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.
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.
“If the point at which you immerse yourself in the river is the present, I thought, then the past is the water that has flowed past you, that which has gone downstream and where there is nothing left for you; whereas the future is the water that comes down from above, bringing dangers and surprises. The past is in the valley, the future in the mountains. Whatever destiny may be, it resides in the mountains that tower over us.” Paolo Cognetti, The Eight Mountains
We enjoyed countless mountain adventures together this past year, the same as in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and the years before that. I’ve written about our Best mountain tours of 2024, yet the list of memorable mountain tours that we had is much longer and thus my heart is filled with fond memories. Therefore, a big Thank You All for trusting us as your go-to mountain trekking and climbing Slovenian agency in 2024!
What may have set us apart in the valley became meaningless up in the pristine raw mountains. I even dare to assume that we all strived for the same goals as we humbly approached the daring peaks together, hanging from steep walls above looming cliffs, staring dreamily at the glittering mountains as the sun sank behind them, and hiked lightly along wonderfully remote paths to the unknown. The mountains connected us and what seemed big in the valley, may it have been burdens or victories, got lost somewhere on the trail. We simply WERE and that was enough.
It has truly been a privilege sharing those moments with you! You have enriched my life and, hopefully, me and other guides of Exploring Slovenia managed to touch yours as well.
Here are a few highlights of the mountain paths that we shared in 2024. Enjoy!
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!
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
As the owner of a touring agency and a mountain guide, I feel fortunate to spend so much time exploring Slovenia’s mountains—reaching beautiful, remote places that many people only dream about. Whether it’s a daring ascent of Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak, wandering through colorful meadows in the remote mountains above Jezersko, or a dreamy hike in the hills around Lake Bled—we’ve done it all, and it’s been pretty incredible.
This past summer, Tracey, a wonderful guest from Australia with whom I shared two great via ferratas, asked me whether I ever influence people’s decisions when choosing a tour. Beyond making professional recommendations based on a guest’s skills and experience, I have to admit that I do. To be honest, I often try to weave a bit of my own hiking wishes into the decision-making process—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the end, our guests get to experience the very best places at the best possible time of the season.
When the mountains are in bloom, we choose the most beautiful routes among fragile daffodils, crocuses, wild orchids, gentians, edelweiss, and more. When heavy rainfall fills the enchanting 7 Triglav Lakes to the brim—and sometimes beyond—we happily skip other hikes and head there instead. When it’s time for a breathtaking via ferrata, we climb Mala Mojstrovka; when we’re after something more challenging, we take on the bold ascent of Mangart, the third highest mountain of Slovenia, or the lovely Gradiška Tura, even if it means a longer drive than the more popular routes nearby.
Having explored the Slovenian mountains for decades, I can confidently say that those who have trusted Exploring Slovenia have never been disappointed—biased or not.
To prove that, here are ten highlights of our best mountain hikes and climbs in the summer season 2023. Enjoy!
There’s that special moment in the year when we get to see two seasons overlap. Lively birds singing, trees blossoming and the first flowers announcing the arrival of warmer spring days down in the valleys. However, higher up in the mountains the strong north winds and freezing temperatures still hold a firm hold over the white mountaintops. The best of spring and winter in the great outdoors is right here, it’s just a matter of us grasping it or not.
To that extent I’ve been fortunate to walk endless greening meadows speckled with wild marsh tulips, hike along rolling hills carpeted with purple crocuses, and see the trees coming into leaf along a vibrant small gorge. Over a thousand meters higher, on the other hand, I enjoyed snowshoeing in half a meter of fresh snow up to incredible mountain peaks, while also climbing safely to a white peak with views of both Slovenia and Austria.
Here are five memorable spring hikes in the Slovenian Alps and the hillside close to Ljubljana that I’ve done; some you can do easily with your family and friends, and some are preferably reserved for the more experienced hikers or in company of a certified guide. Either way, enjoy the pictures and the gorgeous first days of spring and the last of winter!
