THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL SLOVENSKA PLANINSKA POT About the Authors by Justi Carey and Roy Clark Justi Carey and Roy Clark started visiting the British mountains in their teens, a discovery which has shaped their whole lives. Their passion and love for the outdoors has led to travels across the world – taking in Iceland, North America, Jordan and New Zealand – and a deep commitment to the environment, while their continuing interest in being ‘out there’ has resulted in an enthusiasm for downhill and cross-country skiing, canoeing, cycle touring, and horse riding, among other things. After 16 wonderful years in Slovenia, they have recently moved to north-west Ireland for some new adventures. Other Cicerone guides by these authors Walking in Slovenia: The Karavanke The Julian Alps of Slovenia JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS, OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL www.cicerone.co.uk © Justi Carey and Roy Clark 2019 CONTENTS Second edition 2019 ISBN 978 1 78631 020 0 Map key . 7 First edition 2009 Overview map. 8 INTRODUCTION . 11 Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore Landscape and geology . 12 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Climate and weather . 14 All photographs are by the authors unless otherwise stated. Wildlife and flowers . 15 The route. 16 When to go . 20 DEDICATION Getting there . 21 Travelling within Slovenia . 21 for all those who nurture the land Accommodation . 22 and seek to protect the wild places of the earth Food and drink . 24 Money and shopping. 25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Communications . 26 Health and hazards . 26 We would like to thank our good friends Tatjana and Brane Sitar, Mirjam Martinuč- Language. 27 Bernard and Rok Bernard, and all the many others who have helped us along the way. Maps . 28 Keith Gaines, Carol Piercy and Colin Burge, Sue and Ivan Godfrey, and Diane Badham Waymarking . 28 sent us invaluable updates for the second edition, and we thank them. Equipment. 28 Mountain safety. 29 Using this guidebook . 31 THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL Updates to this Guide Stage 1 Maribor to Slovenj Gradec . 33 While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks Stage 2 Slovenj Gradec to Solčava . 50 as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any Stage 3 Solčava to Zgornje Jezersko. 68 updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www . Stage 4 Zgornje Jezersko to Tržič. 89 cicerone .co .uk/1020/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We Stage 5 Tržič to Mojstrana . 100 also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accom- Stage 6 Mojstrana to Vršič . 121 modation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are Stage 7 Vršič to Trenta . 143 always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook Stage 8 Trenta to Petrovo Brdo . 152 and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post Stage 9 Petrovo Brdo to Idrija . 174 to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal LA9 7RL. Stage 10 Idrija to Col . 188 Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers and Stage 11 Col to Matavun . 203 GPX files where available, register your book atwww .cicerone .co .uk. Stage 12 Matavun to Ankaran . 221 APPENDIX A Bibliography. 239 APPENDIX B The Slovene language . 240 APPENDIX C Transport to and facilities at the stage start points . 242 APPENDIX D Hut telephone numbers . 245 Front cover: Walking along the Karavanke from Stol to Vajnež (Stage 5) APPENDIX E Route summary table . 248 MAP KEY Warning Map key Every mountain walk has its dangers, and those described in this guidebook are no exception. All who walk or climb in the mountains should recognise this motorway and take responsibility for themselves and their companions along the way. The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information con- main road tained in this guide was correct when it went to press, but, except for any liability minor road/forest track that cannot be excluded by law, they cannot accept responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person using this book. route with direction arrow To call out the Mountain Rescue, ring the international emergency number tunnel 112 for rescue, fire and medical or 113 for police only: this will connect you via any available network. ski lift national boundary railway river Walkers nearing the summit of Porezen (Stage 9) ridge town/village peak col hut campsite habitation waterfall marshy ground direction arrow viewing tower C cave(s) 7 THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL OVERVIEW MAP Graz Graz TheT Slheov Sleneovene Mountain Mountain Trail Trail GrazGrazAirporAirport t HUNGHUNG AUAUS