As an proprietor of a touring company and a mountain information I really feel lucky to have the ability to do many mountain climbs and hikes in Slovenia and see lovely hard-to-reach locations that many solely dream about. Whether or not it’s a daring ascent of Triglav, the best Slovenian mountain, wandering amongst colourful meadows within the fantastically distant mountains above Jezersko, or a dreamy hike within the hills round Lake Bled. We’ve carried out all of them collectively and it’s been fairly rattling superior.
This previous summer season, Tracey, an exquisite gal from Australia, whom I shared two nice by way of Ferratas with, requested me if I ever affect individuals’s selections about which tour to pick. Put apart skilled resolution making to recommend an applicable mountain tour primarily based on individuals’s abilities and expertise, I most positively do. To be trustworthy, I at all times attempt to push a little bit of my very own mountain climbing needs into the choice course of and that isn’t essentially a nasty factor both. Our purchasers find yourself visiting all one of the best locations in any given second of the season.
When flowers bloom within the mountains, we do essentially the most lovely loops amongst fragile daffodils, crocuses, wild orchids, gentians, edelweiss and plenty of others. When an abundance of rainfall fills the enchanting Triglav Lakes as much as the brim and generally even over, we completely skip different hikes and go there as an alternative. When it’s time to do a wide ranging by way of Ferrata within the mountains, we climb Mala Mojstrovka, however once we desire a difficult by way of Ferrata, we go for the daring climb to Gradiška Tura even when the drive takes for much longer than the mainstream ones close by. Given the truth that I’ve been going round Slovenian mountains for a few many years, I can confidently say that those that have trusted Exploring Slovenia up to now haven’t been disillusioned. Biased or not.
To show that, listed here are ten highlights of our greatest mountain hikes and climbs in the summertime season 2023. Take pleasure in!
Exploring Slovenia’s finest day hikes:
Gorgeous Julian Alps
Fairytale hike in Karavanke
Goli Vrh above Jezersko
Flower hike on Golica
Krn Lakes
When the time is true, it’s an absolute should to go to Lake Krn! This picture-perfect 300-m-long and 150-m-wide lake is the largest Alpine lake of Slovenia, and lies nestled between tall rocky peaks of the southwestern Julian Alps. Yearly we take our teams there both as a part of the 3-day From Bohinj to the Soča Valley Trek or as a better day hike to Lake Krn from the Soča Valley. This 12 months we even spiced it up with an extra 4-hour climb to a lonely 2,016-m peak above Lake Krn which opened as much as breathtaking views of two Krn lakes – the Massive Krn Lake and its a lot smaller however no much less lovely twin known as Dupeljsko Jezero.
Exploring Slovenia’s finest lakeview mountain hikes:
Krn Lakes above Soča Valley
7 Triglav Lakes Treks
Dreamy lakeview Jerebica
Velika Planina
On the southern rim of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, some thirty kilometers north of Slovenia’s boutique capital Ljubljana, lies a big Alpine plateau known as Velika Planina. The place is understood not just for its distinctive shepherds’ settlement, arguably the oldest in Europe that is still lively so far, but additionally for natural milk goodies produced each summer season. Locals and vacationers alike like it for its lengthy mountain climbing trails, good meals and pleasant individuals. Each spring, although, one thing extraordinary occurs: because the snow lastly melts someday in April, little crowns of crocuses flood the entire plateau turning a part of the panorama purple.
We visited it in early Could as quickly because the tiny purple crocuses lastly managed to peek from beneath a white snow blanket, which the fussy spring climate this 12 months adorned our mountains with abundantly. We additionally continued to return to the huge plains of Velika Planina all through the summer season, at all times doing our loop hikes by way of all of the settlements and to essentially the most picturesque spots.
Learn additionally:
Twelve hikes within the Soča Valley in Slovenian mountains
When Velika Planina attire in purple
Viewpoints of Lake Bled for an ideal postcard
Fairytale loop hike above Srednji Vrh
Krvavec
Because it occurs, not usually, however it definitely does, we head to the mountains within the late afternoon solely to take pleasure in empty trails and vibrant sundown colours in an attractive place. Krvavec, a excessive mountain ski resort near Ljubljana, has not solely a effectively managed street from down the valley all the way in which to the slopes, however it additionally has snug mountain climbing trails. It additionally occurs to be a superb place to take pleasure in a sundown at virtually 2,000 meters.
Exploring Slovenia’s finest multi-day treks:
Triglav from Pokljuka
7 Triglav Lakes Trek
From Bohinj to Soča Trek
The Karawanks Traverse
Jerebica
We’ve been raving a few mountain peak with an attractive scenic hike and the highest that actually blows your thoughts away! The two,126-meter peak of Jerebica dealing with the 1,400-m lengthy and 400-m vast glacial lake Rabeljsko Jezero (Eng. Lake of Predil) from a thousand meters above, which you’ll be able to solely think about, requires spectacular views. Idyllically surrounded by steep mountains that stretch perpetually in each course, each to Slovenia and Italy whereas additionally to Austria within the distance, the turquoise-colored Lake of Predil seems so surreal that it’s onerous to think about it exists outdoors of a fairytale. Perfection in its broadest sense.
