Julian Alps in Slovenia: All Information About It
Looking for active holidays? Go on a hiking tour around the Julian Alps in Slovenia. By reading this article you will get the best information about the area.
Most of the Julian Alps in Slovenia, named after Gaius Julius Caesar, are protected by the Triglav National Park. In general, they are divided into the eastern, Slovenian and western mountain range in Italy. The area is rich in natural beauty and breathtaking wonders. Wild jagged rocky landscapes with unusual karst shapes on the surface alternate with grassy slopes full of flowers that often reach the highest peaks and the mighty two-thousand-meter mountains.
The crystal-clear rivers, which have carved many picturesque gorges, run through the alpine valleys. Beautiful mountain lakes and romantic waterfalls invite you to visit. In some places, old cultural landscapes with mountain homesteads and pastures have been preserved until this day. Get to know the wonderful world of the Julian Alps in Slovenia!
Some high mountain and valley lakes that were formed in the tectonic glacial basins have been preserved in this area. These lakes are:
Sava and Soča River, with their stunning emerald green color, spring in the eastern part of the Slovenian Alps. Numerous streams flow through the rocky walls and create beautiful waterfalls such as the Boka Waterfall and the famous Savica Waterfall.
According to folk tradition, Goldhorn, a white ibex with golden horns, once reigned in the mountains above the Soča River. If you look at the Julian Alps map, you can find vast plateaus of Komna and Bogatin on the west side of Lake Bohinj.
Legendary Goldhorn once lived here and guarded mountain gardens and treasure on Mt. Bogatin. This important fairy tale character is the symbol of the Triglav National Park. Today, alpine ibexes live in this high mountain range, on steep terrain.
Julius Kugiy was a big mountain lover and avid mountaineer all his life. Already in 1875, he stood on the mighty Mt. Triglav for the first time. In his book, he described 50 new trails which he discovered while hiking in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. He made a significant contribution to the beginnings of the mountaineering, so people put up his monument on the first hairpin turn that leads to Vršič mountain pass.
Evaluating the difficulty level of a mountain trail or via ferrata is more or less based on individual assessment. The difficulty level of a particular via ferrata or a hiking trail can be increased by:
If you look at the Julian Alps map you will see that the hiking tours are marked and divided into groups, according to different difficulty levels:
In the summer, the Julian Alps in Slovenia are enjoyable for taking hiking tours, as the days are longer and warmer. Experienced mountaineers say, that in the summer the weather can quickly change, as the clouds and storms can appear in a very short time.
Therefore, mountain climbs in the Julian Alps in September represent the best time for hiking tours, since it is still warm enough, but at the same time the weather calms down and does not bring unpredictable storms and quick weather changes.
In the Julian Alps in Slovenia, located in the heart of the protected Triglav National Park, camping in tents is prohibited (not in camps), because of your safety and because of the natural heritage preservation. At higher altitudes, under summits and on mountain plateaus, you can stay the night in mountain cottages.
In the valleys and on the mountain range outskirts, you can book a room in the Julian Alps hotel or find accommodation in many private rooms and apartments in Julian Alps. The alpine valleys are an excellent starting point for taking hiking tours.
In the Julian Alps in Slovenia you can find private accommodation mostly in locations such as:
Most mountain cottages in the Julian Alps in Slovenia have kept an authentic atmosphere from the olden days. In the huts, they serve Slovenian traditional foods and drinks. On weekends, the most popular cottages, especially the mountain cabin near the Triglav Lakes and the cottages around Mt. Triglav, are occupied and full. In some cases, a reservation is required to ensure that you will have a bed for the night.
The mountain cottages close their doors over the winter. Cabins under the summits and those at high altitudes are only open in the summer. Cottages at lower heights are open in the summer and also on weekends during the winter months. Opening hours and other Informations about mountain huts and bivouacs can be found on this website, which also displays the Julian Alps map with all the cottages.