Slovenia’s Splendid Mountains, gorges and lakes

The spectacular mountains in the Julian Alps are predominantly limestone, and their jagged form produce stunning vistas wherever you look. Fabulous guided walking for the discerning walker. Glacial lakes, rushing rivers, tremendously deep gorges and alpine meadows with a real splash of wild flower colour are everywhere.

And the unique hospitality of the local people – always welcoming – compliments this superb walking destination.

Two choices of walks daily.

This seven night holiday in the glorious mountains of Slovenia – led by local guides and supported by a UK tour guide- shows off the best of this magnificent country.

We stay in a bustling village – the heart of the Bohinj valley- framed by two mountain ranges – the Upper Bohinj mountains and the higher Julian Alps.

Walking is moderate, with some short challenging sections but no scrambling. You should be walking fit.

We walk for five days with one day free to explore this magnificent country.

You buy your own flights, and lunches at superb mountain huts.

We stay at the three stay family run Hotel Tripic. in the centre of Bohinj Bistrica.

We pride ourselves on how we create a social feel- so join us on this sociable active holiday.

We organise everything for you – from the minute your flight lands to when you arrive back at the airport.

The holiday cost is £ 1650 with no extra single supplements, which includes your own en-suite room.

Join us on this sociable active holiday where we meet as strangers and depart as friends

The spectacular mountains in the Julian Alps are predominantly limestone, and their jagged form produce stunning vistas wherever you look. Fabulous guided walking for the discerning walker. Glacial lakes, rushing rivers, tremendously deep gorges and alpine meadows with a real splash of wild flower colour are everywhere. And the unique hospitality of the local people – always welcoming – compliments this superb walking destination.

The price shown here excludes flights – no sole occupancy supplement

Solos and Singles Guided Walking is our unique speciality – unlike other walking holiday companies. We specialise in offering guided walking holidays for solos and singles in beautiful locations in both the UK and Europe. We have an extra speciality in that we also design bespoke holidays for special groups.

What you get on a Secret Hills Slovenia Holiday

• Flights- you organise yourself.
• Transfer from airport to Hotel Tripic  and return
• Half board accommodation, including a three course dinner
• Guided walking- local guides- two walks per day
• Any transport needed on the walks
• Sole occupancy of a twin room with balcony- no single supplement
• No single supplement
• The services of a Secret Hills tour guide
• Individual attention
• Our administration and management service

What’s not included

• Lunch
• Entries to museums
• Ski and chair lift costs

Holiday Highlights

• Simply stunning Alpine scenery

• Stay in an owner managed three-star hotel with delightful food in a friendly working village

• Choice of walks daily- explore the highs and lows of this alpine paradise
• Superb walking in the Julian Alps in the Triglav National Park- its lovely gorges and river valleys
• Walk in alpine meadows and wildflower paradise
• Enjoy the peace of lovely Lake Bohinj and the bustle of tourist trap -Lake Bled
• View the might of Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak from the 2009 peak of Mount Brda
• Walk the fabulous Vintgar gorge with its wooden walkway suspended above the roaring river
• Visit by cable car the alpine wonderland of Vogel and the peaks of Sija and Vogel
• Eat lunch in fabulous mountain huts
• The hospitality of the Slovenian people
• Our relaxed social approach
• And its only 2 hours away

Your hotel

Hotel Tripic is family owned, and a comfortable base for our walking holidays.  All rooms are spacious, and are en suite.  The hotel is situated in the village of Bohinj Bistrica, five kilometres from Lake Bohinj, Slovenia’s largest lake.  The village has a number of bars, supermarkets, a pharmacy and a fitness and swimming centre. It is the centre for rural life in the upper Bohinj valley.  The rivers Bistrica and Sava meet here.

No single supplement -you have a twin room with balcony for sole occupancy

Your meals

Tripic has a comprehensive breakfast and dinner menu – plenty of choice and well cooked.

Internet facilities are available in all rooms at the hotel.  The Tripic family will make you very welcome.  The hotel is quiet, and is the start point for transport to our walks start.

The spectacular mountains in the Julian Alps are predominantly limestone, and their jagged form produce stunning vistas wherever you look. Glacial lakes, rushing rivers, tremendously deep gorges and alpine meadows with a real splash of wild flower colour are everywhere. But the hospitality of the local people – always welcoming – compliment this superb walking destination.

Walking is available from May to October in these mountains, and temperatures can be hot in the valleys in July and August though higher up, cool breezes are a help.  We walk in May, June and September – ideal temperatures.

