Well, prepare yourself now for a tale of human bravery, spirit and a family reuniting in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.. We just hope this humble article can do it all justice..

It all begins during WW2 when an American bomber had to crash land above the Kamnik Alps.. Most of the soldiers got out as pilot, Lieutenant Otto Hind stayed on to steady the plane, but he jumped just too late and was horribly injured, breaking his back and legs when parachuting to the ground..

the plane crashed somewhere above there on top of the mountains.. This is tough terrain..

A race against time ensued as the Slovenian Partisans rushed to the crash scene on top of a mountain, beating the Nazis to the airmen and whisking them to safety.

Otto had a very painful journey to the secret hidden Partisan hospital, carried on a wooden board by incredibly brave people who would try to save him and provide cover in the middle of a stunning forest, next to a waterfall in the shadow of Velika Planina, one of the most beautiful mountains in Slovenia.

Bolnisnica means hospital, this way please..

Being the 3rd most forested country in Europe was one of the few advantages the Partisans could exploit against the occupiers and hundreds of temporary and some permanent hospitals like this one near Kamnik, were used to treat badly injured soldiers..

The Partisan nurses and doctors and staff of these hospitals risked their lives to help others and it was extremely dangerous in case patrols found the site or the location was given away by traitors or tortured locals.

The hospital was located in a perfect spot for hiding away, masked by a river, nestled up against a rock cliff..

We first discovered this largely unknown part of WW2 history when we visited the uber epic Franja WW2 hidden Partisan hospital near Cerkno, which has been converted into one of the best outdoor museums in Europe..

We found other examples of preserved WW2 hidden hopsitals and these places are in the middle of secret forests in totally stunning locations, so are amazing for combining a love of Green nature with history in the only place in the world where you can go see them!

On a daytrip to Velika Planina, we did a bonus hike to a waterfall in the Kamnik Alps and by chance we came back another route through the forest and literally stumbled upon the Kamnik Bistrica Secret Partisan Hospital, and were blown away by Lt Hind's story, which is lovingly preserved and documented for future generations to find..

This is one of the magnificent views directly from the hospital which the soldiers would have seen..

So we wrote an article on the secret Kamnik WW2 hospital and hoped more visitors would go find this special place in combo with the amazing mountain cable car up Velika Planina and the other gorges and springs you can find around here..

There are so many fab Secret Places to Visit in Green Slovenia that we did a whole section about them on our website and we hope they are really helpful, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when we got an email one winter from someone who had read the Kamnik Hospital article and it went something like this..

"Hi I am the wife of the nephew of Lt Otto Hind, thanks for doing the article.. We are visiting Slovenia next summer, can you help us go find the secret hospital so we can pay our respects to our uncle!"

Maybe we should pause a second here to let that sink in!

This bomber marks the entrance on one side to the Secret Hospital..

OK.. so OF COURSE we would be absolutely honoured to help and just like any daytrip undertaken in Green Slovenia, if you get your logistics right and use a bit of local knowledge, anything is possible.

But this was a tough ask.. It transpired Otto's two nephews and their wives were doing a European cruise and their ship was docking in Koper on the Slovenian coast for just one day in May.

The Lodge is in between the mountains and the coast, so we sit 35 mins from Koper and 60 mins drive in the opposite direction to Kamnik, where the hospital is hidden a further 15 mins up into the mountains..

This is the hotel on water our visitors arrived on in Koper, just one berth available, so not like Venice..

When cruise ships dock overnight in Koper, passengers can disembark for the day after breakfast, normally exploring the local town, but from Koper, passengers also board buses to come up and see our local Postojna cave and Predjama castle, for example, but EVERYONE needs to be back at a strict time, in this case something like 5pm..

We already explained the whole raison d'etre of the WW2 Secret Partisan Hospitals is they were tucked away inside vast forests and were very difficult to find and get to.. So we had to factor in the fitness of the family, which luckily was good AND the hour or so walk along a forest track, up a river to find the hospital!

A little over a few hours ago our intrepid visitors were having breakfast on a ship in the Mediterranean sea..

Nowadays the amazing thing about the remaining hospitals is they are almost always looked after by a local society, kept clean & tidy, with paths tended and info kept up to date for the rest of the world to bear witness to.

Well as the emails circulated and the plan formed, we also contacted the local society for this Kamnik secret hospital and found a lovely lady Maja, who agreed to organise the hosting for the visitors at the site..

The team..

She arranged for Miroslav to guide us and for Ermin from the TIC (Tourist Info Centre) in nearby Kamnik to also attend and help translate.

Slovenians are the most wonderful hosts, so Chris's job was now clear.. To make sure the American relatives made it to the hospital, met the local Historical society to share stories, share something to eat and then get back to the boat on time!

What could be more simpler! But to reiterrate, it was a complete honour to help..

You can see the reflection of the cruise ship opposite this really handy lift that takes you up to Koper old town..

How we All did it!

A car would have been a squeeze, so a mini van was rented for the day and we went down to meet the nephews, Rod, Greg and their wives Cris and Lisa from the enormous cruise ship, docked at Koper on a beautiful spring May day.

It is an experience to see the dockside operations behind the scenes from the various Meeters & Greeters as the tourists march off the ship for the day!

This is where the ship's guests disembark for Green slovenian adventures to come, but only 4 were going to Kamnik toady..

