Walking Routes

The following walks are our normal itinerary, but may vary due to ground or weather conditions, and we add new walks periodically to those outlined below. If you book the property as a group, we can tailor the walks to your requirements, and they can be made at any level due to the variety of terrain on offer. Please note in sometimes in early spring some high areas may be inaccessible due to snow (unless the whole group is correctly equipped with winter walking equipment). 
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Saturday: Arrival day

Sunday: Malenski Vrh and Gora

A pretty and fairly gentle start to the week with this walk leaving directly from the hotel. We climb through the village  to enjoy the panorama from the upland meadows, then visit the ancient church at Gora, with lovely views over the rolling hills and valleys. We then descend to the village of Malenski Vrh enjoying long reaching views to the south of Slovenia, walking on tracks through meadows with many interesting and unusual flowers. After a visit to an open door farm where we can taste homemade cordials and juices, we walk home on a circular route on tracks passing a waterfall and through woods with many interesting mushrooms in season.

Total distance 7.5 miles/ 12 km, total ascent approx 500m

Monday:  The National Park - Mostnice gorge, lakes Bled and Bohinj:

A day trip to the National Park, including lakes Bled and Bohinj and a spectacular gorge walk. We drive straight to Bohinj over a mountain pass with beautiful scenery, and walk up the dramatic Mostnice gorge with some amazing rock erosion into a superb glacial valley with herder's huts, culminating in a waterfall tumbling off the cliff at the head of the valley.  We have a picnic and refreshing drink at the mountain hut before returning to Bohinj (with time for a swim in the summer!) and finally visiting Lake Bled for on the way home. Here perhaps enjoy a slice of the famous Bled cream cake or a cold beer overlooking the lake before returning to the hotel (today we arrive back late so afternoon tea is not provided).

Alternatively in low season we may adapt the day, instead driving to the stunning Vintgar Gorge near Lake Bled, walking the length of  the gorge on a wooden walkway and path above tumbling turquoise waters. Dippers nest in the gorge and are often seen. We then drive to Lake Bohinj and after a picnic lunch on the lakeside, walk the first section of the above walk, following Mostnice Gorge  through the beautiful beech woods. We then drive back to Lake Bled for refreshments as above. 

Total distance approx 8 miles/12km, ascent 150m; or 5.5 miles/9 km, total ascent 80m for Vintgar variation

 
Tuesday: Walk to Porezen

Porezen is one of the highest mountains in the pre-Alpine chain which runs just south of the National Park, We drive to Davca, the largest village in Slovenia, and walk on paths and tracks to the steep and rocky limestone summit of Porezen at a height of 1630 metres. From here, on a clear day, you can see superb views of the Julian Alps including Mount Triglav, as well as Italy, Austria and the coast at Trieste. The area is famous for the wonderful flowers in the spring and early summer and there as the chance to see some rare birds such as peregrines, black grouse and capercaillie.We stop at the mountain hut which was an Italian command post between the wars for refreshments before returning to the valley on a circular route.

Distance approx 10 miles/15.5km; total ascent 900m

Wednesday: Free day, with optional transport provided to the pretty Medieval town of Skofja Loka,  where you can spend a relaxing day visiting the town and its excellent ethnographical museum, or from here you may choose to catch one of the regular buses which run to  Ljubljana, where you can explore Slovenia's tiny capital. Alternatively take yourself off with a route card and explore one of the walks from the hotel. Alternative day trips are available (at an extra cost) to visit other areas, such as the lace and mercury museums in Idrija, Postonja Caves, the coast, etc. Please note that today the restaurant is closed but instead we drive you to a local organic farm to enjoy a truly authentic experience of a traditional Slovenian dinner made from all home-produced ingredients (not included). 

Thursday: Walk to Bukov Vrh 

This is a lovely circular walk on the opposite side of our  home valley, where the views and scenery are quite spectacular. Our route takes us through beech woods and open meadows to the church at Bukov Vrh, where panoramic 360% views await us, and we see the beautiful Julian Alps in the distance. We continue on paths through open rolling countryside, passing through several hamlets where we will glimpse a traditional way of life, and pause for a picnic lunch on the way. Still enjoying fantastic scenery we descend on good paths back to the valley, maybe stopping for a cooling drink at a farm along the way.

Distance: approx 9.5 miles/15km; total ascent: 450m

Friday: Ratitovec

Today we walk up Ratitovec, part of a chain of lower mountains leading to the boundary of Triglav National Park. The secenery is much like the Dolomites with exposed moutain limestone. We climb on a good track which is steep in places through beech forests to a saddle, then  through upland meadows scattered with beautiful alpine flowers to Vratca, which, on a clear day, which provides one of the best viewpoints of Mount Triglav.  We then cross the saddle and ascend to a vast, broad ridge stretching for 10km, and are rewarded with superb dramatic views. From here we climb to the highest point, Altemayer and at  1678 metres can see all of the Gorejnska region and feel we are really on top of the world, picnicing here if weather permits. With plenty of opportunity to admire the views, flowers and butterflies, we stop at a mountain hut for refreshments before returning via a different and very scenic route, descending through dramatic limestone cliffs and woods. 

