The church of Marija Snežna (Santa Maria Maggiore), hidden on a wooded hill north of the Karst Edge, is a beautiful destination for a half-day hike if you love hiking around Črni Kal but have exhausted all the obvious choices.

Biking from Idrijca Valley to Šentviška Gora (a plateau high above the valley) is nice; a roundtrip around the plateau is a beautiful experience. We’ll explore the sunny meadows and forests between Pečine and Šentviška Gora.

I noticed a gravel road leading to the Trstelj mountain hut the last time I was there and decided to use it for a bike trip starting in Komen. I tried to avoid the asphalt roads as much as possible, but it’s not hard to find a route that will bring you to Trstelj even if you have a road bike.

Love biking along sapphire crystal-clear streams with a bit of history on the side? You must drop by Idrija, bike through the Strug Gorge, and visit klavže (huge water barriers used to transport wood downriver).

Idrijske Krnice is a sparsely-populated hamlet on a high-lying plateau between the Idrijca and Kanomlja valleys. Getting there is tough, but the views are well worth the effort.

Strelovec is a peak in the ridge east of Logarska Dolina (Logar Valley) with a magnificent 360-degree panorama of surrounding hills and mountains.

Icmanikova Planina (Icmanik Alp) is the highest-lying alp on the eastern slopes of Logarska Dolina (Logar Valley); the view from the nearby Logarska Peč is probably the best one in Logarska Dolina.

Okrešelj is a phenomenal amphitheater at the end of Logarska Dolina (Logar Valley), surrounded by steep northern walls of the majestic peaks belonging to the main ridge of Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

Plesnikova Planina (Plesnik Alp) is a rarely-visited alp on the eastern slopes of Logarska Dolina (Logar Valley) with a lovely view of the surrounding mountains.

We were staying in Bovec in the lovely House Natura and wanted to walk for a few hours, but we didn’t dare to go high into the mountains due to unstable weather. Our solution: a hike along the many trails around Bovec.

Kota 1313 (Peak 1313) is a First World War Austrian artillery observation point high above Koritnica Valley with a fantastic view of Bovec and surrounding mountains. The easiest way to get there is via the waymarked path to Rombon (starting at Kluže fortress); start in Bovec if you’re looking for a less-crowded approach.

On a rainy day, I found myself in the beautiful St. Daniel Hotel and took a short biking trip on asphalt and gravel roads to avoid the inevitable mud. The end result: I enjoyed the hidden beauties of a half-dozen Karst villages.

Two roads lead from Sanabor (a hamlet on the western slopes of Nanos plateau) to Abram (one of the few still-active homesteads): a pleasantly cool gravel road along the Bela stream and a sunny asphalt road going straight from Sanabor to Abram.

Pomjan is a village on a hilltop high above the Slovenian coast – an ideal destination for a family excursion or a wake-me-up morning hike starting at the outskirts of Koper.

Mrzli Vrh (Cold Peak) is a beautiful vista point high above Žiri, well worth the effort you’ll spend hiking or biking there – you’ll enjoy the views of Škofja Loka hills, Idrija hills, and the Julian Alps.

Socerb is a castle above the steep cliffs of Karst Edge with a beautiful view of the Bay of Trieste. You can get there by car (the castle restaurant has excellent food), but it’s more fun to hike there from Osp, a village better known for its extensive climbing areas.

We decided to take a somewhat longer hike in Istria, and found a path that took us from Hrastovlje to Karst Edge and back around the upper Rižana Valley.

Kojnik is a wooded hilltop south of Slavnik with an excellent view of Slavnik and Golič ridges. You might want to go there when you see hordes going to the vastly more popular Slavnik; it might also be a lovely destination for a longer family hike.

Want to experience expansive meadows with beautiful vistas in the middle of nowhere? Golič, a multi-peak ridge south of Slavnik, might be just what you’re looking for.

Hiking to Cerje, a hilltop with a fantastic view high above Vipava valley, was fun before it was graced with a gigantic Monument of Peace. Gravel roads got a needless coat of asphalt, and the old footpaths turned into wide rocky trails… but if you’re creative and take plenty of detours, you can still have a lovely Karst experience.