Ljubljana is the capital, and the airport is also near there.  Transfers to our hotel are about 45 minutes, but through wonderful scenery –  a good way to whet your appetite for the days ahead. Lake Bled is 12 kilometres away.

Two walks per day – see Walking programme

This is an escorted holiday with UK Tour Guides

The Walks

Walking in Slovenia, marvellous alpine hill walking through limestone country, with stunning vistas of lakes and river valleys.  Slovenia lies south of Austria and Italy and our walking in the Julian Alps is in the north of the country.  We base ourselves near Lake Bohinj, the largest of the Slovenian lakes.  There are picturesque villages, with  farming at the heart of the economy.  There are alpine meadows to amble through, and fast flowing rivers.  There are number of deep gorges – familiar to limestone alpine scenery.  Simply stunning alpine mountain scenery walks take us over stunning ridges, and down beautiful valleys, and there is a variety of scenery for the discerning walker.  We grade the walks as moderate with some short strenuous stretches.  An easier shorter option is available on each day.  Five days walking during the week’s break, with one day as a rest day.  Walking is moderate,  we don’t rush the hills and ridges – talking, looking, learning about Slovenia – tends to slow the pace a little.

We walk for five days with a day free for you to explore the country.

After a mini bus journey to the walk start every day, we walk for about five and a half hours, returning at about 4.30 pm – time for a swim, or simply rest before dinner in the  hotel’s dining room.   Climbing is steady, with the occasional steep short stretch, not to be rushed, and downhills are … well downhills – always a pull on the old knees.  Distances are 7 – 9 miles a day.  There is always a cooling  breeze so early mornings require a top layer, but after that, it is shorts and tee shirt walking.  We walk in the Julian Alps, Triglav National Park, Karavanke Mountains on the Austrian Border, Poclujka, and the Kranska Gora area.

Your walk leaders

Secret Hills Walking Holidays work with local guides they have worked with us for 15 years, the best Slovenian guiding business.  Two guides are provided for each walk, with back up from Alan Garner.  The guides will structure a balanced programme of walks to suit the ability of the group.  We also have two walks per day, around the same area, giving the opportunity for a shorter and less demanding walk. Your tour guide, Alan Garner is responsible for all aspects of your holiday in Slovenia.

Choice of Walks

Each week we choose walks according to the ability of the group who join. Each day we have a choice of two walks:

Walk 1 – moderate grade, some climbing and descending, all at a steady pace.

Walk 2 – easier – with plenty of time to see the wonderful Slovenian countryside.

Sample Walks

Vogel ski lift and Rodica mountain– we take the gondola to the Vogel Ski resort, then a chair lift before ascending Sija mountain 1800 metres or so. On then to Rodica mountain along a superb ridge with views to the Adriatic as well as deep into the Triglav National park.and Julian Alps. We return a slightly different way to the gondola and transport back to the hotel. Dependent on the ability of the group,we may only ascend Sija, and on our return after lunch into the Sava valley we walk round the east side of Lake Bohinj, a lovely lake side walk.

Prvisec mountain and the hills above Lake Bohinj – starting at Blato, we ascend through forests to the lovely mountain hut-  Pl VisVisevnik – beside a small lake for coffee. We then ascend again to the superb viewpoint over the Bohinj Lake and the Lower Bohinhj range of mountains at Prsivec. We return to the hut for lunch then descend back to Blato on a different path for transport pick up.

Mount Brda and Debela Pec – starting after winding up in our minibus to Pockluka meadows – we ascend through forest and meadows to the Lipanca Mountain hut. After a coffee, we ascend Mount Brda – 2009 metres and Debela Pec 2015 metres – an ascent from the hut of 250 metres, then wind our way down to Lipanca hut for lunch. Descend through the forest after lunch to our original start point.

Vintgar Gorge circular and Lake Bled – we walk through meadows from Bled town through lovely villages to the start of Vintgar Gorge – through this wondeful tumbling gorge and then to St Katerina’s church. Along a meadow path back to start of the gorge, and descend down to lunch in Bled town. In the afternoon , we walk round Lake Bled on its eastern side to view the church on the island, Vila Bled, Tito’s summer home, and Mlino for transport back to the hotel.

Martuljek waterfalls – Under the Špik Mountain the  spectacular Upper and lower Martuljek waterfalls – transport to this deep valley and ascend over wooden bridges and many steps to two waterfalls. Coffee at a magnificent hut under Spik mountain and eventually ascend to highest waterfall. Return to hut for lunch, then back to minibus and a visit to Kranska Gora.

