Tag: nature

  • 5 Beautiful Short Walks in “Gorenjska”

    5 Beautiful Short Walks in “Gorenjska”

    Leaving Bovec and heading over the mountains to Gorenjska region of Slovenia (Upper Carniola). Here I will lay out some nice, easy walks in that region that I have done in the last years. They can be done in winter, summer or any time of the year. They are beautiful in their own way in each season. And they are also all quite popular in Slovenia, expect crowds on a sunny weekend.

    1. Tamar and Planica Valley

      To start the walk to Tamar, you need to park your car at the sports centre Planica. You can follow the old road or the path, which goes just along the road. Either way it takes less than an hour one way, easy walk. We did around 11 km there and back, less than 200 m height difference.

      When you are there, it is nice to check out the waterfalls Črne vode and Nadiža. They are especially beautiful in spring or after rain.

      Nadiža waterfall
      Source of Nadiža waterfall
      Source of Nadiža waterfall
      Črne vode waterfall
      Črne vode waterfall
      Črne vode waterfall

      2. Koča na Ljubelju

        This hut is located at an old border check, the oldest mountain pass in Europe. The hut is normally open for the weekends. When there is enough snow, it is a popular spot for sledging. Otherwise it is a lovely, hour walk or so one way. Also a nice spot for a full moon walk. There is around 300 m height difference and 4.5 km up and down.

        Photo by A. M.

        3. Mojčin dom na Vitrancu

        This walk can be done from a few starting points. We started from Jasna and it took us around 2 hours up. We went down around the ski slope (it was closed then) to Kranjska Gora. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get back to the parking lot. The walk was approximately 11 km and around 700 m height difference. The views are superb from the hut.

        On the way up – winter fairytale at the end of November.

        At the hut and the views.

        Photo by Vesna

        On the way down.

        4. Koča v Krnici

        Another beautiful choice for a winter, snowy walk. The walk takes about 2 hours round trip. It covers around 10 km with less than 300 m height difference, starting from Pišnica. There is also a hut, but open only for the weekends and holidays.

        If you go later in the afternoon, maybe you will be lucky to not meet anyone else.

        5. Peričnik Waterfall

        This one I have already mentioned once, but now I am showing you the winter version of it. In winter you leave your car before the ramp and take a one hour walk to the waterfall. There and back, again around 2 hours, 8 km, less than 200 m height difference. The conditions only allowed to go to the lower waterfall.

        On the way to the waterfall.

        The frozen Peričnik waterfall.

        Photo by a nice stranger
        Photo by Aida

        The photos of the same waterfall from springtime, approached from the other side.

        This isn’t a list of must-see places. It’s just a small reminder to myself of walks that work – on slow days, busy days and everything in between. But maybe it sparks an idea for your next walk in Gorenjska.

      1. First Time Hiking in France: A Short Van Trip Adventure

        First Time Hiking in France: A Short Van Trip Adventure

        We went with our MinionVan for a short but sweet trip to the border of France. It was actually a boys’ trip, but I decided to come along as well. And I’m glad I did!

        Our first lunch stop in France already had beautiful views of larches changing the color of their needles.

        But before we went to France, we had another stop in Pontida, Italy. We went for a short bike ride, where we stumbled upon a funny barbecue in front of the church.

        Anyway, the biking was a bit too cross country for me, but fun enough. The trails we did are called Uccellaia 2 and Guendalina Basso.

        Let’s return to France. It was still raining the first day. We checked out some waterfalls in the area of La Grave. We also visited my favorite French shop, E.Leclerc in Briançon.

        The second day the boys did some canyoning, I hiked up to Lac Lauvitel. Lac means lake in French. Beautiful, easy hike – 10 km, 2 hours up, less than 1.5 hours down, 750 m height difference. This was my first proper hiking in France.

        On the way to the lake:

        The views of the lake:

        The next day we were exploring a different part of Le Parc national des Écrins. I went for a nice walk to Cascade de la Pisse, along the Le Veneon river. I did this while waiting for the boys to return.

        The next day, Rick and I went to Les Deux Alpes, Venosc. Since it was a school holiday in France, we were lucky that the trails and chairlifts were open. Also the ticket was super cheap. There was snow on the top and wet further down. Still worth it!

        The views were magical!

        I was in love with this part of the trail! Photo by Rick.

        For the last day I had my morning coffee with the nicest views.

        After that I went for a stroll around La Grave. It was out of season, the town was very quite. All the locals were looking at me funny. The town is quaint though.

        This was it for our short, but magical French adventure!

      2. Adventure-Filled Birthday: MTB, Diving and Canyoning

        Adventure-Filled Birthday: MTB, Diving and Canyoning

        Celebrating my birthday this year was very fun. On Sunday we went on pre-birthday MTB ride at Monte Jouf.

        We did a 2 hour ride (moving time).

        Uphill on the road.

        This was the most fun trail – Puerto escondido, which I got to do twice, thanks to shuttle bunny Rick.

        Photos by Rick

        We have also done Barbarossa, Kraken and DH Jouf II parte, with which we have started our ride. Fun trails, Barbarossa was my least favorite though.

        Photo by Rick

        The next day, my birthday, we went diving to Y40. Because my wish was to dive on my birthday, not ski as earlier years. I use my iPhone underwater with the housing Divevolk.

        Underwater photos are very blue-toned, so to have more “realistic” colors, I use Dive+ app, which restores colors. Look at some before and after photos. Photos made of me were made by Rick and I edited them.

        The utmost depth of Y40 is 40 m. Well, if you lie on the floor, it’s actually 41 m. Very cool place to practice your diving skills.

