I’m in the Slovenian countryside, wandering between rooms in a 16th century travelers inn, when a wall of faded graffiti stops me short. These ancient scribbles, love poems and jokes from merchants and adventurers who passed through Slovenia hundreds of years ago remind me just how long people have made their way through these mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes. Modern-day Slovenians carry on this tradition; hiking and just getting outdoors remains a big part of the culture.
On this Backroads Italy & Slovenia (with one day in Italy’s lovely Friuli-Venezia wine region near Venice before heading into Slovenia) hiking adventure, I am joining this centuries-old tradition. With each new landscape I hike, I discover I’m flexing more than just my muscles, I’m building optimism too. This much natural beauty has a way of doing that. Here are five of my favorite wow moments from the trip.
The Soca River
When the first wow moment hits, I’m standing on a bridge over the Soca River as the water below me swirls in shades of emerald, jade and turquoise. To me, rivers have always seemed very all-business, nature’s way of moving water from high to low. But this river tinted electric blue by glacial melt and limestone feels downright whimsical, like a fairytale or dream.
To get here, we’ve taken a morning drive through small towns and countryside from Italy’s Friuli wine region to the small Slovenian town of Kobarid, where a local took us through a small museum preserving the human stories of World War I in this mountainous region. I’m not a war history buff, but the chance to connect with its past gives all this natural beauty a depth that I carry with me for the rest of the trip.
From town, we’ve taken a meandering trail up into the foothills of the Julian Alps that flank this valley. After crossing the bridge over the river, we make our way up again, the group splitting: those who prefer a mellow hike today head to a waterfall while those of us continuing the climb follow hiking trails (including a brief overlap with the famed Alpe Adria Trail) to hilltop villages. On our way back to town, we cross over the Soca as it carves its way through a narrow gorge, whitewater and aquamarine.
Fall Colors and Wildflowers
When I signed up for a late-season Slovenia hiking trip in October, I didn't realize it would mean prime time for fall foliage, alpine peaks of orange, rust and yellow. And there was a second surprise too, one that I’d never seen in the same place at the same time before: At lower elevations, where the chill of autumn faded with the morning sun, wildflowers continued to bloom.
Walking among wildflowers while looking up at mountains covered in flame-colored fall leaves feels like living outside of time for a brief moment, splitting the difference between the optimism of spring and the cozy vibes of autumn.
I’m so wowed seeing flowers and foliage in the same vista that I actually lose sight of the rest of my hiking group. And while I only rarely hike alone, I don’t sweat it because I know these trips are set up to support hikers of all speeds (and those who just get really distracted by beautiful landscapes). So I pull out my app and used the map, which works even though I don’t have service, to trace the route as I went. Along the way, I meet our Support Leader hanging out next to the van, ready to offer me snacks and encouragement as I bring up the caboose of our group, eventually making it to a hilltop deck for lunch and a post-hike espresso.
Screensavers Come to Life
Seeing a landscape that’s both so beautiful and familiar that it feels like a screensaver can go two ways. I remember seeing Machu Picchu for the first time and feeling like I was looking at a photo rather than seeing it in real life because I had seen images of it so many times. So beautiful, but somehow not quite real.
Walking along a quiet country road in Slovenia, I have a similar moment; a flicker of screensaver recognition as I catch my first view of Drežnica, a village that crowns a hilltop in an alpine plateau in the shadow of Mount Krn. Immediately, I recognize it as a screensaver I’ve seen dozens of times. But I didn’t realize it was part of our route until seeing its peaked white belfry in the distance.
It lands differently than my experience at Machu Picchu. Maybe it’s because there are no crowds this time, just sheep and a few hikers, the sound of footsteps and bells. Or because I wasn’t anticipating it. I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t just see it, I feel it.
Do I still stand there taking pictures? You bet. But I also just stand in the shade of a tree, soaking up the whole scene, the hilltop village, the rolling hills in the foreground and the mountains that frame it all. I feel the breeze, smell the grass, listen to the church bells as they drift my way and remember that wow moments like this are why I travel.
Lakes
One of Slovenia’s claims to fame is its ultra-picturesque Lake Bled. We spend half a day on and around the lake, starting with a hike up into the hills for views, pausing along the way to visit a local beekeeper who introduces us to the Slovenian obsession with bees and gives us honey schnapps.
We have enough free time to either hike around the lake, head up to Lake Bled Castle or do what I do and hop a ferry out to Lake Bled Island with its 99 steps to a church famous for its bell—it's said if you make a wish and then ring the bell, your wish will come true. I, of course, ring the bell (TBD on the wish coming true).
And while I’m thrilled to see Lake Bled in person, it’s another nearby lake that captures my heart. Just a few miles down the road, Lake Bohinj is quieter in comparison to Bled. On a foggy morning, we board a wooden electric boat. As we glide along, the glacial lake’s still waters double the surrounding mountains and sky. On the other side, we dock and begin a hike that leads us up a gorge to a high-alpine shepherds’ meadow and, eventually, to a mountain hut for a hearty lunch where we sip fruit schnapps and end our meals with hearty slices of warm apple strudel.
Kočna
The final stop of our trip is Jezersko, a quiet rural valley ringed by the Grintovec Range, part of Slovenia’s Kamnik–Savinja Alps. My hotel room looks out onto Kočna, the mountain at the valley’s southern edge.
Over my two days here, this mountain became a constant companion, a living painting and a background to our hiking adventures. It glows pink at sunrise, wears a crown of clouds as weather systems pass overhead and shines silver beneath the blue skies. I find myself drawn to it, sitting out on my balcony and relaxing on the hotel patio with a cup of tea to watch it change with the afternoon sun.
Christine Sarkis went on Backroads’ Italy & Slovenia Hiking & Walking Tour. When she’s not traveling, she’s either working in the Backroads home office as a writer or sharing family travel tips on FamilyVacationist.com. She’s been a journalist for more than 20 years and loves finding the words that bring exceptional travel experiences to life.
