Julian Alps, Slovenia
Adventure Travel Ideas Europe Family Travel Ideas Hiking Travel Ideas Slovenia

Slovenia: A walking holiday in the Julian Alps

I knew Slovenia was going to be my sort of country as soon as we drove out of the airport; that Slovenia was a great choice for our summer walking holiday. We were on the road in our hire car within 40 minutes of landing and already the mountains were in sight.

Lots of them. Rising above meadows and lush forests I could see range upon range of misty peaks, calling us to go walking. The Julian Alps are at the southeastern end of Europe’s great mountain chain and on the drive through Slovenia to Lake Bohinj the landscape is thickly wooded, often from the roadside to the ridgetops.

Ribcev Laz is a tiny village at the head of Lake Bohinj, in the heart of Slovenia’s Triglav National Park. Being within the park boundaries development is not allowed and the village remains peaceful with its wood-shingled, onion-domed church beside the stone bridge across the river flowing out of the lake. The church must once have been very colourful with the faded remains of bright frescoes on the exterior walls.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Although peaceful, Ribcev does have an excellent tourist information office, a small supermarket, a few restaurants, some outdoor bars and an icecream stall in the shady little park by the lake.

On the first day there was not a cloud in the sky so we jumped on the Vogel ski gondola and headed high. Quickly leaving the ski road and runs behind we found ourselves in spectacular country, walking through steep-sided alpine valleys filled with Slovenia’s gorgeous wildflowers.

Climbing higher still we had stunning views across to Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain and a summit all Slovenians harbour an ambition to achieve at least once in their lives.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

And when we slipped back down on the gondola it was straight to the lakeshore for a refreshing dip. In fact that became a theme of the week: beautiful walking days punctuated by plunges in the clear waters of Bohinj. There were several episodes each day of sitting at the lake’s edge, feet lapped by the water, mesmerised by the colours and shapes before me.

On day two there was some high, windswept cirrus cloud but the day continued hot and sun-filled so we opted for some shade on the walking track around Lake Bohinj. The gently undulating path sticks close to the lakeshore in many places so you can see the water glinting through the sun-dappled forest.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Another day we stop for lunch at a Slovenian mountain Dom and find an old Babushka, pinny on and hair tidied away under a kerchief, rolling out pastry in the dining room. Not just any pastry, but liberally sprinkled with curd cheese, raisins and fresh herbs snipped from the garden outside the window.

All rolled up, round and around, then carefully wrapped in paper parcels ready for the oven. We were enjoying the view from the Voje Dom (or mountain hut) on the walk to the Mostnice waterfall and were more than happy to wait half an hour for the delicious finished product.

Fresh out of the oven it was meltingly good and delicately flavoured. I tried in vain to establish what it was called but apparently Slovene families often have their own special recipes for cakes and pastries.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Looking out across alpine meadows, a few scattered shepherd’s huts, forests and mountains. Down in Ribcev Laz a herd of cows are waiting to make their annual journey up here to the summer pastures. The flower meadows are particularly rich in Slovenia, there are lilies and exquisite miniature orchids.

A few minutes walk from the Dom the Slap Mostnice waterfall thunders in its gorge. We’ve been enjoying the twists and turns and plunges of this gorge all morning on our walk. Sometimes it is 100ft deep, and then only 10, with labyrinthine formations worn through rock by the force of water over millennia.

The river water is truly crystal clear but in places of depth or relative stillness intense colours appear. Turquoise green, or yellow against the blindingly white rock of the riverbed. On the way back down we stop to paddle our feet in the icy cold water.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Now I’ve often been disappointed by walks to waterfalls, many paths to much-vaunted cascades/tourist attractions end in an uninspiring torrent that fails to live up to the PR. But both Slap Mostnice and Savica near the lake are worth visiting. Walking up through the woods, sunlight lit up clumps of Triglav Rose and the variety of hornbeam and ash mixed with larches was a pleasure.

In the surrounding villages of Brod, Savica and Bohinj Bistrica, Slovenian families are raking up the freshly cut hay in the fields and hanging it on tall wooden frames to dry. I got the impression this is a society where they have all the modern conveniences they want but life hasn’t changed much in years. So it’s a holiday destination that’s as developed as you need it to be while remaining unspoilt.

On a non-walking day we drove down to Bled – Slovenia’s pinup princess and one of those places where the colour of the water really is as intense as the tourism brochures promise. We hired bikes from the tourist information (Euro 3.50) and cycled around the lake in an hour, including stops for cake and icecream.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

With its clifftop castle and wooded island where visitors ring the church bell and make a wish, Bled is beautiful but so touristy. At the end of the day we couldn’t wait to escape to the simple undeveloped beauty of Bohinj.

By Natasha von Geldern

In planning my walking holiday in Slovenia I used the Cicerone guidebook to the Julian Alps of Slovenia, which has plenty of ideas for walks of varying difficulties around the Lake Bohinj region to keep hikers busy for weeks. Team the guidebook with a Triglav National Park map 1:50,000.

I think I’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of Eastern Europe’s potential for hiking holidays. Does anyone else have any more suggestions?

If you liked this post why not pin it?

Hiking in the Julian Alps Slovenia

By on .

5 Comments

  1. Nice post! I am glad you liked this little country of ours. It can really give a lot to everyone who can appreciate its great diversity and unspoilt nature.

    Keep blogging! 😉

  2. Another great article and photos. Next time you’re in Slovenia try the Kamnik Alps along the border with Austria. Staggeringly beautiful. Let me know if you’d like more info (PS I used to live in NZ!)

  3. Bill Marshall

    Sounds like you’ve been captured by Bohinj’s wonderful peaceful atmosphere. I’m a Scot who fell in love with Slovenia 29 years ago and now have a house there where I’ll soon retire. I agree – Bled is a fairytale but too busy for me. My two favourite areas are Bohinj and the Soca Valley, the latter being where my house is in the wonderfully situated village of Dreznica, under Mt Krn. There are many gorgeous places to explore along the main route from the Predil Pass from Italy down to Most na Soci, and there’s also the Trenta Valley which branches off from it and runs over the spectacular Vrsic Pass to Kranjska Gora on the north side of the Julian Alps.
    For more strenuous walking there is the Alpe Adria trail, or the high-level walk around the mountain ridges surrounding Bohinj, and many others you can plan out for yourself. Paths are discreetly marked but there’s none of the regimented feel that you can get in Austria for instance.

    Like my native Scotland, Slovenia seems to pack an endless supply of little hidden gems into a small space, and as you’ve discovered the people are very friendly and make wonderful cakes and dumplings, along with some of the best wine in the world. Hope you make it back!

    • Thanks for commenting Bill, Scotland is a place I visit regularly because the wilderness there reminds me of New Zealand. I haven’t made it back to Slovenia yet but it is always in the back of my mind. I have read about the Alpe-Adria Trail and that is certainly appealing. The Soca Valley and Trenta also sound like great tips and I will make a note of these as I need a multi-day hiking project for next year. It just felt like being in another world in and around Bohinj, and yet still european. Mmm dumplings 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.