Dovška Baba

Dovška Baba is known to be an easily accessible peak of the Karavanka Alps and is a popular destination every season of the year. Due to steep and clear slopes it is especially popular with tour skiers, as the descend is absolutely fascinating. 

Dovška Baba or in German Frauenkogel is shared by Austrian and Slovenia, as the national border run straight across its peak. With its almost 2.000m of height and easily accessible it is very popelar by people from both sides of the border. The most popular starting points are from Mojstrana and Dovje, from where most of the paths leading to the top begin. Dovje is generally a very popular starting point not only for Dovška Baba, but also for Kepa, which is along with Vrtača and Stol part of the highest three peaks of the Karavanke Alps. Underneath it there are two tunnels that connect the countries on both sides of the Karavankan Alpine massive – the road and railroad tunnels. 

As the peak is fairly undemanding to reach it and the avalanche risk is very low, Dovška Baba is one of the most popular tour skiing destinations. Even if there are some avalanche alerts, the peak has many directions to reach it, so it is almost always possible to avoid potentially dangerous places. Also, while skiing the clear part, it is almost always possible to avoid the dangerous parts (if any due to weather conditions) and enjoy our skiing experience. Still, you may never underestimate the Upper Sava Valley mountain, as the difference in elevation is 800m which is by no means a difference to sneeze at.

The view is the main attracting factor for all mountain lovers to come and visit Dovška Baba. We can reach the clear parts by various paths, which are of different difficulty levels and different lenghts. We will reach the high mountain meadows called Dovška Rožca, from where a magnificent view opens up, above all the view of the rest o the Karavanka mountains and the peaks over the valley of Vrata. You can follow wooden markers, leading us all the way to the top. It is true, they are hardly visible (or not at all) during the winter months. Still, as the mountain is not demanding orientation wise, even this is not a real obstacle. The markers do start in the village of Dovje, but most people still park higher up, where the asphalt road ends. Soon after this point the paths split, with one leading you up the Kepa and the other up the Dovška Baba. Soon you will enter a dense forest, but it will suddenly also disappear and you’ll be on the grassy meadows. In winter months they are usually covered with a thick layer of snow, but in the summer months you will have many companions on your way from singing birds to many Alpine flowers. Most people make their first stop at the Goreljše mountain, where you can find abandoned herder’s cabins. And despite the many sounds of “civilization,” as you can still hear the noise from the motorway, the nature will still seem quite unspoiled. But once you reach the Dovška Rožca the sounds of the motorway will fade away and will be replaces – especially in the summer – by the sounds of cowbells on the pastures. The mountain lodge at Dovška Rožca, just some 250m below the peak of the mountain fits the natural scenery perfectly and is a popular stopping point. 

 

Dovška Baba is a great look-out point that offers the view of the neighbouring mountains of Kepa, Golica, Vanjneža and others. The best view, however is to the other side of the valley to the Julijske Alps, with the famous tallest Slovenian peak - Triglav.