Hiking in Slovenia


Slovenia is a  country which can offer a great hiking experience and caters for experienced hikers who want demanding hikes such as those on offer in the Julian Alps, to those who are complete beginners and want to take things a little easier. With its diverse landscape which includes soaring mountain peaks, dense alpine forests, rolling hills and lush green valleys Slovenia has a lot to offer anyone wanting to take a hiking holiday or spend a day walking in around one of Europe’s prettiest and most diverse countries.

 

Mountain Hikes

With around 8,500 km of marked trails, the hills and mountains of Slovenia offer hikes for walkers of all levels of experience and fitness. The mountainous areas of the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karavanke mountains are most popular between the months of April and October. These three areas are popular with local hikers as well as visitors from overseas. There is also a number of other hill areas which are popular with walkers and hikers and they include the areas of:

Idrijsko Hribovje, Pohorje, Cerkljansko Hribovje, Škofjeloško Hribovje, Polhograjsko Hribovje, Posavsko.

While you can hike on your own in the hills and mountains of Slovenia, on some of the more demanding mountain trails it’s best to hire a guide, especially in the winter months. The snow can make some areas dangerous in terms of avalanches and other hazards, but if you have a local, experienced guide who knows the area, you will be in good hands and can enjoy the scenic beauty in complete safety.

 

Themed Hiking Trails

The Slovenian Ramblers’ Association, in association with the Slovenian Tourist Board, has come together to devise a number of thematic hiking trails. There is a wide range of trails on offer and they are designed to give hikers a deeper understanding of the culture and history of Slovenia as well as helping walkers discover more about Slovenia’s natural wildlife. The thematic trails on offer include:

Cultural trails, heritage trails, historical trails and even food and wine trails to give an insight into the history of Slovenia, its culture and customs. There are also trails which focus purely on nature and these include trails through valleys and over mountains, trails along the coast and some through forests.

Many of the trails are in protected areas and many cover areas which are not so well known to tourists. If you check with the Slovenian Tourist Board and Ramblers Association, you can get more details on the hikes and walks on offer. They will give you all the following information so you can see if the trail is suitable for you:

Details of the approximate time to complete the trail.

The length of the trail from start to finish.

You will also receive maps and instructional leaflets on the trail and the area you are visiting with a background to the area and other useful facts.

They also provide recommendations for the most experienced guides, who can help you discover the local area and show you sites and places of interest along the way.

Many of the thematic hiking trails are day hikes but others are longer lasting for several days, and there are recommendations for the most suitable accommodation along the trail route.

Nordic Walking

Nordic walking is very popular with Slovenians and also with the many of the tourists that visit Slovenia. The sport originated in Finland and became popular in the 1990s, continuing to grow in popularity.

Not only is it a great way to get fit, it’s suitable for all ages and for those with no experience. Nordic walking, which involves walking with poles, is one of the most effective, safe, complete body workouts so it’s a great way to get fit and take in the beauty of the scenery at the same time.

Nordic walking can be done on the majority of hiking trails in Slovenia but the best way to enjoy  Nordic walking is in Slovenia’s  two Nordic walking parks. These are located in  Šmarješke Toplice and in Pomurje. The parks have specific trails you can follow through the parks and you can also take advantage of the parks’ experienced guides.

You can get lessons in the proper Nordic walking techniques. You will learn how to choose the right poles as well as what the benefits of Nordic walking are, and there are many which include:

It’s a complete body workout and exercises around  90% of the body’s total muscle mass.

It helps to strengthen both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Improves overall stamina and endurance.

Strengthens the upper body particularly the arms and shoulders, increases the flexibility of the body, particularly in the back and spine.

Helps to strengthen the neck, shoulders and lower back.

Strengthens the leg muscles, the buttocks, and abdominal muscles

Increases the heart rate by 20 beats per minute more than ordinary walking

Burns around 30-40% more calories than ordinary walking

Uses around 25% more oxygen than ordinary walking.

The above are just some of the benefits of Nordic walking but there are lots more. Slovenia is a great place to discover this popular and healthy outdoor activity.

 

The Slovenia Hiking Experience

All trails are all marked with route markings which consist of a red circle with a white centre. At the starting point of the trail, the grade of each trail is designated by a red triangle for harder or more strenuous trails, and a red triangle with an exclamation mark for the most demanding trails. Easy trails, which are suitable for anyone, have no grading.

