A guidebook to trekking the Slovene Mountain Trail, crossing Slovenia from Austria to the Adriatic. The 550km route is presented in a series of graded 3-6 day treks of all levels of difficulty, all featuring start and finish-points that can be accessed by public transport. They can be completed as single sections or linked to create a longer trip.
In addition to clear route description and mapping, the guide provides all the practical information you will need to plan your trip, covering transport, accommodation and safety, as well as background notes on geology, plants and wildlife.
From Maribor, close by the Austrian border in the north-east, to Ankaran on the Adriatic coast in the south-west, the route covers outstanding mountain and upland walking: the vast forested plateau of Pohorje, the sheer limestone peaks of the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps with their via ferrata protected routes, the traditional alpine pastures and flower-strewn ridges of the Karavanke, and the forested hills and olive groves of the limestone karst country that stretch towards the coast.
Seasons
June-September; some of the easier treks can be made in May and October, but note that huts will be closedCentres
Maribor, Slovenj Gradec, Solčava, Zgornje Jezersko, Tržič, Dovje/Mojstrana, Vršič, Trenta, Petrovo Brdo, Idrija, Col, Matavun, Ankaran.
Difficulty
each day has a subjective grade of 1-3, but even the easiest days require a good level of walking fitness. The most difficult, grade 3 sections, require mountaineering experience as they are strenuous, often very exposed, and will have sections of fixed protection; helmet and self-belaying equipment are recommended here.Must See
the Pohorje uplands; the Kamnik-Savinja Alps; the Julian Alps; including Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia, the Triglav Lakes valley, and the Vršič Pass; the Karst region; the mining town of Idrija; the Škocjan caves; the Adriatic coast.