Distance: approx  6 miles/ 9.5 km; total ascent 750m
 

Saturday:

Sadly your week is now at a close. If time permits you can go for a short stroll to a mountain hut for a last look at the scenery and a drink before we escort you to back the airport (if taking the Easyjet flight to Stansted). We hope you have enjoyed your taste of Slovenia and that one day we will welcome you back to Pri Lenart!

 EXAMPLES OF ALTERNATIVE WALKS WHICH MAY BE DONE DURING THE WEEK:

Walk to Zabrekve to visit the charcoal burners' villages

This is a lovely walk up from the Šelska Dolina valley, famous for its tradition of charcoal burning. We walk on good tracks through beautiful and peaceful beech woods to visit an artist who paints beautiful still life pictures and lives in one of the charcoal-burning hamlets. We hopefully watch the process of charcoal making, unchanged for centuries, before climbing to the church at Muhov Vrh, enjoying spectacular views almost the whole way. We return through open meadows, and follow a good path back down next to a brook running through the shade of the trees back to the starting point.

Distance approx  9 miles/14km; total ascent 550m

Blegoš:

 This is a challenging but rewarding walk from the hotel to the highest of  the Škofja Loka hills, culminating at the summit of this protected area where many wild flowers and butterflies can be seen, along with breathtaking 360 degree views of the whole area. Blegoš forms part of the Rupnik Line, which formed the fortified border between Italy and Slovenia between WW1 and WW2, and many of the old bunkers can be seen as we walk this route.  There is also an easier but longer route to the summit.

Total distance approx 11 miles/ 16 km, (8 miles/12km for shorter route); total ascent approx 800m

 Stari Vrh ski slopes

This is a walk directly from the hotel up the hill of Stari Vrh, starting off quite steeply but soon opening up to lovely views over our village and the rolling hills and valleys to the far south. As we approach the mountain hut we pause to admire the fantastic scenery to the distant mountains and the border with Austria, and perhaps taste a home made fruit schnapps! We then descend through the meadows which in the winter form the ski resort of Stari Vrh and follow a path through meadows and woods which leads to the beautiful church of St Valentin which is currently being retored, followed by a picnic lunch overlooking the mountains and valleys. We return to the hotel through more woods and meadows via the village of Cetena Ravan.

Walking distance: approx 8 miles/12km; total ascent 450m 

 Walk to visit Zirovski Vrh and the Rupnik Line 

Walking from the local town of Gorenja Vas we climb to a beautiful area of Zirovski Vrh. There we admire the extensive views and visit the fascinating main supply caves and tunnels of the Rupnik Line, the mid-war defences that were built on the then border between Italy and Slovenia, before the territory was retuned to Slovenia. Following the visit we enjoy a picnic lunch before meandering  back to the valley through beautiful beech woods.

Walking distance approx 10 miles/ 15.5km, total ascent 600m

 Walk to Ermanovec

This is a fairly long and very scenic walk to the high hills of Slajka and Ermanovec. Leaving the hamlet of Hotavlje, we climb quite gently to the summit of the first hill, Slajka, ending with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains in all directions. The walk continues on a high path to the summit of Ermanovec at 1026 metres, where more spectacular views await. We descend to a mountain hut for refreshments and then return via a circular route to the valley floor. There are beautiful views for most of this lovely walk.

Distance: approx 9.5 miles/ 15km, total ascent 650 metres

 WALK DIFFICULTY AND FITNESS LEVELS

Our accompanied walks are of moderate length and difficulty. Most of the walks are on well marked paths and tracks, through woodland, upland meadows and on high rounded hilltops (up to nearly 1700m). Paths are generally good, but some are steep in places as we are in the foothills of the Julian Alps. To enjoy the accompanied walks we recommend that you are comfortable walking in hilly areas at a steady pace for around 6-7 hours each day (including rest stops). Walks generally include around 600 metres ascent (on one day up to 1000 metres ascent), which involves walking steadily uphill for sometimes several hours - but the rewards are great in terms of views, and there is usually a mountain hut for rest and refreshments at the top of the longer ascents! Generally one ascent will take you to a flattish area where the views are spectacular, and from there the rest of the walk is quite level and then in descent. If you don't regularly do day walks in hilly terrain, please ensure you are fit enough to enjoy the walking programme by doing some aerobic exercise and hill walking prior to your holiday!

EQUIPMENT

Approximately 8 weeks before departure we will send you holiday notes and a suggested list of equipment to bring with you. If you have any questions prior to booking please contact us and we will be happy to help.