Aljaž was born in a small Upper Carniolan village of Zavrh pod Šmarno Goro, northeast of Ljubljana, in what was then the Austrian Empire. He was a priest and also a successful composer, singer and choir master. His works are still very popular among Slovenes. He became known by having mountain huts built throughout the Julian Alps, which fostered the development of mountaineering in the Slovene Lands. By far his most well known construction is the Aljaž Tower (), built on the summit of Mount Triglav, the highest mountain of the Julian Alps and of Slovenia. He also arranged several hiking paths to be laid out, enabling more visitors to come to the mountains.