Julian Alps & Lake Bled

Julian Alps & Lake Bled

Introduction

Trip of a Lifetime Architecture Flora and Fauna Castles Photography

Slovenia's historic capital city, Ljubljana, is the starting point for this eight-day journey through one of Europe’s most unspoilt and diverse landscapes.

Taking in the Julian Alps and the vast underground caves of Postojna, we meander through flower-filled meadows and along the blue-green shores of Lake Bled. We discover cheese-making, bee-keeping and traditional lace, enjoy spectacular waterfalls and gorges, explore ancient castles and breathe Slovenia’s pristine air.

A highlight of this Walk is a boat-trip across Lake Bohinj, in the protected waters of Triglav National Park, where we discover the many myths and legends that surround the mystical Bohinj valley.

Walk Summary

Dates Download walk schedule
Trip

8 days, 7 nights

Terrain

Easy Walking GradeTerrain: Well-trodden paths, comfortable underfoot, with a wide variety of flat and hilly terrain. 4-10 miles walking per day.

Price

US$3895.00 per person double occupancy
(single supplement US$450.00)
Pay in full on booking to receive US$400 per person Currency Bonus

Walk begins in Ljubljana and ends in Ljubljana.

Walk Itinerary

Saturday

We meet in Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital, with time to enjoy the magnificent buildings, bridges and pathways which give the city a unique and unequalled charm. Especially noteworthy are the enchanting Triple Bridge and Market Colonnade. We enjoy an aperitif before an Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner.

Overnight: Ljubljana

Sunday

An early start brings us to the Rakov Skocjan. We walk along the river bank and lunch at a restaurant in the woods. We visit the Postojna Caves, where a cave train takes us to the Great Mountain; Predjama Castle, as 'unforgettable as it is improbable, pressed into a huge cavern, hollowed out of the high, flat rock face wondrously composed of tower-like structures'.

Overnight: Spodnij Idrija

Monday

A beautiful meander with views to the Julian Alps. We pass hamlets and farms in an open landscape as the locals tend their gardens and cut the summer hay. After lunch in a small town we continue to attractive Idrija with its 16th-century Castle, famous lace school, and Karnst, reputed to be Europe's largest wooden waterwheel.

Overnight: Spodnij Idrija

Tuesday

We walk to the vivid blue-green Wild Lake. We leave the Valley and catch a local train to Lake Bohinj in the Triglav National Park. Mostly a dairy farming community, the countryside is an abundance of early-season wild flowers and hay meadows.

Overnight: Bohinjsko Jezero

Wednesday

A ferry takes us to the western end of Lake Bohinj, where the 190-ft Savica Waterfall majestically tumbles into the water below. We walk beside the lake and on through delightful historic villages; we visit the museum of Alpine Cheese Making and a 17th-century farm-house. Hayracks, called toplars and unique to Slovenia, are scattered across the landscape.

Overnight: Bohinjsko Jezero

Thursday

We walk from the picturesque hamlet of Kupljenik, enjoying grand views of Lake Bled and the surrounding countryside, through woods and fields to the river Sava. On to enchanting Lake Bled and our hotel situated on its shore. A walk around the lake to visit Bled Castle is followed by Afternoon Tea on the terrace

Overnight: Bled

Friday

We walk to the stunning Vintgar Gorge, a 500-ft high defile accessible via a continuous chain of gantries and bridges to a waterfall, and on to a village lunch. We walk on through open country to Bled, in time to take a late afternoon cruise to Bled Island.

Overnight: Bled

Saturday

After breakfast, we return to Ljubljana for our onward connections - or to spend more time in the capital.

This itinerary represents a typical Walk. We prepare itineraries well in advance of the trip and therefore we reserve the right to make changes due to weather, local events or other circumstances - but always to improve the experience of our guests.

Hotels

To see the complete list of hotels, please login or register.

This hotel list is a provided as an example. We may use different hotels of the same quality and style on specific trips. The Wayfarers will notify confirmed travelers of any changes to the hotels.

Photo Gallery

Lipica Horses Market scene Julian Alps Traditional farming Riding is an optional activity. Ljubljana Country church Taking it all in! Lake Bled Traditional boat cruise on Lake Bled Enjoying the lake cruise. Admiring the view.

Travel Information

Before & After:

  • Within 12 miles of Ljubljana are two medieval towns, Kamnik and Skofja pretty squares, churches and castles.
  • Catch an express train from Ljubljana to Venice – just 4 hours away.

Weather:

Due to the differences in climate ? Mediterranean at the coast, Alpine in the Alps and Karavanke mountains, and Pannonian to the northeast of the country ? the appropriate clothes for each season is recommended. Average temperatures in July are above 70°F 21°C (21°C) and in January 32 °F (0° C). In the summer it can be very hot at the coast and quite cold in the mountains. The weather in late May and June is pleasant at 70-80°F (20-27°C), with some humidity. September is a beautiful month weather-wise, with daytime temperatures in the region of 60-70°F (15-20°C). Throughout the summer, sudden showers and thunderstorms are common at any time, so bring good quality, lightweight, rain gear.

To see more Travel Information and a list of our recommended tips please register or sign in. Once you confirm a booking for this walk, as a registered website member, you will be able to access detailed Joining Instructions including exact arrival and departure points and times as part of the Travel Information.

