Kamnik–Savinja Alps

Kamnik–Savinja Alps
View of the Kamnik Alps from Velika Planina
Highest point
Peak	Grintovec
Elevation	2,558 m (8,392 ft)
Coordinates	46°21′26″N 14°32′08″E / 46.35722°N 14.53556°E / 46.35722; 14.53556Coordinates: 46°21′26″N 14°32′08″E / 46.35722°N 14.53556°E / 46.35722; 14.53556
Geography
Countries	Slovenia and  Austria
Parent range	Southern Limestone Alps Carinthian-Slovenian Alps

The Kamnik–Savinja Alps (Slovene: Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps. They lie in northern Slovenia, except for the northernmost part, which lies in Austria.

The western part of the range was named Kamnik Alps (German: Steiner Alpen) in 1778 by the scientists Belsazar Hacquet and Franz Xaver von Wulfen, after the town of Kamnik (Stein) in the valley of the Kamnik Bistrica River. Its eastern part was named Savinja (Sanntaler) or Solčava Alps (Sulzbacher Alpen) by the mountaineer Johannes von Frischauf in 1875, after the Solčava (Sulzbach) settlement and the main river, the upper Savinja (Sann).

Geography

The Kamnik–Savinja Alps are located south of the Karavanke range at the border of Austria and Slovenia, stretching from the Sava River in the west to the Savinja in the east, where the adjacent Slovenian Prealps with the Pohorje range, the Celje Hills at the Dravinja River, as well as the Sava Hills are located. In the northwest, the valley of the Vellach creek (at 46°22′21″N 14°33′55″E / 46.37250°N 14.56528°E / 46.37250; 14.56528 (Steiner Alpen (South))) leading to Bad Vellach is the southernmost point of both the Austrian state of Carinthia and Austria as a whole.

The entire main chain is today part of Slovenia. Historically it formed the border between the Inner Austrian duchies of Carinthia (i.e. the present-day Koroška historic region), Styria (Štajerska) and Carniola (Upper Carniola). The tripoint was located on the Kärntner Rinkaspitze (Slovene: Koroška Rinka, Križ).

There is also a small glacier under Mt. Skuta,which is the easternmost in the Southern Alps.

Mountains and passes

The most important peaks are:

• Grintovec – 2,558 m (8,392 ft)
• Jezerska Kočna – 2,540 m (8,333 ft)
• Skuta – 2,532 m (8,307 ft)
• Ojstrica – 2,350 m (7,710 ft)
• Storžič – 2,132 m (6,995 ft)
• Planjava – 2,394 m (7,854 ft)
• Brana – 2,253 m (7,392 ft)
• Koroška Rinka – 2,433 m (7,982 ft)
• Mrzla gora – 2,203 m (7,228 ft)
• Krofička – 2,083 m (6,834 ft)
• Kalški Greben – 2,224 m (7,297 ft)

In total, 28 peaks surpass 2,000 m. The total area of the Slovene part is about 900 km². About three quarters of the surface are overgrown with forest while many of the higher peaks are bleak and rocky.

The most important passes are the Seebergsattel (Slovene: Jezersko sedlo) between Austrian Carinthia and the Slovene Jezersko municipality, as well as the Pavlič Pass . On the Slovenian side, there is a skiing area, whereas tourism in the Vellach Valley focuses on health spas.

Gallery

• 

  Kamnik–Savinja Alps. Highest peek on picture is Storžič

• 

  Kamnik–Savinja Alps as seen from Kranj

• 

  Kranj and Kamnik–Savinja Alps in background

• 

  A portion of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps with the northern suburbs of Kamnik in the foreground

See also

• List of mountains in Austria
• List of mountains in Slovenia

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kamnik–Savinja Alps.

• Kamnik–Savinja Alps on Hiking Trail

v t e Mountain ranges of the Southern Limestone Alps according to the AVE Adamello-Presanella Alps Brenta group Dolomites Fiemme Mountains Gailtal Alps Garda Mountains Julian Alps Karavanks and Pohorje Carnic Main Crest Nonsberg Group Ortler Alps Sobretta-Gavia Group Kamnik–Savinja Alps Southern Carnic Alps Vicentine Alps

v t e Kamnik-Savinja Alps Main peaks Grintovec Jezerska Kočna Skuta Ojstrica Storžič Planjava Brana Koroška Rinka Mrzla gora Krofička Kalški Greben