Guided Walking Holidays in the Julian Alps of Slovenia. The next trip - June 24th to July 1st 2017.

This report concerns our new venture for 2016 - guided walking holidays in the Julian Alps of Slovenia based near the town of Bovec. The plan is to try and run one to two of these weeks each year. You can visit the webpage giving full information about these holidays by going here.

Photo one sees our guests on their first evening in Slovenia. Mick & Moira are seated left and Steve & Carole right. Towards the head of the table are Iain's partner Kirstin seated left and our host in Slovenia - Matt is at the head of the table. Evening meals like this one are a feature of this holiday where one can dine out receiving a two course meal with drinks for as little as £20 each; or, you can elect to self cater at the chalet.

Read more about day one on our Facebook page.

On Day two, your walking holiday in The Julian Alps will begin with our walking directly from the Chalet to visit the WW1 fortifications at Celo before continuing on along the Koritnica Valley amidst stunning Alpine Scenery to visit further fortifications at Kluze and Herman before climbing the wooded slopes of Rombon some 300 metres.

This walk then traverses north along the slopes of Rombon towards Bovec where we aim to arrive no later than around 5pm. The views all around the Bovec basin are very pretty. Total distance walked is around 10 km. Read more about day two and view more photos here.

Day three will typically see us attempt to walk a large part of the Soca River Trail.

The Soca rises high in the middle of The Julian Alps near to the Vrsic Pass where it issues from a submerged cave in a narrow ravine a short climb above the road head.

The Soca Trail is a total of 25 km from source to Bovec and it is not possible to cover the whole walking route in one day although a visit to the source (photo three) is a must! Our drop offs and pick-ups are provided by Matt as part of the holiday package and on this particular day, we got dropped off some 15 km from Kal Koritnica and walked back to the chalet.

Walking the banks of this picturesque river through forests filled with flowers interspersed with small farms and chalets is a fantastic experience. Read more about our Soca Trail day here.

Day four will usually see us start to venture higher into the mountains after everyone has "found their feet" over the first three days. There are numerous walks going up to altitudes over 1600 metres (5250 feet). However, if the weather is bad then there are plenty of lower level options. Your guide - Iain will decide what is best for each day.

On this particular day we chose to start lower down as the previous night's rain had led to a fresh coating of snow down to below the 1600 metre level. We walked from the head of the Koritnica Valley started under Jalovec (the snowy peak in the background) through the pretty village of Log Pod Mangrtom and back via forest tracks and meadows to Fort Kluze where we were picked up by Matt. Read more about day four here.

On Day five (Wednesday) it's a day off walking in the mountains to allow you to go and sample all that the area has to offer.

You make just want to take it easy, have a lie and then get up and walk into Bovec via the river to soak up some of the towns charm and European culture and enjoy a coffee or lunch; or you may want to try some of the "other activities" offered by local providers in Bovec. On our day off we all chose to try out the exhilarating Zip-wire course in the nearby Ucja Valley in the morning and then a few of us went tandem paragliding in the afternoon.

Other activities in the area include

• Rafting, Kayaking and Hydrospeed
• Canyoning, Rock Climbing and Caving
• Fishing, Mountain Biking.

So there are plenty of alternatives if you want an "active" day off. Please note the cost of all activities on this day are at your own expense. Read our report from this day here.

On our last few days of your Guided Walking in The Julian Alps of Slovenia we are going to try to take you "higher". Typically, we will drive to the top of the Vrsic Pass (1611 metres/5285 feet) at the tree-line and after a visit to the nearby viewpoint above the pass, we will begin a descent into the Trenta Valley travelling first northwards towards the very head of the valley.

There are excellent views of some of The Julian Alps highest peaks - Prisojnik (2547 m/8356 ft), Bavski Grintavec (2347 m/5249 ft) and Jalovec (2645 m/8678 ft) and as we continue northwards, the summit of Triglav (2864 m/9369 ft) - the highest mountain in The Julian Alps come also into view.

Our route eventually descends through woodland to the valley floor and we continue on past Izvir Soca where there is an opportunity to indulge yourself with a well earned bottle of Lasko (the national Lager of Slovenia) before continuing a further 4 km to Trenta where we will be collected by Matt. Total distance on this day is likely to around 12 km with a descent of around 1000 m/3280 ft) Read more about day six of your Guided Walking Holiday in Slovenia here.

As with the previous day, out final day of walking in The Julian Alps will be aimed as getting you as high as possible to get a real feel for the Alpine atmosphere that the area presents.

Our walk will most likely start and finish in the Trenta area. On our last trip, we walked in towards Triglav and then turned north up a narrow valley under a tremendous Limestone wall (where we saw Ibex) as we climbed upwards towards our high point - the col at Cez Dol (1632 m/5353 ft).

From The Cez Dol, we have a fantastic view in both directions - back towards the summit of Triglav towering over the head of the valley and also north along the south side of the ridge bounding the Soca Valley.

Our descent is through a beautiful meadow and then on steeply down through forests back to Trenta where the local co-operative can supply you with another well earned beer and ice cream. Read about our final day in The Julian Alps here.

Our last night will be spent in a restaurant in the locality or in Bovec celebrating the achievements of the week before one rises early on the Saturday morning for Matt to transfer you the two hours back to Marco Polo Airport near Venice.

Our Guided Walking Holidays in Slovenia give you a unique opportunity to enjoy the stunning scenery the area has to offer whilst in the care of an English Guide and  chalet owner with unrivalled knowledge of all that the area has to offer.

We are now taking bookings for our next visit and hope you can join us. Contact us here to book your place on our next Guided Walking Holiday in The Julian Alps of Slovenia. We look forward to working with you!