Slovenia’s rugged mountains dominate the skyline of its lush green landscapes. Water-rich valleys stretch into the foothills of the Alps, while hiker-friendly huts dot the terrain. Horses and sheep roam freely across verdant peaks scattered along lofty, windswept ridges. Although only 3.6% of the Alps lie in Slovenia—making it the southeasternmost reach of Europe’s highest and most extensive mountain range—the alpine tradition here is strong, authentic, and inviting.
Yet, just a four-hour drive south, you enter Croatia—a Mediterranean gem with over a thousand islands, long pebble beaches, and remote coves perfect for private dips in crystal-clear waters, accompanied by the rhythmic hum of cicadas and the occasional call of a seagull overhead.
The adventure is long finished by now, yet I’m still enchanted — completely head over heels. Zgornje Jezersko, at 890 m, an alpine village in the heart of the beautiful Jezersko municipality in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, inspires with its magic, authentic culture, friendly people, good food, and fairytale-like charm. The water-rich valley, where horses and sheep roam verdant meadows, creeps into vertical walls of high, rocky peaks, while gentle, low-lying green peaks line the length of the valley.
All you need is two days in Jezersko and you’ll fall in love for life. Stay any longer, and it’s likely you won’t want to leave again.
When I walk the lively streets of Ljubljana, with people cheering over mulled wine, celebrating the upcoming New Year and the small festivities that tend to fill this time of year, I feel like I don’t belong. And I don’t even want to belong. I miss the mountains—the paths that always lead to other paths, an endless maze of beauty that ignites passion and feeds the soul. The mighty rock walls, the greenest forests, and the endless shapes and curves of nature are where my heart truly warms.
I love winter. I love everything about it. The light snowflakes filling the whole sky and the world turning calm and beautiful. However, when March rolls around, bringing the first warmer days and delicate little flowers, it’s next to impossible to go back to the cold. More likely than not you’ll see me exploring flower-speckled hills and forests than snowy mountains. And when larger parts of hills turn purple from the blooming heather, you can count me in!
This low-growing evergreen shrub is primarily found on moors, dunes, bogs, heaths and hillsides. Calluna vulgaris or heather is native to much of Europe and can be found in many parts of the northern US and Canada
It seems that winter has its own ways on Mt. Snežnik, Slovenia’s highest non-alpine peak at 1,796 m. Only 28 km from the sea, it receives a comparable amount of precipitation as the Alps, which in combination with strong winds sometimes results in incredible snow sculptures – dwarf pine trees and spruces carved into a finest art display. At first glance, the landscape encapsulated in the clutches of the snow resembles Lapland, yet just a stone’s throw away, you’ll find its beautiful beech forest, for what the 793,9 ha Snežnik-Ždrolce primeval forests got included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. The tall beeches, whose branches become bare of leaves in winter, turn completely white and look delicately gentle set against the blue skies. A truly dreamy winter hike.
Those would be a few of the many reasons why Snežnik might just be the best winter hike in Slovenia.
The moment when everything calms down and goes into a state of perfect harmony. You don’t hear the traffic or the people shouting or the whirring of a washing machine. You only hear yourself and the subtle sounds of nature, and it feels liberating. A golden fall sun filters through the tall trees and glitters on the rushing river, and you find yourself in an embrace of high mountains. With soaring mountains and braided rivers, the Soča Valley epitomizes Slovenia’s pristine side. Here is a list of hikes in the Soča Valley’s Triglav National Park that you absolutely shouldn’t miss if you love hiking in pristine nature.
It’s been a crazy year and an even crazier season, hiking and climbing in the beautiful Slovenian mountains. We’ve hit that dusty, muddy and even snowy trail countless times and have seen anything from the big elusive ibexes, mesmerizing sunrises and sunsets, to the cutest playful marmots. We’ve sweated together on steep slopes, tried to escape big thunderstorms, dipped into the freezing cold Soča river, enjoyed exposed climbs, and listened to relaxing music on our rides to the mountains. Those short moments together truly connected us into unique friendships.
It’s not easy to pick my personal favorite mountain tours of 2024, especially since grading cannot be based solely on the trails and beauty of the views, but also on quite coincidental factors like the weather, hut life, sparks within the groups, food and other well-being factors. All in all, of all incredible hikes and climbs we’ve shared, here are Exploring Slovenia’s five best mountain tours of 2024!
Set in one of Slovenia’s most beautiful locations, on a large alpine plateau called Velika Planina, these comfortable cabins run by Alpine Resorts are only a short hike away from the nearest parking lot or chair lift, and the area offers various hiking options.
As the sun was announcing a new day, coming out shyly from behind the mountains, the old shepherds’ settlement of 64 enchanting oval wooden huts lit up in the most vibrant colors. First, the sun stroked the topmost huts, each inside a cute wooden fence where the cows used to rest after grazing. Then slowly the whole settlement lit up and the first purple spring flowers playfully brightened the freshly green meadows. A glimpse of heaven, I thought.
Beautiful and rugged, the Soča Valley has an otherworldly charm. The Soča River, with its striking turquoise-emerald color, winds through this dramatic valley, forming gorges, crystalline pools, and hidden coves. Meanwhile, the surrounding hills and mountains rise almost vertically, with countless waterfalls cascading down their steep slopes. The drive through the valley takes just an hour, yet it feels as though every side road leads to even more spectacular places, tucked away from the main tourist routes. One would need weeks, if not months, to explore all the beauty the Soča Valley has to offer.
I feel fortunate to have visited the Soča Valley many times, most recently just a couple of weeks ago. Based on these experiences, I’ve put together a list of recommended hikes in the area—from rolling meadows and scenic waterfalls to trails along crystal-clear rivers, as well as routes leading into the stunning mountains and alpine lakes of Triglav National Park.
Here is a list of hikes in the Soča Valley that you absolutely shouldn’t miss if you love hiking in pristine nature.
As the sun sparkles on the emerald-green Soča River, which winds from its source at 990 meters above Trenta all the way to the Adriatic Sea near Trieste in Italy, the surrounding hills and mountains seem to invite adventure. There are countless options to explore in the Soča Valley, and it would be a mistake to think it’s only worth visiting for the river. While the Soča River is truly spectacular, the valley offers so much more.A network of diverse hiking trails leads either high into the alpine world or to hidden waterfalls, stunning lakes, and the evocative remains of World War I.
As we were driving towards the mountains, the soft morning light, caught in the forested slopes of the Karavanke mountains on the right and the craggy peaks of the Julian Alps on the left, added to the vibrancy of a beautiful autumn day. The contrast between the freshly covered snow-capped peaks and the explosion of colors in the forest lower down was mesmerizing. Anything from virgin white to bright green, red, yellow and orange-brown, all set against a clear blue sky with an occasional streak of fog still lingering in the fresh air. The kind of perfection that can only be seen right after a good long downpour.
The most beautiful view of the Julian Alps from Srednji Vrh , a tiny village located 7 km from Kranjska Gora