Many trails start and end at designated hotels which specialise in providing accommodation, equipment and information for hikers. In the mountains, there are a number of dedicated lodges on routes which are open throughout the summer months.

When in the high mountains, hikers can often spend summer nights at mountain huts which are spread out at various intervals along the trail. Apart from in certain areas of the mountains, hiking is a year-round activity.

In addition, the walking trails go all over the country and connect with one another which means you can hike from one end of the country to the other along marked trails. Slovenia is also in the middle of the European E6 and E7 Walking Routes which covers the whole of Europe.

If you like hiking, you will love Slovenia and what it has to offer, and if you are visiting, you will find a warm welcome and a great hiking experience to enjoy. Useful information about hiking tours can be found at the “Hiking in Slovenia” website and in their guidebook.

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News headlines

  • Adria to launch Ljubljana to Kiev route

    The Slovenian national carrier Adria Airways is to launch regular flights to the Ukrainian capital from Ljubljana Brnik airport, The route will launch in October and there will be three flights a week on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, with the return flights being on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

    As well as providing a useful link with Ukraine, the route is also expected to be an important springboard to other European destinations from Kiev. 

  • Luton Town to Come to Slovenia for Training Camp

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    Slovenia, and especially Maribor, has been keen to promote itself as a great location for such training events with excellent facilities and accommodation and additional attractions such as sports physio services and wellness centres, in particular, those available at the country’s numerous spa centres

  • Slovenian Music Superstar to Play in the USA

    Vlado Kreslin, one of the best known and most popular Slovenian musicians will play a convert in Cleveland, Ohio on 3rd December. Kreslin, who is often referred to as the ‘Slovenian Bob Dylan’ first came to prominence in the Yugoslavian days, as a member of the 1970s rock band Martin Krpan but his solo incarnation veers more towards the genres of folk-rock. 

    While Kreslin is in the States on a short concert tour, the Cleveland date is particularly special because around 40 percent of Slovene Americans live in the state, the greatest concentration od them in the US, and of them the majority live in the Greater Cleveland area.

  • Ljubljana to Amsterdam flights from April 2017

    Dutch budget carrier Transavia is to launch three weekly flights connected Ljubljana with Amsterdam from April 2017. Tickets are already on sale and start at €29 one way. The flights will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

    As well as being an attractive destination in its own right, Amsterdam is a useful hub for flights to destinations all over the world, and especially for those looking for easy access to regional UK airports. 

     

  • Lendava to bid for European Capital of Culture title

    Lendava in the far east of Slovenia is making an ambitious bid to win the title European Capital of Culture for 2025. 

    Slovenia’s Minister for Culture has endorsed the bid, saying that it represents an important chance to decentralise culture and spread it to small towns, not just to concentrate it in the bigger cities.

    Campaigning proper will begin in earnest in 2019 but a conference has just taken place in the town to get the ball rolling. Organisers say that Lendava will make the bid along with partner towns, citing Croatia’s Čakovec, Austria’s Bad Radkersburg and Hungary’s Szentgotthard as possibilities. 

     

  • Celtic Football Club Coming to Slovenia

    Despite the Euros being in full swing, it’s that time of year when football supporters start thinking about the new season. How many new signings will their side make and how will those players fit into the existing team? Will they have a good run in the cup, or will they be fighting for survival once again?

    Following an age-old tradition of pre-season tours, this year Glasgow Celtic, one of Scotland’s biggest clubs has chosen Slovenia for its short trip abroad. The brief tour will kick off in Celje on 30 June before heading over the border to play Austria’s Sturm Graz on 3 July. The Bhoys, as they are known, will return to Slovenia to play Olimpija at Ljubljana’s Stožice Stadium on 6 July and the final match will take place at the Ljudski vrt in Maribor on 9 July.

    Celtic have met NK Maribor already: in 2014 they faced each other in a play-off for entry to the Uefa Champions League, and after the two legs Maribor came out the victors, winning on aggregate 1-2.

    This time, Celtic will be led by their new manager Brendan Rodgers who previously managed Liverpool FC.

  • Slovenia Estates Comes To Kobarid

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    Plečnik is usually associated with Ljubljana, having overseen the redesign of the large parts of the city in the first half of the twentieth century and his distinctive style is easy to spot. However, he was also responsible for a major reworking of Prague Castle in the Czech capital between 1921 and 1934 and this chair was part of that project, having been designed to sit in the study of the President at the time, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk.

