Walking in the Julian Alps, Slovenia
| country: | Slovenia |
| location: | Julian Alps |
| trip type: | Self guided, introductory / moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | Any time between 15 May - 30 Sep 2009 (min 3 nights) |
| price: | From £195 - £400 (4-8 days) excluding flights for a 'No-frills' trip. From £395 - £695 (4-8 days) ex flights for an 'Original' trip, inlcudes organised walks, manager support and lunches. Based on 2 people sharing |
| offers: | Choose new No-Frills Hosted option and save up to 30%!! Walk in the same great landscapes, and receive the same quality of accommodation and hire-car, explore all our self-guided walks, and benefit from the support of a local manager. However this lower-cost version does not include the three organised walks per week or lavish packed-lunches included on an ‘Original’ Escape. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 9 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
This little known corner of the European Alps, where Italy, Austria and Slovenia meet, is astonishingly picturesque.
The Julian Alps are a stunning limestone mountain range, home to Slovenia’s only National Park and rising up to a height 2864m at the summit of Mount Triglav (‘Old Three Heads’). The peaks are jagged and spectacular, presenting the walker with wonderfully varied and beautiful mountain scenery, and with evocative evidence of the fierce struggles between Austrian and Italian troops in World War One. The wooded slopes lead down to deep gorges and ravines, where turquoise rivers, such as the pristine Soca, have carved out beautiful watercourses, waterfalls and caves. The region is carefully protected, so the spring flowers bloom in carpets, and deer, boar, chamois, wolves and even brown bears and lynx survive in relative abundance.
Explore the area on foot on an independent break, choose to travel whenever you like, and stay as long as you wish (minimum 3 nights). Holidays include comfortable single-centre accommodation in a traditional village or town, a hire car (carbon offset of course!), breakfast and a Handbook containing masses of local information as well as a wide range of self-guided walks suitable for all abilities and ages (including children). In addition, if you opt for an 'Original' trip, you will also be able to join 3 organised walks per week, receive breakfast and a lavish packed-lunch every day, and benefit from the full support of a knowledgeable locally based manager. There are no fixed itineraries – you are free to walk as much or as little as you like.
'No-frills' – includes town based self-catering apartment, hire car, Handbook of self-guided walks and local information.
'Original' – includes B&B in rural village or town, hire car, Handbook of self-guided walks and local information, 3 organised walks per week, deli-style packed lunches and the services of a local Manager.
Walking
A wide range of self-guided walks offers something for everyone. There are short strolls around Kosec and in the Soca Valley, with plenty of places to picnic and relax beside the turquoise river. Medium length walks range around the Dre˛nica plateau to take in dramatic waterfalls (be careful not to tread on a salamander), a tiny frescoed chapel, and explore the lovely countryside around Kobarid. Full day walks take you into the Triglav National Park, to the wild higher reaches of the Soca Valley, or over the Italian border to Monte Maggiore (Matajur).
The organised walks available on an 'Original' trip may find you joining a local farmer making cheese, exploring some extensive WW1 fortifications, walking the grassy slopes below Mt Krn or reaching the summit of Krasji Vrh (1774m).
Some Non-Walking Activities
The Soca river is superb for organised activities like white-water rafting, canoeing, hydrospeed, canyoning and trout fishing, which can be arranged locally. With advance warning, tandem paragliding flights, horse-riding and mountain biking can also be enjoyed. We recommend taking the car-train from Most na Soci to Bohinjska Bistrica, which enables you to visit the beautiful lakes of Bled and Bohinj for the day.
Accommodation
Stay in the little town of Kobarid, close to the turquoise Soca River, and an ideal base for explorations in the Julian Alps. There is an award winning museum to visit, several food shops and some excellent restaurants. Here you stay in an attractive self-catering apartment in the centre of the town, with a bedroom, a bathroom, your own kitchen and a balcony.
If you choose an 'Original' trip, you will find your apartment stocked with breakfast supplies too, or you will also be able to choose to stay instead as guests of the Kranjc family at their comfortable farmhouse B&B in the charming little hamlet of Kosec. Kosec is a collection of traditional Slovenian houses and farm buildings, nestled into a fold of rolling meadowland beneath the southern slopes of Mt Krn (2244m). The views across the fields to the famous Soca valley below are breathtaking. There are only about 75 villagers in Kosec, but with the other four villages of the Dre˛nica plateau they form a very strong little community. Stay in new and attractively furnished rooms with en suite facilities and balconies on which to sit and soak up the magnificent views across the plateau and down to the Soca valley. There is also a large garden with a “pétanque” court.
Family groups and parties of friends – book a group of 6 people or more and one of you will receive a completely FREE holiday! (conditions apply).
Solo traveller prices available. We can book train travel or help research flights.
Travel by train From London there is an overnight train to Venice via Paris
The Julian Alps are a stunning limestone mountain range, home to Slovenia’s only National Park and rising up to a height 2864m at the summit of Mount Triglav (‘Old Three Heads’). The peaks are jagged and spectacular, presenting the walker with wonderfully varied and beautiful mountain scenery, and with evocative evidence of the fierce struggles between Austrian and Italian troops in World War One. The wooded slopes lead down to deep gorges and ravines, where turquoise rivers, such as the pristine Soca, have carved out beautiful watercourses, waterfalls and caves. The region is carefully protected, so the spring flowers bloom in carpets, and deer, boar, chamois, wolves and even brown bears and lynx survive in relative abundance.
