Actively in Slovenia – Put Your Backpack on and Hit the Road

As a destination on the contact point of the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Karst, and the Pannonian Plain Slovenia offers diverse and attractive hiking possibilities. Well-preserved natural greenery can be found at almost every step. Even from the cities you can be on a hiking trail within a few minutes. We have collected some useful hiking tips for this summer!

Although it stretches only about 20,000 square kilometres, with less than a three-hour drive on motorways from one corner of the country to the other, Slovenia is criss-crossed by nearly 10,000 kilometres of waymarked walking routes. Our attention is immediately captured by the high-elevation mountain areas – the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and the Karavanke Alps, providing captivating views. We can also get to know the mid-elevation areas: the Idrija-Cerkno hills, the Škofja Loka hills, the Polhov Gradec hills, the Posavje hills, etc. We can also visit the Pohorje massif or the Snežnik-Javorniki range, which is the longest uninhabited forest range in northwestern Europe, take a stroll on the rolling hills of the Dolenjska and Bela Krajina regions on the southeastern part and do some exercises along the paths in the Pomurje region in the northeastern part of Slovenia, which may not be steep, but are perfect for Nordic walking.

Our hiking suggestions for this summer:

SLOVENIAN HIKING TRANSVERSALS: If you are looking for vacations with a touch of Alpine spirit, choose one of Slovenian hiking transversals. You can choose the most popular Slovenian Mountain Trail, which will take you from Maribor on the east all the way to the Adriatic Sea on the west, or you can choose the Alpine transversal Via Alpina, which connects 8 Alpine countries from Monaco to Slovenia, or you complete the Slovenian part of the European Long Distance Footpath E6 or E7, and also get to know the Prealpine Path. The routes are diverse, interesting, and with various difficulty levels, and they might take from 7 to 30 days. For easier organization check the programmes (Slovenian Hiking & Biking Association).

HIKING TRAILS: If you’re thinking about spending holidays in one of the many Slovenian holiday destinations and you also want to be active there, check theme hiking trails, which can be an excellent addition to your time off from work and an attractive way of getting to know Slovenia – you can choose between cultural and ethnological trails (cultural heritage trails, historical trails, pilgrims’ trails, food and wine trails), nature-based trails (natural heritage trails, forest interpretive trails, trails through protected areas) or sports trails (Nordic walking trails, walks, exercise trails, fitness trails). More information is also available at the local TIC centre in your selected holiday destination.

HIKING PACKAGES: Choose the hiking package to your liking! Choosing a hiking route in a country with thousands of kilometres of such paths can sometimes be more difficult than walking itself. Why not let someone else do the work for you? Specialised accommodation facilities for hikers offer special multi-day packages with a varied programme. In this respect you can also turn to the Slovenian Hiking and Cycling Association for help - they will gladly serve you with new programmes, which are collected in the new Hiking in Slovenia brochure, which includes programmes of multi-day hikes in Pohorje, Logarska dolina, Bohinj, Posočje, Litija, and Istria. Find the contact here. Diverse and interesting hiking programmes are also organized by specialised agencies.

SPECIALIZED HIKING ACCOMMODATION: After a challenging hike take comfortable rest in specialized hiking accommodation facilities, mostly hotels, but Slovenian mountains are also covered with mountain huts and lodges.

HIKING EVENTS: For more social and relaxing ramblings around the mountain world of Slovenia you can take part in one of hiking or sports events. Check the Hiking Event Schedule.

WEATHER: Before embarking on a hiking expedition we recommend you check the weather forecast on the Environmental Agency website.

GPS GUIDE: Also check the GPS Guide to Specialised Accommodation Facilities for Hikers and Cyclists in Slovenia, where you can find the list of specialised accommodation facilities all over Slovenia (location, basic accommodation, tourist offer information, and photograph of the place).

As of June you’re welcome to visit the facebook portal /hikingbikingslovenia. On the right also check the programme, we are focusing on this time.

In any case you can use the Hiking in Slovenia brochure, which will provide you with a comprehensive overview of all hiking options in Slovenia. For online orders click here or you can also pick up a copy directly from Slovenian representative offices abroad.

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