    Plečnik actually had three of these chairs made but only one managed to stay in Prague Castle throughout the Communist period. In fact, for a long time curators there thought that chair was one of a kind until a second chair was returned to Prague Castle in a bad condition in 2006, and they were delighted when this third chair turned up at auction. 

  • Ljubljana to Warsaw Six Flights Weekly

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  • Slovenia real estate increases in popularity

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    We have now set up a new Blog page with news articles on Slovenian real estae, topical issues, news and featured & bargain properties. We will be updating the page each week with stories, so please check the page out for up to date information on Real estate in Slovenia. Click HERE to go to the page

     

  • Ljubljana Apartments moving faster

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    There is more and more excellent value real estate in Slovenia now, with local owners unable to finance renovations or improvements themselves, there is a good supply of property in need of renovation at some very attractive prices. With Slovenia Estates project managing renovations, a project need not be a headache but a very worthwhile investment. Contact us for the best bargain real estate in Slovenia on the market.

  • We have moved

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  • Ljubljana Apartment Sales

    Further to the recent News we posted on “Ljubljana Sells Best” we wanted to provide more information on Ljubljana real estate. The sales are nearly always apartments and always in the centre of town. The demand from foreign buyers for houses in Ljubljana is low as they want to be located very centrally and this means apartments. Ljubljana villas in for example the Rozna Dolina area are also priced at a level that is too high for most Slovenia real estate investors.

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  • New section here

    As you can see this is a new section we have just added, to keep our customers up to date with whats going on with Elite and real estate here in Slovenia. It will be regularly updated.

  • A Bargain!

    Does it get any cheaper than this for a renovation project, a lovely village, a quiet street, some land all for €25000! Click here

  • New Properties added

    We have been out and about over the past few weeks seeing and adding new properties to our website. Over the next few weeks many more will be added so its a good idea to register for updates if you wish to be kept informed of whats new in Slovenia real estate.

  • Another Beauty – Karst Project

    We are pleased to announce another superb development in the popular Karst region. Beautiful, modern villas in a rural setting, super views and highly energy efficient, these represent Slovenia real estate at its best. For details click here, a full presentation of visuals will also be found here. For more details just contact us.

  • Lipica Villas

    Together with a partner agency we are soon to be launching a beautiful new development in Lipica, just opposite the entrance to the famous Lipica Estate where the famous Lipizzaner horses are from. This represents Slovenia real estate at its finest…Click here for a sneak preview

  • Summer Here!

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  • Good Weather means enquiries

    Its always interesting to see the corallation between good weather and increased enquiries for Slovenia real estate. Over the past few weeks when its been cold and rainy enquiries were low, now people see the sun is coming back and the enquiries have risen. Forget the moon! We are ruled by the sun!

  • Success in Moscow

    We are happy to report that our attendance at the Moscow Real Estate fair was a great success, we were the only representation Slovenia had and that proved effective. There was much interest in Slovenia especially in the €150-€250,000 price range. Many of the visitors to the Croatia stands were also coming our way so its good to know that many consider Slovenia as an alternative to Croatia.

  • Soca Interest

    Interest in the Soca region of Slovenia has reached the highest level in two years. People have always loved this area for Slovenia real estate for its beauty but it seems people are really seeing all the benefits of this popular area and preferring it to other areas.

  • Karst Interest, new stone villas

    We have seen a marked increase in enquiries for the Karst (Kras) region of Slovenia, we will soon be selling stone villas in a new exclusive development in Lipica, home of the famous Lipizzaner horses. We will publish more information once we start the marketing campaign

  • Moscow Fair

    We will be promoting 4 fabulous new developments at the fair as well as all our beautiful properties on our books. As well as meeting all the agencies we work with and several we will hopefully be working with in the future.

  • New Site Comments

    We have recieved many kind comments about our re designed site, Thank you to all those that sent emails with such great comments. We also received some great suggestions about what people would like to see on the site and we will be working on including many of these suggestions!

  • Katja to get Licence

    Our Office general manager Katja Keber is studying for her real estate licence, let’s hope she gets it soon!

    Katja has been with SE for 4 years and has a great understanding of how Slovenia real estate Market works so we expect her to pass first time!

  • Off to Moscow

    The SE team will be attending the International Real Estate Fair in Moscow in April, we will be promoting selected properties and projects on our books.

    The show is Russia’s largest real estate show and in the past Slovenia real estate has not been presented before, so a first for Slovenia and Elite!

Contact us

    info@sloveniaestates.com
    +386 (0) 51 622 444
    sloveniaestates

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