From Wikitravel

Kamnik [1] is a town in Slovenia.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By bus 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Contact 11 Get out

Understand

Once a rival to Ljubljana and Kranj for economic dominance of Carniola, today's Kamnik (Stein in German) is a sleepy suburb of Ljubljana, with a population of just over 10,000. While there is some modern sprawl to the south, the medieval Old Town (Staro mesto) has been wonderfully preserved and makes this town well worth a visit.

Orienting yourself in Kamnik is easy enough. Most medieval buildings line the pedestrian street of Šutna, and its northern end lie Mali grad and the city square of Glavni trg. To the east runs the Kamniška Bistrica river and across it are the ruins of the Old Castle.

Get in

By plane

Kamnik is just 15 km away from Ljubljana's Brnik Airport. A taxi costs around €25.

By train

SŽ [2] has hourly commuter services from Ljubljana, taking about 40 minutes. There are three stations in Kamnik, with Kamnik-Mesto the closest to the Old Town. Note that there are no services on weekends or holidays.

By bus

Kam-Bus [3] runs frequent services from Ljubljana (€3) and some limited direct services to other points nearby. The bus station is very centrally located at the edge of the old town, and there's a map to orient yourself as you exit. On weekdays, buses leave every 15-30 minutes from 5 AM until 11 PM and take just under an hour. On weekends, services are reduced to once per hour.

Get around

Kamnik is easily covered on foot, but if you need a taxi, dial +386 41 670 216.

See

• Mali grad. The "Small Castle" may lie in ruins, but the chapel next to it is still in one piece and, with its shapely curves and hilltop location, has become Kamnik's symbol. Entry into the chapel, featuring some 16th-century frescoes, costs 300 SIT, but views from the hill over the red roofs of the town are free.

• Stari grad (30 min hike from trailhead off Maistrova ul). Literally the "Old Castle", this 13th-century structure now lies in ruins. Half the fun is the hike up the hill, through a forest and a meadow; keep an eye out for miniature cascade of water through pinwheels halfway up. Up top, you'll be rewarded with commanding views over the plains north to the Alps and south all the way to Ljubljana.

• Volčji potok (4 km south of Kamnik), http://www.arboretum-vp.si. Kamnik's best-known sight is this arboretum specializing in flowers from the Kamnik Alps (the mountains between Austria and Slovenia).

Do

The Kamfest [4] arts festival is held every year over several weeks in August at the grounds of the Mali grad, with concerts and arts performances.

• Terme Snovik, http://www.terme-snovik.si/. Slovenia's newest spa complex (opened 2001), 9 km out of town. Indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, dry and steam sauna, frigidarium (-5°), etc. Accessible on two buses a day on weekdays, but only one on Sat and none on Sun. €10 for all day pass, additional €5 for sauna.

Buy

Eat

• Gostilna pri Bundru, Medvedova 24 (north from Glavni trg). Old-school Slovenian pub with beer on a tap and a selection of meaty Slovenian favorites. Hearty fixed lunch sets €7. €8.

• Pizzeria Napoli, Sadnikarjeva 5 (off Glavni trg). Checkered red-and-white tablecloths and decent pizzas from a wood-fired oven. Some pastas and salads too. €5.

Drink

Sleep

• Penzion Špenko, Prešernova ulica 14c, ☎ +386-1-8341523, mailto:romanspenko@email.si. Bed and breakfast right next to the bus station. €27.

• Prenočišča in Bar Kamrica, Trg Svobode 2, ☎ +386-1-8317707, mailto:kamrica.kamnik@siol.net. Bed and breakfast in the heart of town, with views toward Mali grad from some rooms. Cable TV, fridge in each room. English spoken. The price includes a massive breakfast spread. €32.

Contact

• Tourist Information Office, Glavni trg 2, ☎ +386-1-8391470, http://www.kamnik-tourism.si. 8 AM-4 PM weekdays, 8 AM-noon Sat; extended hours in summer. Now moved to the center of town, offers plenty of pamphlets on nearby attractions and one stand-up PC with a fast Internet hookup for hire.

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!