The route winds through the Julian Alps, showcasing the best of the country’s distinctive landscapes and regional cuisines.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in Slovenia last fall, setting out to complete a new walking route in the country’s mountainous northwest before it opened to the public. As an experienced trekker, I was accustomed to backpacker routes like North America’s Pacific Crest Trail and Te Araroa in New Zealand, enduring cold nights on hard ground. However, this route — designed with food lovers and culture buffs in mind — promised something different.
The Juliana Trail, a 167-mile loop around the Julian Alps, aims to draw visitors to lesser-traveled parts of Triglav National Park. No tents or dehydrated food here. Instead, farmers produce pungent cheese and potent schnapps, while cattle and sheep graze freely, and historic ruins emerge from the forest.
The beginner-friendly route is broken into 16 recommended stages, featuring relatively flat stretches between villages that average 10 miles each. Moreover, after each day on the trail, you’ll spend the night in civilization — from resort towns like Bled, located on the shores of the famous glacial lake, to tiny settlements like Grahovo ob Bači (population 112). Travelers can start and stop at any point; however, the entire route typically takes 10 to 16 days. Here are some highlights from the journey.
The Sava Dolinka River (Stages 1–3)
Begin in the ski town of Kranjska Gora, just five miles from the Italian border, where the Hotel Kotnik offers the oldest (and best) pizzeria in the province, Pizzeria Pino. Order the Pino, topped with eggplant and prosciutto and cooked in a stone oven. Hiking along grassy riverbanks to the town of Mojstrana, intrepid trekkers can take a detour to summit Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak at 9,396 feet. Later, you’ll spend a night in the town of Begunje, where the newly renovated guesthouse Apartments Grad Kamen is an ideal base for exploring the surrounding forests. Grad Kamen, a thousand-year-old castle just above the inn, is a highlight.
The Lakes (Stages 4–7)
Slovenia’s lakes are among its top tourist attractions, and for good reason — these are some of the most stunning (and photographed) bodies of water in the world. Under the cliffs below Bled Castle, just a stone’s throw from the mirror-like Lake Bled, Vila Prešeren is a perfect place to spend the night. Its outstanding restaurant serves delicate dishes alongside Slovenian wines with outdoor seating overlooking the lake; you can even enjoy a private dinner on the hotel’s traditional pletna boat. The nearby Park Café is famed for creating Bled cream cake, Slovenia’s informal national dessert, in the 1950s. The next day, wind through Vintgar Gorge, where elevated walkways cling to cliffsides above the emerald Radovna River, and stop at the famous Vodnik Viewpoint to behold Lake Bohinj prior to visiting dairy farms along the Bohinj cheese trail.
Bača Grapa Valley (Stages 8–10)
The sloping hillsides above the Bača River are home to isolated villages largely untouched by tourism. A series of abandoned WWII bunkers along the Vrh Bače pass were my favorite sites on the trail; it is advisable to bring a flashlight to explore this eerie labyrinth winding deep into the mountains. Afterward, in the village of Podbrdo, you can indulge in freshly caught river trout at Brunarica Slap, a charming log-cabin restaurant overlooking the water. The next day, you’ll hike to Most-na-Soči, where I stayed at Penzion Šterk. Its charming A-frame bungalows offer privacy and a glamping feel, along with sublime views of the Bača and Soča rivers.
The Soča River (Stages 11–16)
This final stretch, which winds through a river valley in the southwest of the park, passes through a series of pivotal WWI battle sites. Historical treasures abound, including Fort Hermann, a 100-year-old cliff-top fortress near the town of Bovec, and Javorca Memorial Church, built by Austro-Hungarian soldiers and surrounded by an amphitheater of Alpine peaks. Try traditional Slovenian frika, a cheese and potato hash, at Letni Vrt Pr Jakču, near the stunning Tolmin Gorges: a gorge system equally captivating as Vintgar, but far less visited. Finally, drop your backpack at the Hotel Hvala, in Kobarid. Its restaurant, Topli Val, serves local specialties like venison and Kobariški štrukelj, sweet dumplings filled with raisins and walnuts. The trail then dips across the border into Italy; you’ll visit the village of Tarvisio before completing your journey back in Kranjska Gora, having made a full loop around the Julian Alps.
A version of this story first appeared in the September 2020 issue of GoTravelDaily under the headline “Strolling Through Slovenia.”