The gang were highly motivated for this trip and got off the ship first so we could get on the road and take the A1 motorway from Koper directly past the Lodge, circling around Ljubljana and arriving in good time in Kamnik and making a quick call to the Slovenian support team to tell them we were just around the corner!

It is a short drive from Kamnik old town pretty much directly up the Kamnik Bistrica river and to the car park for the cable car that whisks visitors up Velika Planina, one of the most beautiful secret places in Slovenia, like a huge meadow at 1,666m high with amazing views across the Kamnik Alps and beyond with a little wooden hobbit village up there too!

If you are lucky enough to visit a Hidden WW2 Hospital you will find it hard to imagine such events could happen in a place so beautiful..

Indeed up there was near to where the plane crashed on Mala Planina, (Little Mountain Meadow)..

Just a bit further up the road from the cable car is another much smaller car park for the "Organ Waterfall" and this is where the team assembled..

Gifts were given, we got our sticks and water bottles out and this was where Miroslav took over, marching off along the path, with Ermin providing perfect translations..

The path starts by following this crystal clear river..

It was an honour to sit at the back of this group and let the main players interract and do what they needed to do..

The hour hike up to the hospital got more and more emotional as Miroslav swapped stories about the events of Otto's rescue and care with the cousins, who recalled stories their aunt had told them about her missing husband and the letters he was able to write from here home..

It transpired that Miroslav's Dad had been there at the hospital helping and a Partisan soldier known as "Chicago" was able to translate between the American soldiers and the Partisans.

Info boards along the way..

As the stories flowed it became crystal clear how connected all these people were and one moment in particular made the hairs on the back of our necks stand on end when Miroslav pointed up to a peak popping out high above the trees and explained this was where the Partisans carried Otto to have some respite and sunshine..

The boys immediately recalled letters from Otto, they had copied and brought with them to share with the Historical society, where Otto wrote about being in such a high place and how much it meant to him to be carried there and get some sunshine..

This was a momentus connection indeed..

Our guide Miroslav shares stories about the Hospital..

The relatives would be around their 60's and Miroslav would be 70's, but he still moved like a mountain goat at the head of our group, navigating the white rocks and marked path you must take through this Green paradise to reach the secret hospital..

It was not easy, but everyone was so motivated and the path is just so beautiful, with little ropes to help you up the odd root lined steps that are necessary to ascend up into the forest.

Go steady up these forest steps..

Of course in the days of the hospital, there was no path like this one and everything was carefully tidied up and covered..

I knew we were close, but of course the group did not and then suddenly we were there at the secret entrance to the hospital and the very spot where Otto had been buried when he finally lost his 2 month battle.

There is a gigantic rock with a metal plane model on it and an open grave with a metal cross on top where Otto had been buried with a bottle containing all his details, so he could be identified if nobody survived to tell the tale..

Miroslav talked, Ermin translated and Miroslav's wife handed out home made herbal tea and schnapps..

After the war his remains were transferred to Kansas where he was buried and now his descendants stood here by the grave and Miroslav's wife offered us schnapps & Meadow tea as her husband gave a heart warming tribute eulogy and speech translated beautifully by Ermin.

We heard how Otto was a religious man and despite his incredible suffering had called his fellow soldiers to his tent each day to read the bible to them..

the Cousins were at the exact spot where their uncle was laid to rest..

This moment all together was the most special of the day..

Otto's family had completed their pilgrimage to a land far away in a place so beautiful amongst the trees and mountains where their uncle spent his final days in the company and warmth of incredibly brave friends and now together with the locals, we could remember and celebrate him.

I do not mind admitting wiping a tear from my eye as the cousins stood next to the grave and Miroslav bristled and stood to attention.

A prayer was said at Lt Otto Hind's grave, with his family in attendance..

Having recently visited the secret hospital, I noticed how Miroslav must have placed some flowers by the cross and how immaculate the site looked and am quite sure he and his wife had done plenty of preparation for this visit.

We should not underestimate how amazing people like Miroslav are in keeping these places open and alive for the rest of us to enjoy and I was so pleased for Miroslav that he could make these special personal connections and take part in this important day.

The historical society keeps all the info at the hospital site well maintained and informative..

We visited the main section of the hospital where just 2 wooden buildings had nestled next to a giant rock wall next to the river, circled by 3 machine gun nests built from rocks that were a reminder these people were fighting for their lives in a place so stunningly beautiful..

If you get the chance then go visit one of these amazing WW2 Partisan Hospitals, you haven't experienced Green Slovenia until you do so..

Our time was up and we needed to hike back pronto to the van to drive just a few KM's to Maja's beautiful place, where her husband had prepared a gulash in the garden and we were treated like kings in typical Slovenian hospitality!

the River thunders down here from the waterfall for cover and your blood freezes when you see this machine gun nest next to it..

Letters and booklets were passed on and final thanks were made and then we had to jump back in the van to do the 90 min drive back down the motorway to Koper to drop the visitors back at the boat!

Lifelong memories were made on this day, final thanks and fond farewells were made..

Hiking home in Green Paradise..

Wow, what a day in Green Paradise..

Otto's wife back home had kept his letters and effects safe in a bank deposit box all those years and his memory was never lost and now he has a little great grand nephew.. named Otto, of course..

Huge hugs & thanks to Maja & her husband, Miroslav & his wife and Ermin for helping to make such a wonderful day come true..