The Alps of Slovenia and Triglav, with VIDEOS and WEBCAMS

The Slovenian Alps offer contrasting landscapes. Sometimes gentle and peaceful along a river, leaning against a hill or on the banks of a lake, this landscape can become harsh and wild after a few kilometers or at the bend of a valley. The Karawank massifs which delimit the Austrian border and that of Triglav which dominates the country and whose deep valley of the Soca (Isonzo in Italian) delimits the Italian border mark the western part of the Alps of Slovenia, the most touristic.

In any case, we come back from Slovenia with beautiful images in our eyes. And these are the images that we want to share with you.

Lake Bled, pearl of the Slovenian Alps

There is a place in Slovenia that everyone has seen at least once in a photo.

From the shores of Lake Bled, you can admire this islet, on which a church is photographed by tourists from all over the world in all seasons.

Not to be missed for anything in the world! There are images, like the one of Lake Bled, that have been reproduced in books, postcards, on social media posts, but still manage to amaze you when you see them with your own eyes.

The photogenic mountains you see behind the village of Bled are those of the Karawank massif in the Julian Alps on the border with Austria. The Triglav massif, however, does not yet appear, above the opposite bank.

The Triglav massif, heart of the Slovenian Alps

It is ultimately a hidden massif! In fact, you can only enjoy a view of some of these peaks from Kranjska Gora or Mojstrana, further north, two well-equipped resorts for summer and winter.

From Mojstrana a road takes you to a parking lot in a very steep valley right at the foot of Triglav. But you will not be able to see the summit.

And for good reason, the Triglav massif is covered with a very dense coniferous forest and managing to get a viewpoint is quite complicated. On the other hand, this natural park is teeming with wild animals, the most emblematic of which is the bear!

The environment of Kranjska Gora is similar. Deep valleys, a lake – Jasna – forests and high mountains with rocky walls that block the valley.

The most experienced hikers love to explore the trails of this park that looks like the Rocky Mountains. Wild nature, silence, harshness. In the Alps, very few areas are as well preserved.

On the Karawank side, on the other bank of the Sava Dolinka, the river that bathes the north of the Triglav massif, the Velika Planina plateaus provide the necessary perspective to take beautiful photos in the direction of Triglav.

From the southern side of the Triglav massif, in the heart of the Slovenian Alps, you can enter the mountains in a more accessible way. From Bled you head towards Lake Bohinj.

At the bottom of a very green valley, this lake provides you with a little freshness. You will appreciate the thickness of the forest which seems in this region to have decided to leave no space for Man. The road ends in a dead end at the bottom of a very deep mountain cirque.

Soča Valley, the cradle of white water sports in Slovenia

For rafting and kayaking enthusiasts, the must-see spot is in Bovec, on the Isonzo River (Soča in Slovenian), famous for its emerald-coloured water. The Tolmin Gorge and the great Soča Gorge will be your whitewater playground.

The small village of Bovec, which occupies the bottom of a fairly wide valley surrounded by beautiful mountains, welcomes you for your summer whitewater activities, and for skiing in winter thanks to its connection with the Sella Nevea ski area in Italy, in the region of Frioul.

To complete the loop, in summer only, you can join Bovec to Kranjska Gora via the western flank of Triglav. You then take a superb road, which has fifty bends to cross the Vršič pass at an altitude of 1600m, from where you have the most beautiful view of the Triglav massif.

Ljubljana, the very attractive capital of Slovenia

Moreover, Slovenia is a small country and short distances allow you to reach other tourist destinations. It is unthinkable to come here and not visit the capital Ljubljana. A small historic city with a beautiful castle, baroque churches and small bridges that cross the river in front of colorful building facades. A condensed version of Mittel-Europa like you find in Prague, Zagreb or Budapest, but also in Trieste and in all the cities that once had the Habsburgs as masters.

Just like in Friuli in Italy, or in the Maritime Alps, in less than two hours you can leave a summit and find yourself at the seaside. The coast around Piran begins to prefigure what we find further south in Istria, which is already in Croatia.

The Triglav massif in Slovenia is a small wild universe. This region is ideal for fans of all sports that are practiced in nature, and its villages allow moments of rest in a bucolic setting to discover an alpine culture very different from the one we are used to sharing.

A stay in Triglav can easily be combined with a cultural visit to Ljubljana or other famous sites in Slovenia, and why not end the stay with a well-deserved rest on the Adriatic Sea?

Activities not to be missed in Slovenia and the Triglav massif

The magnificent site of the lake of Bled, its island, its castle, not to be missed for anything in the world.
The lake of Bohinj
A walk of Kranjska Gora at Lake Jasna.
Discover the Zelenci Nature Reserve
Learn Nordic disciplines at the Planica sports centre
Learn about white water sports in the green waters of the Soca (Isonzo in Italian) to Bovec.
Admire the Triglav massif from the Kanin cable car in Bovec
Travel the fifty-turn road through the wild nature of the Vrsic Pass, and it's even better by bike.