The Slovene Mountain Trail

Slovenska planinska pot

By Justi Carey, Roy Clark

ISBN

9781786310200

Availability

Published

19 Mar 2019

Reprinted

13 Feb 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

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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.

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.

ISBN

9781786310200

Availability

Published

19 Mar 2019

Reprinted

13 Feb 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

Overview

A guidebook to trekking the Slovene Mountain Trail, crossing Slovenia from Austria to the Adriatic. The 550km route is presented in a series of 12 3 to 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. Each day is graded: low-grade walking is mostly on tracks or lanes with no steep ascents, whereas the most difficult stages may involve steep and technical terrain including fixed protection or sections of via ferrata, for which a helmet, self-belaying equipment and the appropriate experience are required.

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.

Table of Contents

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

Updates

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).

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Justi Carey

Justi Carey and Roy Clark started visiting the British mountains in their teens, a discovery which has shaped their whole lives. Their passion for the outdoors has since led to travels across the world and a deep commitment to the environment, while their continuing interest in being ‘out there’ has resulted in an enthusiasm for skiing, canoeing, cycle touring, horse riding and even rollerblading! Since moving to Slovenia in 2002, Justi has worked as an English teacher, while Roy has developed his skills in landscape photography. They now run a Bed and Breakfast in the mountainous north-west corner of Slovenia.

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Roy Clark

Justi Carey and Roy Clark started visiting the British mountains in their teens, a discovery that has shaped their whole lives. Their passion for the outdoors has since led to travels across the world and a deep commitment to the environment, while their continuing interest in being ‘out there’ has resulted in an enthusiasm for skiing, canoeing, cycle touring, horse riding and even rollerblading! Since moving to Slovenia in 2002, Justi has worked as an English teacher, while Roy has developed his skills in landscape photography. They now run a Bed and Breakfast in the mountainous north-west corner of Slovenia.

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