Slovenia

Slovenia: the Julian Alps and the Soča Valley

An alpine massif dominated by the only peak featured on a national flag, then a river so purely transparent it seems tinted emerald

Slovenia

Slovenia: the Julian Alps and the Soča Valley

A journey far from Lake Bled and Ljubljana: Triglav National Park, Slovenia's only national park, dominated by Mount Triglav, the country's highest peak whose silhouette appears on the national flag, an honour shared by no other mountain in the world, then the Soča Valley, whose exceptionally clear waters take on an emerald hue so intense it seems artificial, the result of the river's uniquely mineral-rich rocky bed.

When

June to Sept

Price

From 2 000€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

5 nights

Ideal length

Triglav National Park

Days 1-2

The first chapter unfolds in Triglav National Park, Slovenia's only national park and one of the oldest in Europe, dominated by Mount Triglav, whose three-peaked silhouette appears on the national flag and coat of arms, an honour no other mountain in the world shares with its nation. Rising to two thousand eight hundred and sixty-four metres, this summit remains, by Slovenian popular tradition, an informal rite of passage — climbing Triglav at least once in one's life is considered by many a formative experience of national identity.

Day 1

A hike through the Vrata Valley

A hike through the glacial Vrata Valley, the classic starting point for the ascent of Mount Triglav, between steep rock walls and alpine forests.

Day 2

Lake Bohinj and its waterfalls

An exploration of Lake Bohinj, Slovenia's largest natural lake, and a hike to Savica Falls, which partly feeds the Sava River.

1 / 3

The Emerald Soča Valley

Days 1-2

The road to the Soča Valley, whose exceptionally clear waters take on an emerald hue so intense it seems artificial, a phenomenon caused by the particular mineral composition of the river's limestone bed and the purity of its glacial sources. The site of some of the deadliest fighting of the First World War during the twelve Battles of the Isonzo, the valley today retains traces of this tragic past while having established itself as one of Europe's premier destinations for whitewater rafting and kayaking.

Day 1

Rafting on the emerald waters of the Soča

A rafting descent on the emerald waters of the Soča, one of Europe's clearest rivers, through narrow limestone gorges.

Day 2

In the footsteps of the Isonzo battles

A visit to the remains of the Isonzo battles, one of the deadliest confrontations of the First World War, whose trenches and museums still dot the valley.