Mostnice Gorge and Voje Meadows.– we start at Ribcev Laz, and walk alongside Bohinj Lake to the Mostnice Gorge. Through this magical deep gorge and out into the Voje meadows and to the Mostnice Waterfall. Lunch at a lovely mountain hut, and descend to Stara Fuzcina and trasport back to hotel.

The Barons Walk – to the Austrian border and through small tunnels and woodland to our coffee stop. Then a little higher underneath the Karavanke range of mountains, we descend a superb limestone valley for a late lunch, then on to look at Grad castle – in the rocks

Sava river trail – from the hotel we walk to Brod along Sava river cycle path then over the hill to Rudnica hill, then Pec before descending into Stara Fuzina village for lunch. Under Studor mountain to Sredna Vaz, and over the hill back to Bohinj Bistrica in the Sava Valley.

Vrata Valley- walk to the north face of mount Triglav, view the Perinik waterfall on the way. Visit the museum of Slovenia Mountain Guiding at the end

Sorica Planina – walk to Mount Mozic and view the historic remains of the Rapallo border – First world war defence line between Austrian/Hungarian forces and Italian forces.

Prevailing weather conditions

Slovenia  has a true alpine climate – 6 months under metres of snow, a spring in May and early June- summer in late June and early July will be warm with a chance of some showers. In mid July to end of August it is hot with regular thunderstorms. September to early October is autumn with sunny days and between 18 and 20 degrees.

Exclusions

Although our leaders are well trained  and experienced in dealing  with different capabilities of our walking clients, if they have any concerns about  any clients ability or suitability to undertake safely any walking activity we plan or they feel that participation of an individual may affect the groups safety and cohesion, then they have full permission to exclude that client from an activity.

They will try at all times to provide an alternative suggested activity, though this may involve the client in additional local cost.

We rarely have to enforce this above recommendation, but it is a sensible and necessary protection for the individual client, the group and the leaders.

On each Slovenia  holiday we have two grades of walking.- moderate and easy.

On the moderate walks – 8/9miles – we ascend and descend at least once per day – up to 300 metres but generally over an hour and a half. Pace is critical – we don’t rush, there’s too much to see, but we do stride out where it is possible. Underfoot conditions in Slovenia  can be stony – it is limestone country after all – and we take care on these sections.

On some well marked paths, especially in forested areas, there are exposed tree roots which can be slippery when wet.

The walks on this trip are rated as Moderate but each day involves a fair amount of ascent and descent. The trip requires a reasonable amount of fitness, ideally with previous hill walking experience.

You need good walking footwear, preferably waterproof walking boots with good soles for protection. You may find that walking poles will aid your enjoyment of this land.

On the easy walks – which  may also include some sightseeing of villages. towns, and things of interest generally as well as visiting the wonderful lakes of Bled and Bohinj – we wont walk as fast, have plenty of stops and probably cover 5/6 miles.

There will be hills to ascend/descend but we will take these very steadily – we do not rush our clients. As with the walking grade – underfoot conditions in Slovenia – can be stony – it is limestone country after all – and we take care on these sections. The pace is slower, not snail pace but enough to give you a good stroll, and to allow you to enjoy the wonderful Slovenian countryside.

You will find the easy walking holiday advertised under Strolling and Exploring on our web site.

Each day you have the choice of either walking or strolling.

Slovenia—the country

Slovenia shares borders with Hungary, Austria, Croatia and Italy. It is one of the newer members of the EU, having joined in 2004.

The spectacular mountains in the Julian Alps are predominantly limestone, and their jagged form produce stunning vistas wherever you look. The area is softened by beautiful, tranquil lakes in the valley bottoms and also amongst the rocky crags.

The country has a proud reputation for cleanliness, and self sufficiency – you will find many small allotments for vegetable and fruit growing in most gardens. The Slovenes are a  welcoming people, friendly and outgoing. They want you to explore their superb countryside. Walking is a national hobby – why wouldn’t it be when there is so much grand scenery to explore. Their other national pastime is eating – and they have excellent Slovenian wine.

Walking is available from May to October in these hills, and temperatures can be hot in the valleys in July and August, though higher up cool breezes are a help. We walk in June and September – ideal temperatures. Ljubljana is the capital, and the airport is also near there, transfers to our hotel are about 60 minutes, but through wonderful scenery—a good way to whet you appetite for the days ahead. Lake Bled is 12 kilometres away.

 The Slovenian people will welcome you to their magnificent country – rest assured.