The Slovene Mountain Trail
Slovenska planinska pot
The Slovene Mountain Trail
Slovenska planinska pot
Guidebook to trekking the Slovene Mountain Trail or Transverzala, 550km across Slovenia. Beginning at Maribor near the Austrian border to Ankaran on the Adriatic coast, the route is described as a series of 3 to 6-day treks through the region of Pohorje and the limestone mountains of the Karavanke and Kamnik-Savinja and Julian Alps.First English-language guidebook to walking the Slovene Mountain Trail (Slovenska planinska pot or Transverzala) between Maribor near the Austrian border and Ankaran on the Adriatic Coast. Covering 550km (342 miles), this long-distance trek crosses Slovenia's Julian Alps and Karavanke and takes 49 days in total to complete.
The route is described as 12 stages of 3 to 6 day treks of all levels of difficulty, which can be completed as single sections or linked together to create the 49-day trip. Each day is graded from 1–3, Grade 1 days are mostly track-based routes without steep ascents, while Grade 3 days involve technical terrain featuring fixed protection or sections of via ferrata, necessitating adequate experience and equipment.
- Illustrated with sketch maps, profiles and photographs
- Advice on planning and preparation
- Detailed information on facilities and mountain huts for each trek stage
- Public transport options listed for the start and finish of each stage
- Includes the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Pohorje plateau and the Karavanke
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781786310200
Availability
Published
Published
19 Mar 2019
Reprinted
13 Feb 2023
Edition
Second
Pages
256
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm
Weight
290g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.
Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Landscape and geology
Climate and weather
Wildlife and flowers
The route
When to go
Getting there
Travelling within Slovenia
Accommodation
Food and drink
Money and shopping
Communications
Health and hazards
Language
Maps
Waymarking
Equipment
Mountain safety
Using this guidebook
The Slovene Mountain Trail
Stage 1 Maribor to Slovenj Gradec
Stage 2 Slovenj Gradec to Solčava
Stage 3 Solčava to Zgornje Jezersko
Stage 4 Zgornje Jezersko to Tržič
Stage 5 Tržič to Dovje/Mojstrana
Stage 6 Dovje/Mojstrana to Vršič
Stage 7 Vršič to Trenta
Stage 8 Trenta to Petrovo Brdo
Stage 9 Petrovo Brdo to Idrija
Stage 10 Idrija to Col
Stage 11 Col to Matavun
Stage 12 Matavun to Ankaran
Appendix A Bibliography
Appendix B The Slovene language
Appendix C Transport to and facilities at the stage start points
Appendix D Hut telephone numbers
Appendix E Route summary table
Seasons
June-September; some of the easier treks can be made in May and October, but note that huts will be closed
Centres
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.
May 2023
Maps for the TRansverzala route
We have had reports of difficulty finding the maps for the TRansverzala route. The Slovene Alpine Club, PZS, list the required maps on their English page about the route: https://en.pzs.si/vsebina.php?pid=58. All of these except Pohorje are available in PZS's own shop for €9.10 (if you click the map title it takes you to the shop, but not directly to the specific map; the five that are available are all on pages 1 and 2 of the shop, with blue covers - just match the name up).
The Pohorje and Nanos maps appear to be out of print. It may be possible to still buy them locally, but they do not seem to be available online.
PZS has released all the maps of Slovenia on a free app, https://mapzs.pzs.si/home/trails, (the page has an English translation, if it comes up in Slovene first) which cover the whole country.
August 2019
Updates
Thank you to two walkers, Lorraine and Andrew, who have sent updates to us after walking the route. See below for some advice on this:
1. STAGE 3 DAY 1: The hut Kocbekov dom which was burned to the ground in October 2017 (see margin note on p73) has not yet been rebuilt, and we haven't been able to find any projected date for when a new hut will open.
The problem is there is no alternative accommodation in these high, rocky mountains, so there is no real option other than to go on to the next hut. The next nearest hut is Kamniška koča na Kamniškem sedlu, which is reached in 5h30 according to the next stage (Stage 3 Day 2), or can be reached in 3 hours via Srebrno sedlo (not marked on our sketch map, but the route is clear on the sheet map). This latter alternative omits Ojstrica and Planjava.
2. STAGE 3 DAY 4: A section of the path which goes to the summit of Skuta is closed and has been for the last 12 months. In this case, walkers should go directly to Cojzova koča after the ascent of Turska gora, following the path which is clearly marked on the sheet map (but not our sketch map in the book), avoiding the summit of Skuta altogether. The route can then be picked up again the following day.
We always recommend that guidebook users check the route with PZS or the local tourist office in advance, because the mountains of Slovenia are a mobile, evolving landscape - increasingly so due to the climate crisis. Floods, landslides, rockfalls, even fallen trees etc that can damage parts of the route are common (even if hut fires are not).
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
Learn morePopular related guides