        Next day we went canyoning to Torrente Favarinis. A short 40 min walk to the entrance and more than 2 hours canyoning tour. It took us more than described, because I was downclimbing and walking slower than otherwise. I broke my record. I did a 50 m rappel by myself. It was the last out of 7 waterfalls of the canyon.

        Photo by Rick
        Photo by Rick

        When you finish you are practically by the car, which is my favorite ending a canyoning tour.

        What fun ways to celebrate my birthday!

      3. My First Diving Experience in Picturesque Raja Ampat

        My First Diving Experience in Picturesque Raja Ampat

        I have wanted to try diving for a very long time now. Then Rick finally said ok, let’s do this. So we went straight to Raja Ampat, Indonesia, one of the top diving locations. Many people said we will be spoilt from now on.

        We stayed in a homestay for about 10 days. No wifi, no alcohol, no choice of food. We ate fish, rice and veggies every day for 3 times a day – my tummy loved it! Once in a while we had something different, like dadar gulung – pancakes made of coconut & pandan. We had this whole beach, like from a screensaver, just for ourselves. It was picture perfect.

        The island was very small, we would walk all around it in about 45 minutes. There was a school and the local men were fishing every day.

        On our arrival, we had some problems finding our homestay. The boat left us at the main jetty. We found out later that ours was broken. The locals don’t really speak English. After some time using gestures and attempting to pronounce the name of our homestay, we made it.

        We started our OWD at the resort of the dive center. After we passed it, we of course joined their other dives. They picked us up every day at the jetty. Every dive was special, since we were experiencing something new really. At the time, I was not taking photos yet underwater. However, our guides were so kind to take them for us. They sent us all the photos from all the dives we did.

        Between the 2 dives we always had a surface interval on one of the islands. On one of them we got a chance to see fruit bats.

        On another one we went to see the view of Piaynemo. It was beautiful to see it.

        We had some friends trailing us around the island all the way to our homestay.

        Our hosts were very kind. One day we had a privilege to get fresh coconut, straight from the palm. Our host climbed up so easily, cut it off and made it ready for us to eat. He even made a little spoon out of the peel. Amazing. Another day he came home on his narrow boat with the biggest swordfish ever. He was very proud of his catch. I forgot to put the case off of my phone, so I’m not really proud of these photos. Still, you get the picture.

        Local fishing at sunset

        We fell in love with diving! There will be more!

      4. Experiencing Ferragosto at the Slovenia-Italy Border

        Experiencing Ferragosto at the Slovenia-Italy Border

        Another adventure in peak summer – 14 and 15 August. It is a famous Italian holiday on the 15th of August – Ferragosto. Since it was Monday and Tuesday, we were off. And my friend was also off, because it is a holiday in Slovenia as well. We decided to hike up Mangart and to visit one canyon in Italy – Rio Malimberg.

        In summer, there is a hop on hop off bus. It takes you from Bovec to Mangart Saddle. More precisely, it goes to the last parking lot just underneath it. So, from there to the top of Mangart took us around 2.5 hours on the “Slovenian” way. Down we went on the “Italian” way in around 2 hours. Both ways are pretty demanding, you have to be careful and have proper gear, also in summer. It is smart to go early, to beat the crowds and hot summer sun. When we were going down, there were crowds going up. Many of them not properly equipped.

        Going up the “Slovenian” way.

        Photo by A. M.
        Photo by A. M.
        Photo by A. M.
        Photo by A. M.

        Getting to the top and the views from Mangart.

        Photo by random hiker
        Photo by A. M.

        The views are superb already from the Mangart Saddle. It is Slovenia’s highest lying road. In summer is crazy busy with cars, motorbikes and bicycles. In winter is fun for sledging or tour skiing. We were just in time for sunrise and it was magnificent.

        Edelweiss flower symbolizes alpinism, rugged beauty and purity. I am always happy when I see one. They are short-lived and only grow in mountainous areas.

        The views on the way down and delicious lunch at the hut. I had “ričet”, which is traditional Slovenian barley and bean stew. In 2025 the hut was not operating anymore, unfortunately. From 2026 probably new caretakers will take over.

        The next day we did a canyon, called Rio Malimberg. It is a short canyon. It took us 2.5 hours car to car. It is beautiful, with clear water and nice rappels.

        Photo by Rick
        Photo by Rick
        Photo by A. M.
        Photo by A. M.
        Photo by Rick

        It is a fun canyon, also appropriate for beginners. And my favorite, it doesn’t have any long walking passages. Great two adventurous days with my people.

      5. Via Ferrata Hvadnik: Nature, Adrenaline and Safety Tips

        Via Ferrata Hvadnik: Nature, Adrenaline and Safety Tips

        Via Ferrata Hvadnik is a quite short but unforgettable adventure. It is tucked into a dramatic gorge near Gozd Martuljek in the Julian Alps. It’s accessible for beginners, since it is B/C difficulty. It is also exciting enough to make your heart race. It offers a perfect mix of adrenaline, nature and refreshing alpine air. I have done this via ferrata while doing a beginner’s course of safe movements in via ferratas with Kofler Šport. Our guide was very pleasant and helpful. Luckily for us, the group was very tiny, so we did the via ferrata in 2 hours. Before we started we had a brief explanation of course. And after we tried some more “tricks”. Basically, the whole course lasts around 5-6 hours.

        First part of the course at the polygon, right next to the Slovenian Alpine Museum. Photos are from our guide.

        Next we went to via ferrata Hvadnik. It is very beautiful. Photos are from our guide.

        I enjoyed Hvadnik and the course in general, thank you Kofler Šport!