Explore the area on foot on an independent break, choose to travel whenever you like, and stay as long as you wish (minimum 3 nights). Holidays include comfortable single-centre accommodation in a traditional village or town, a hire car (carbon offset of course!), breakfast and a Handbook containing masses of local information as well as a wide range of self-guided walks suitable for all abilities and ages (including children). In addition, if you opt for an 'Original' trip, you will also be able to join 3 organised walks per week, receive breakfast and a lavish packed-lunch every day, and benefit from the full support of a knowledgeable locally based manager. There are no fixed itineraries – you are free to walk as much or as little as you like.
'No-frills' – includes town based self-catering apartment, hire car, Handbook of self-guided walks and local information.
'Original' – includes B&B in rural village or town, hire car, Handbook of self-guided walks and local information, 3 organised walks per week, deli-style packed lunches and the services of a local Manager.
Walking
A wide range of self-guided walks offers something for everyone. There are short strolls around Kosec and in the Soca Valley, with plenty of places to picnic and relax beside the turquoise river. Medium length walks range around the Dre˛nica plateau to take in dramatic waterfalls (be careful not to tread on a salamander), a tiny frescoed chapel, and explore the lovely countryside around Kobarid. Full day walks take you into the Triglav National Park, to the wild higher reaches of the Soca Valley, or over the Italian border to Monte Maggiore (Matajur).
The organised walks available on an 'Original' trip may find you joining a local farmer making cheese, exploring some extensive WW1 fortifications, walking the grassy slopes below Mt Krn or reaching the summit of Krasji Vrh (1774m).
Some Non-Walking Activities
The Soca river is superb for organised activities like white-water rafting, canoeing, hydrospeed, canyoning and trout fishing, which can be arranged locally. With advance warning, tandem paragliding flights, horse-riding and mountain biking can also be enjoyed. We recommend taking the car-train from Most na Soci to Bohinjska Bistrica, which enables you to visit the beautiful lakes of Bled and Bohinj for the day.
Accommodation
Stay in the little town of Kobarid, close to the turquoise Soca River, and an ideal base for explorations in the Julian Alps. There is an award winning museum to visit, several food shops and some excellent restaurants. Here you stay in an attractive self-catering apartment in the centre of the town, with a bedroom, a bathroom, your own kitchen and a balcony. If you choose an 'Original' trip, you will find your apartment stocked with breakfast supplies too, or you will also be able to choose to stay instead as guests of the Kranjc family at their comfortable farmhouse B&B in the charming little hamlet of Kosec. Kosec is a collection of traditional Slovenian houses and farm buildings, nestled into a fold of rolling meadowland beneath the southern slopes of Mt Krn (2244m). The views across the fields to the famous Soca valley below are breathtaking. There are only about 75 villagers in Kosec, but with the other four villages of the Dre˛nica plateau they form a very strong little community. Stay in new and attractively furnished rooms with en suite facilities and balconies on which to sit and soak up the magnificent views across the plateau and down to the Soca valley. There is also a large garden with a “pétanque” court.
details
Children under 2 years old free. Children aged 2-11 years old 25% discount. Family groups and parties of friends – book a group of 6 people or more and one of you will receive a completely FREE holiday! (conditions apply).
Solo traveller prices available. We can book train travel or help research flights.
Travel by train From London there is an overnight train to Venice via Paris
travellers' tales
The hike up one of the peaks in the Julian Alps with our guide was amazing. Not only were the views great, but we got our share of history by viewing WWI Italian fortifications on the mountain. (more)
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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One of the main factors in choosing the location of our holidays is the community in which we stay, where traditional ways of life survive, although they are often on the retreat. Our intention is to bring new income and impetus to the area – without overwhelming it! Our guests enjoy learning about the environment and culture, and the locals benefit both economically, and from the knowledge that their way of life is valued.
The village of Dre˛nica is situated at the edge of the Triglav National Park. At the family run Kranjc farmhouse where we stay, we help to support the traditional mountain lifestyle of the owners by dining happily on their home-grown vegetables, and on lamb and cheeses produced on their farm. Urska and Irena are happy to show us around the farm and to share local customs and folklore to help us improve our understanding of the region. Our regular presence as guests of the Kranjc family provides valuable income for them during the spring and autumn months. The ingredients for the packed lunches supplied are purchased from the villagers’ gardens, the tiny local shop in Dre˛nica, and from the fabulous mobile bakery van! In the evenings, we augment the business of the little village inn where home-made gnocchi and other fresh dishes are served. Both World Wars seriously affected this landscape and people, with consequences which are still felt today. In WW1 one of the bloodiest battle fronts in Europe was along the Soca River, with around one million casualties in this area alone. We outline the region’s turbulent history in our Handbook and encourage a visit to the award-winning museum at Kobarid, to help gain an understanding of this terrible episode. On some walks one can still find evidence of trenches, fortifications and shrapnel. All our car hire is carbon-offset through a scheme in place with the Carbon Neutral Company. Our brochure production and distribution is also carbon offset through a similar scheme, and we offer all our clients the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions caused by their flights too. We encourage and arrange train travel and also provide details on how this holiday can easily be reached by train, thereby avoiding flying altogether. Our brochure and all other literature and correspondence uses recycled paper, and we operate a rigorous recycling and energy saving policy both at our UK office and all our destinations, as well as encouraging our local suppliers to do the same. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |