In the company of miners and water.

We are following the route of miners from the Topla valley; where today we can descend with ease, but in days gone by the miners took this tiring route uphill to work.

Take a look, way up there the largest animal in the geopark is hovering.

No, not a bear!

It is an eagle who can outdo it – when it spreads its wing, they can measure up to two metres!

The unique essence of the Topla valley leads us into a special magic. In this unique cultural place, numerous farms still have black smoke kitchens – dark and covered with a layer of solidified soot from the open fire on which they used to cook, and still do, for decades, if not centuries. The valley itself also creates the impression that time has stopped.

The meadows aren't just a place where cattle graze, but rather are pleasant to the eye. It's rare to encounter such a wide variety. A unique combination of steep rocks and vast meadows, it's no surprise that this place is home to unique species of flora and fauna, which create a vivacious play of colours and shapes in the Topla valley.

Styrian ringlet butterflies flutter around us, and satyrium spini – blue spot hairstreak – feed on nectar. And dryas, mulberries and alpine snowdrops are also a sight to behold.

In the same way that the flora is lush, life on land and in water is also lively and in abundance.

We are accompanied by water, an element that we come across time and again throughout the Karawanken-Karavanke Trail.

There are small sources of water along the trail that offer immediate refreshment, while the biggest source of water is, of course, the Drava river.

And then there are medium-sized watercourses too, such as the Meža river.

It springs in the municipality of Eisenkappel, first shaping the valley towards the east, then towards the north and between Mt. Peca and Uršlja gora it breaks through the Karawanken-Karavanke mountains. It flows onwards through Mežica, past Prevalje, through Ravne na Koroškem and at Dravograd finally empties into the Drava.

While only moderate in size, the Meža river is significantly more important, since it shaped the landscape through which we are travelling. The story this river has to tell is emotional.

For a long time, the matter of where this area belongs was a controversial one, until it was finally divided. One hundred years after its separation, both sides are finally once again connected in the Karawanken-Karavanke Geopark.

Today we are here, too. On this stage, we will be rewarded for our effort by unforgettable views of the Karawanken-Karavanke, Austrian Carinthia and Slovenia.

Brown bears also loiter in this area, as they make their way from the south towards the north. And right alongside, in cracks and caves on the mountain, a wide variety of bats have found shelter. They set us an example of peaceful coexistence with one another.

And now a riddle: how many dwarf fruit bats fit inside a shoe box? 100!