and Koča na Kriški gori (PD Križe).



Mountain huts were evaluated by users according to three criteria - tidiness, hospitality and offerings. For each, it was possible to award from one to three points; an individual mountain hut could receive a maximum of nine points in total. The points were added together and in the end the mountain huts that received the highest number of points or the highest overall score in the total sum won. Also in this year's selection, one user could vote for an individual mountain hut only once during the entire voting. 7448 votes were cast, and 2366 different visitors voted.