FAQs

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  1. Are there any hidden costs?
    Our Vacations do not include the cost of air or rail fares to and from the destination or tips for your walk leader and manager.
  2. How large are the Groups?
    Our maximum group size is 16, but groups average between 8-12 people.
  3. Will I feel welcome as a single traveler?
    Yes! Our walks are the perfect environment of comfortable camaraderie for the single traveler.
  4. Can you accomodate special diets?
    Yes!
  5. How physically fit do I have to be to do a Wayfarers Walk?
    If you are in good health and reasonably fit you will be comfortable participating in a walk.

Ask a question

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Reading List

A Tomb for Boris Davidovich: Poetic Study of the European Socialist Experiment By: Danilo Kis
Buy book: A Tomb for Boris Davidovich: Poetic Study of the European Socialist Experiment
A portrait of a country and a people in turmoil, of how Communism both creates and devours its sons." Kis is one of the major writers of the second half of the century. . . . Kis preserves the honor of literature."
Afterwards By: Andrew Zawacki
Buy book: Afterwards
A generous anthology of poetry, expository prose, and fiction that reflects Slovenias embrace of socialism (following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), experience of WWII, declaration of independence from Yugoslavia (in 1991), and ongoing state of internecine conflict and struggle for individual liberty.
Death of a Slovene Primadona By: Brina Svit
Buy book: Death of a Slovene Primadona
Who really was Lea Kralj? What was the truth about the beautiful, mysterious, passionate diva who was admired and feted throughout her career and who thrilled opera house audiences in cities across Europe? What was her relationship with her mother? And what really happened behind the curtains of her fourth-floor flat by the river, at the height of her fame, during her last summer in Ljubljana? The only person who may be able to shed further light on the enigma of Lea Kralj is the narrator of this novel, a young Frenchman who first met her, in curious circumstances, in Madrid, and pursued her obsessively to Paris, Milan and eventually to Slovenia. Their relationship, neither sexual nor sycophantic, but one of mutual dependency, remains inexplicable to him. All he knows is that he will forever be dazzled by his memories of Lea Kralj's voice, her radiating presence and her beauty, and by certain aspects of her life, as tragic and doomed as any of the stage heroines whose roles she sang.
Independent Slovenia By: Jill Bendersley & Evan Craft
Buy book: Independent Slovenia
This volume of essays explores the historical, cultural, political, and economic origins of the drive for Slovenia's independence; the intellectuals, pacifists, punk rockers, feminists, and trade unionists who created the social movements of the Slovene Spring; and the prospects for this new nation in central Europe.
Lonely Planet Slovenia By: Steve Fallon
Buy book: Lonely Planet Slovenia
The range and quality of outdoor activities in Slovenia make it something of a recreation magnet. This comprehensive guide includes 54 maps and covers all the fun along with historical, cultural, and practical information. Learn how Lake Bled escapted being drained and having its clay made into bricks, hit the piste with the people who invented skiing 400 years ago, frock up in sheepskins, horns and feathers - and get away with it - at Kurentovanje, discover why the dragons on Zmajski most wag their tails when some people pass.
Slovenia and the Slovenes By: Cathie Carmichael & James Crow
Buy book: Slovenia and the Slovenes
In 1991, for the first time in the history of Slovene people, an Independent Slovenian state came into being. Yet, the history and culture of the Slovenes began long before there was a Slovenian state and to this day continues to embrae significant populations outside the borders of that state when it was formed. Jointly written by two scholars whose studies over a number of years have embraced aspects of Slovenian history, politics, society and culture.
Slovenia, 1945: Memories of Death and Survival after World War II By: John Corsellis
Buy book: Slovenia, 1945: Memories of Death and Survival after World War II
In 1945 Slovenia, 6,000 civilians and 12,000 members of the anti-Communist Home Guard, the "domobranci", fearing punishment for their wartime resistance to their Partisan enemies, fled to southern Austria. But there, the British 8th Army loaded them into trucks, purportedly to take them to Italy, only to deliver them straight back to Tito's Partisans. The Partisans tortured and then executed them. The remaining civilians were spared due to the brave revolt of the British Red Cross and Quaker aid workers. John Corsellis witnessed and took part in these protests and in this book reconstructs the survivors' stories. These are vivid tales of wartime cruelty, of the revival of battered communities in refugee camps, and of emigration to Argentina, the U.S., Canada and Britain. In this unique volume, the authors call on more than half a century of research and an unsurpassed knowledge of the Slovene migrant communities around the world to tell their stories.
Slovenia: Evolving Loyalties By: John K. Cox
Buy book: Slovenia: Evolving Loyalties
There are few books in English on Slovenia and Cox does a very good job revealing the treasures of Slovenia and its civilization and culture. Over the past century Slovenia has rapidly developed from being a collection of provinces in the southern part of the Habsburg Empire, to a republic within Yugoslavia, to establishing itself as an independent state and becoming a member of the European Union. The book provides a concise introduction to contemporary Slovenia, offering an overview of Slovenia's historical background and intellectual history, and detailed analyses the major political, economic and cultural developments since 1991.
Slovenia: On The Edge of European Union By: Bogomil Ferfila
Buy book: Slovenia: On The Edge of European Union
Bogomil Ferfila traces the course of the political economy of Slovenia from its position as a constituent republic of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia through independence to its present status as an independent nation emphasizing Slovenia's transition from a socialist self-managed economy to a social market economy, its approach to Europe, and consequent transformation of its economic institutions.

What's Next?

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