Slovenia is probably one of the best-kept secrets of Europe. Beautiful environment, ranging from Alps to hills, flatlands or seaside make it an excellent country to explore on foot, more so as you will easily find many well-maintained and marked hiking paths.
Our pages contain photo galleries from over 180 hikes in Slovenian hills and mountains, some of them also have brief English descriptions – they are marked with red dots on the above map; you could also find them by browsing individual regions. You might also want to check out our biking ideas.
You could also list all the excursions in our database, or just those with English descriptions.
Recent Hikes with English Descriptions
These hikes have English descriptions (the long ones were translated from Slovenian original by Margaret Davis).
Planinica (1136 m, Δ=450 m, 2 hours)
Planinica is the lowest-lying alp on the southern slopes of Begunjščica ridge. Hiking there will take a tad longer than an hour, and the hut on the alp promises all sorts of local delicacies and even ice cream – a perfect family hike.
Vrtača (2181 m, Δ=1150 m, 7.5 hours)
Vrtača is one of the highest peaks on the Slovene-Austrian border. It’s a bit off the beaten trail – you’ll be able to enjoy a few quiet moments, but it takes quite a while to get there regardless of where you start.
Zelenica (1536 m, Δ=480 m, 2.5 hours)
Zelenica is an alpine pasture in a valley between Begunjščica and Vrtača. It takes a bit more than an hour to hike there from the Ljubelj pass, and there’s a mountain hut at the end of the hike – ideal ingredients for a great family trip.
Goričica Alp (Planina Goričica) (1340 m, Δ=750 m, 4 hours)
Goričica is a forgotten alp high on the slopes of Kanin massif. It’s a perfect place when you’re seeking solitude – even though a waymarked path crosses the alp, it was utterly overgrown when I was there.
Orlovca (860 m, Δ=320 m, 2 hours)
Orlovca (Eagle Rock) is a large overhanging cliff at the edge of Gora plateau high above Vipava Valley. It’s one of the highlights of the Angel Mountain Trail (Pot po Angelski Gori); we’ll use a tiny bit of that trail to get there.
Zgornji Kras and Socerb Castle (440 m, Δ=80 m, 1 hour)
When our kids were still in kindergarten, they loved hiking around the place with the Bora wind – the meadows of Zgornji Kras, a karst plateau above Trieste with beautiful views of surrounding hills and the Adriatic Sea.
Rock Shelters in Veli Badin (410 m, Δ=300 m, 2 hours)
The cliffs at the boundary between limestone and clay parts of Slovenian Istria end with enormous rock shelters – a must-see for every hiker visiting these parts of Slovenia.
Polhograjska Gora (824 m, Δ=450 m, 2.5 hours)
Imagine you were living in a small village in the 17th century. How would you call the hilltop behind it? If it’s high enough, it’s bound to be The Mountain. Fast forward to the times of mass tourism – the townspeople want to know which Mountain they visited when they brag about their weekend trips. Welcome to the etymology of Polhograjska Gora (Polhov Gradec Mountain), a lovely hilltop with a church of Saint Laurent.
Saint Nicholas above Vipava Valley (445 m, Δ=210 m, 2 hours)
As you’re traveling on the highway from Postojna toward Vipava, you might notice a tiny church high on the slopes of Nanos plateau (look right just before the gas station) – the Saint Nicholas church, a perfect destination for a short family hike.
Karst Edge: Around Črni Kal (420 m, Δ=210 m, 2 hours)
We love exploring paths around the Karst Edge from Črni Kal to Zazid, and it’s even more fun if they happen to be unmarked. This time we’ll do an easy hike along old dirt roads – an ideal family weekend trip.
Škavnica (734 m, Δ=490 m, 3 hours)
Škavnica is a giant limestone slab in the middle of a pine forest on the west slopes of Nanos plateau. I usually hike there to admire its limestone pavement crisscrossed with deep fissures; the view of Vipava valley, Adriatic sea, and the Italian Alps is just the icing on the cake.
Krnica Alp (Planina Krnica) (1252 m, Δ=650 m, 4 hours)
Planina Krnica (Krnica Alp) is a rocky alp high on the southern slopes of Kanin massif with a wonderful view of the peaks across the Soča valley. If you’re stubborn enough you can get there by road; if you love long hikes start in Bovec. We decided for an interim approach.
Lake Krn (Krnsko jezero) (1394 m, Δ=820 m, 4 hours)
The wonderful Lake Krn on an alp north of Mount Krn is the largest Slovenian high mountain glacial lake. I found most of the hike from Lepena thoroughly boring, but the views from the alpine meadows and the lake itself are spectacular and well worth the effort.