Triglav Lakes
Whereas Slovenia basically is a inexperienced nation (hey, it’s been voted the world’s first green destination in 2016!), its Alps are significantly moist. The Julian Alps obtain greater than 3,200 mm of precipitation per 12 months, which qualifies them as one of many wettest Alps in Europe! To place the quantity into perspective, Hawaii because the wettest state of the US receives a median of 1,618 mm of rain per 12 months, whereas California will get solely 563 mm. Despite the fact that we’re fortunate with precipitation, summers nonetheless get fairly scorching and a interval of dry climate can due to this fact largely exhaust the in any other case lovely Alpine lakes.
Not this summer season, although. The unusually moist summer season introduced as a lot as 112% extra rain than a median August, 89% extra rain in July and 40% extra in June. If something, the insane quantities of rain introduced an abundance of water within the mountains as effectively, and, certainly, the previous summer season turned out to be one of the best time to go to the Triglav Lakes!
Exploring Slovenia’s Triglav Lakes treks:
Triglav Lakes – Double Lake
7 Triglav Lakes Trek
Triglav
As the best one, Triglav is without doubt one of the hottest mountain hikes / climbs in Slovenia. It’s famed for its spectacular 360-degree views, wealthy wildlife and a protracted historical past of passionate climbers. Triglav’s closest huts, however, are extra famed for very cheerful crowds, who like to share their daring mountain adventures, take pleasure in good beer and even play the accordion and guitar to get individuals dancing.
As yearly, this summer season was additionally no exception for Exploring Slovenia. We took teams as much as Triglav anytime from early summer season snow, to sudden mid-summer snowfalls and heavy thunderstorms in between. Humorous circumstances and ideal adventures!
Learn on Weblog about Triglav
Climbing Triglav in summer season on our favored route
Climbing Triglav with youngsters
Make Triglav a winter climb
Exploring Slovenia’s Greatest Triglav Guided Climbs:
Triglav, Scenic Route
Triglav by way of Ferrata
Triglav, the Slovenian Route
Debela Peč
Nearly 2,000 meters excessive, simply on the other aspect to Mt. Triglav throughout a slender and greater than a 1,000-meter deep glacial valley, stand spectacular mountains with awe-inspiring vistas. One in every of these peaks is Debela Peč and if you realize which path to take it may be a quite brief and candy hike. We’ve taken it so many occasions this 12 months that I’ve misplaced depend, but each single hike turned out to be insanely lovely.
Be a part of us on a Guided Day Hike to Debela Peč
The via-ferrata to Mala Mojstrovka
Named after its constructor Ivan Vertelj – Hanza, this by way of ferrata to one of the vital intriguing mountains above Kranjska Gora was inbuilt 1928 to function a direct path to Mala Mojstrovka from the Yugoslavian (formally known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) aspect of the Rapallo border on the time. A fast be aware of historical past: throughout the years from 1920 to 1947 the western a part of Slovenia amongst others was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy with the Treaty of Rapallo, and thus the Vršič Go was simply on the border between the 2 kingdoms.
Fast stats: 720 m of ascent, 5-hour spherical journey
Mala Mojstrovka Guided Excursions:
By way of Ferrata Climb to Mala Mojstrovka
Traditional hike to Mala Mojstrovka
My favourite climb to Mala Mojstrovka this previous summer season? When 4 ladies teamed up and chatted and laughed heartily all through the entire tour. My apologies to all the unfortunate males on the market who occurred to be within the flawed place on the flawed time… 🙂
Gradiška Tura
Situated within the SW Slovenia, it’s comparatively removed from Bled and the mountains, nonetheless, it’s no much less intriguing with the views of the vineyards and rolling hills of Vipava. There are literally two separate by way of ferratas climbing as much as the highest of Gradiška Tura, 793 m, however are linked with a brief 5-minute hike; the second begins somewhat beneath the end of the primary one. After a brief hike within the forest, you attain the primary Furlan Route, which is over an hour-long climb that progressively prepares you for the second – the harder Otmar Route. One other hour-long climb instantly challenges you with a troublesome ascent over a vertical wall with a slight overhang, however as soon as throughout it, you’re in an attractive journey in sun-lit steep partitions.
Fast stats: 600 m of ascent, 5-hour spherical journey
Guided By way of Ferrata Climb to Gradiška Tura
Zelenica Hut
As a lot as I really like mountain climbing in distant locations with no infrastructure or individuals, there’s nonetheless a tiny nook of my coronary heart that bounces with pleasure at any time when hitting a scenic however straightforward path, assembly equally enthusiastic hikers and consuming effectively in a hut. So let’s spherical up this 12 months’s guiding season with a straightforward family-friendly hike within the Karavanke Alps with not more than 8 km and 650 m of ascent, which visits not one however two mountain huts.
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