TRIAS TRIA KlagenfurtKlagenfurt ARY ARY AirporAirport t MariborMaribor KARAKARA SlovenjSlov enj VANKEVANKE GradecGradec P P MojstrMojstrana ana O O VršicVršic H H Zgornje O O JeseniceJeseniceZgornje R R TriglaTrviglav JezerskoJezersko JE JE TrentaTrenta Alps Alps SolčavSola čava J J U U Tr ž ičTr ž ič K- IK- LIA LIA S S KA M KNAIMN CeljeCelje N ANLP ALP PS PS SAVSINAVJAIN AJLA AL Y Y PetrovoPetr brovodo brdo KranjKranj Brnik Brnik CROCROA TIAA TIA AL AL AirporAirport t IT IT LjubljanLjubljana a IdrijaIdrija TriesteT rieste SLOSLVENIAO VENIA AirporAirport t Col Col TriestTreieste MataMatavun vun ADRIAADRIATIC TICSEA SEA N N AnkarAnkaran an 0 0 20 20 km km 8 9 THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL Crossing the top of the screes below Kranjska Rinka on route to Skuta INTRODUCTION Making hay in the Zadnjica valley near Trenta (Stage 8, Day 1) Slovenia is only a tiny country, but the palm of your hand. This is a jewel within its small area lies some of the most of a land, perfectly poised between varied and beautiful mountain scenery the Alps and the sea, invaded from all in the whole of Europe. From the stark directions throughout the ages but never heights of the Alps, through forested pla- overcome, and still retaining a vision of teaus and rolling hill country scattered the important things in life that many of with small farmsteads, to the fascinating us, in today’s busy world, are struggling limestone karst areas, Slovenia has it all. to find. Once out on the trail, the body And to explore it, there are thousands relaxes and the mind settles, until the of kilometres of waymarked tracks and vital things are not lists of urgent tasks paths, from wine routes to high moun- to be done, but the beauty of a butterfly tains and via ferratas. The series of treks on an alpine flower, the sudden startling described in this book together form the view as you turn a corner, or the shaft of Slovene Mountain Trail and constitute sunlight shifting through the transparent around 550km of walking that is by turn green of the leaves. beautiful, impressive, magnificent and The original concept of the Slovene spectacular, and will richly reward all Mountain Trail was to encourage moun- who undertake the journey. taineers to appreciate the beauty of the Flying in to Ljubljana International Slovene environment, and it certainly Airport at Brnik, the lofty mountains, the offers plenty of opportunity for that. hills with their red-roofed churches, and Because of the small size of the coun- the villages surrounded by neatly tended try, one of the charms of the route is fields look as if you could hold them in that from most of the high points along 10 11 THE SLOVENE MOUNTAIN TRAIL LANDSCAPE AND GEOLOGY the way, you can see where you have In spite of its small size, there are come from and where you are going several distinct geographical regions in next. Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia: the Alpine area, including the Slovenia, at 2864m, can be seen from Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, almost every viewpoint, and by the time Pohorje and the Karavanke; the foothills you come to climb it, you have the feel- (pre-Alps) to the south of the Alps; the ing of meeting an old friend. karst area, south of Ljubljana towards the Slovenia is about the size of Wales, Italian border; the short coastline; and a or half the size of Switzerland, and small area of flat Pannonian plain to the although only about 11 per cent of the northeast, near the border with Hungary. land area is covered by high mountains, Geologically, most of Slovenia is 90 per cent is higher than 300m above composed of limestone. The term karst, sea level, and the Slovenes proudly derived from the Slovene word kras, count themselves an Alpine nation. is used all over the world to describe Mountains have shaped the country and limestone formations, and includes such its culture; its northern and western bor- features as deep, steep-sided gorges and ders are formed by the Karavanke and dry valleys, sinkholes, springs, water- the Julian Alps, while agriculture and dissolved caves and tunnels under - land use have been dictated by the ter- ground, and water-eroded surface rocks rain. With a present-day population of resulting in the formation of limestone about two million centred on Ljubljana, pavement, all of which are encountered the capital city, there are only a handful in abundance along the route. of other large towns, the most important The main characteristic of lime - being Maribor, Celje and Kranj. Much stone, seen to dramatic effect in the land- of the population still lives in villages, scape, is its porous nature, which allows which are connected to the main centres water to sink directly into the rock.