Kobilja glava (1475 m, Δ=430 m, 2.5 hours)
Kobilja glava is a grassy peak east of Tolmin with a wonderful view of southern peaks of Julian Alps. You could hike there from Planina Stador (Stador Alp), or start way lower on the road to extend the hike for another hour.
Lačna, Kuk and Kvirik (497 m, Δ=500 m, 4 hours)
We love visiting Lačna in autumn to enjoy the fiery fall colors of the European smoke bush, and we try to do a slightly different hike every year. This time, we went for a long roundtrip visiting Lačna, Kuk, Movraž, and Kvirik.
Lačna from Gračišče (451 m, Δ=150 m, 1.5 hour)
A leisurely walk from Gračišče (a village in Slovenian Istria next to the main road toward Buzet) to Lačna is an ideal short family hike that you could easily extend into a much longer experience, depending on how enthusiastic your kids are.
Mala Mojstrovka (2332 m, Δ=720 m, 4 hours)
Mala Mojstrovka is one of the most popular peaks in the Julian Alps. The crowds of hikers have successfully worn out the most accessible trail leading to the top, making the hike a somewhat disgusting experience. Fortunately, there are other less popular ways to the top – we’ll get there from Nad Šitom Glava.
Nad Šitom Glava (2087 m, Δ=480 m, 3 hours)
Nad Šitom Glava is an ignored peak above Vršič pass. Rock climbers love its eastern and northern rockfaces; most hikers ignore it while rushing to nearby Mala Mojstrovka. Guess what – that gives you an option to avoid the crowds; all you have to do is to take a wrong turn ;)
From Krnica toward Pokljuka (1100 m, Δ=480 m, 3.5 hours)
Hiking from Krnica (a village at the bottom of the slopes of Pokljuka plateau) to Pokljuka takes at least three hours, and it tends to get boring – the landscape doesn’t change, and there are no spectacular views. No problem, a bit of ingenuity creates a nice roundtrip.
Pokljuka Gorge (773 m, Δ=180 m, 2 hours)
If you happen to be near Bled and love gorges, you could choose between going to Vintgar or Pokljuka Gorge. Vintgar looks better (due to the river flowing through it), but it’s usually overcrowded, resulting in a Disneyland vibe. If you prefer wild habitats, there’s no doubt: visiting Pokljuka Gorge is a must.
Debeli Vrh (Fat Peak) (1959 m, Δ=760 m, 4.5 hours)
Debeli Vrh (Fat Peak) is one of the many minor peaks in the long ridge between Pokljuka plateau and Krma valley. Most hikers rush to nearby Viševnik or Lipanca, so you’re almost guaranteed to be on your own enjoying the views and solitude.
Goli vrh near Jezersko (1787 m, Δ=780 m, 4.5 hours)
Goli Vrh is one of the lower peaks in the Slovenia-Austria border ridge east of Jezersko border crossing. The path leading to the top is one of the steepest paths we’ve encountered in years, but the lovely views of Jezersko, surrounding mountains, Karavanke ranges, and Austrian peaks are well worth the effort.
Jenkova Planina (1495 m, Δ=490 m, 3 hours)
Jenkova Planina is a small meadow on a saddle in a ridge running along the Slovenian-Austrian border with a nice view of the highest peaks around Jezersko. While the hike tends to be a bit boring, you’ll appreciate the dark forest you’re walking through in the summer heat.
Vratca above Češka koča (1802 m, Δ=800 m, 4.5 hours)
Vratca (Doors) is a prominent rock pillar above Češka koča (Czech Hut) with a great view of the surrounding mountains. The last bit of the trail is well-protected Via Ferrata through a crumbling gully – a helmet is highly recommended.
Češka koča (Czech hut) (1542 m, Δ=560 m, 3 hours)
Češka koča (Czech hut) is probably the most popular destination in the mountains above Jezersko. At least four marked trails lead to it; we found the one via Štularjeva Planina (Štular’s Alp) by far the most pleasant.
Loška Koritnica (1103 m, Δ=460 m, 4 hours)
Loška Koritnica is a beautiful alpine valley surrounded by more than fifteen peaks higher than 2000 meters. We’ll explore its upper parts, from Log pod Mangartom to Koritnica’s source.
Planina Golobar (1314 m, Δ=960 m, 5 hours)
Planina Golobar is one of the hidden gems of upper Soča valley. A long hike through a beech forest will reward you with magnificent views of surrounding peaks.
Slavnik from Podgorje (steep path) (1028 m, Δ=510 m, 2.5 hours)
Since the overabundance of cohesion funds helped transform the old dirt track to Slavnik into a gravel road, I prefer to take the steeper footpath ascending directly toward the peak.
Podgorje
Podgorje is the ideal starting point for a quick hike to Slavnik, or for a day-long exploration of eastern parts of Karst edge.
