Tržič – ‘a crowdless paradise’

As our thoughts are slowly beginning to turn to planning holidays, this year – more than ever – it makes sense to choose a destination for your holiday that is ‘far from the madding crowd’.

Slovenia, fortunately, has plenty such destinations (my tip is to be sure to avoid the overcrowded places during the height of summer – Bled, in particular, as well as to some extent Piran, the Postojna caves, Ljubljana…). Radol’ca, where I live and about which I wrote last week, is one such uncrowded place, while Tržič, which is just a stone’s throw away, is another.

So, this time I’ve put together plenty of reasons why you should consider visiting Tržič, whether for a few hours, a day or two, or even as somewhere to base yourself for your entire stay in Slovenia.

Tržič is located in the Gorenjska (alpine) region of Slovenia and is separated from Austria by the Karavanke mountains, hence it’s a hiker’s paradise.

It would be hard to single out any one hike, but among my favourites are Kriška gora and Tolsti vrh

The Born Trail from Ljubelj to Preval, which is especially interesting, but don’t forget a torch…

Košutica, also known as Ljubeljska Baba,…

…and Šija, which lies beneath the ridge of Slovenia’s longest mountain.

On a side note, the equally relevant, the Slovenian tourist board has also stepped up its activities to promote the country as one with responsible travel standards under the label GREEN & SAFE and Tržič is one of the Slovenia GREEN destinations.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay, why not choose a stay at the Šlibar organic farm or glamping at Glamping Mountain Fairytale – both ideal places for some r&r – though there are numerous other choices of accommodation, too.

The Gorenjska plaža (Gorenjska beach) swimming pool is the ideal place to cool off during the heat of the summer, while the Trziška bistrica stream and the area’s waterfalls are other places to ‘chill’!

With all those mountains, mountain pastures and forests, there’s also plenty of cycling to be done – particularly for fans of mountain biking – while the Dovžan gorge is an adventure as well as a(nother) ideal place to cool off in the heat of summer.

There’s something for history buffs and culture vultures too, including the Mauthausen concentration camp, Tržič museum, and the St. Anne mine.

The Tržič tourist information centre, located in the old town centre, is a good place to start (planning) your trip. You can contact the centre by email, by phone, or in person.

So, I hope I’ve provided you with some (more) food for thought and help in planning your holiday this year. Talking of food…don’t forget to try some of the local Tržič specialities too!

© Adele in Slovenia

Best Autumn Hikes in Bohinj

Though summer will always be my favourite time of the year in Slovenia, autumn comes a close second, particularly when it comes to my favourite pastime – hiking. Though I have titled this blog ‘Best Autumn Hikes in Bohinj‘ in truth it’s almost impossible to pick the ‘best’ hikes in an area with so much natural beauty and so many amazing hiking trails. So, below are just a few of my favourite autumn hikes in Bohinj and Triglav National Park.

To the south of Lake Bohinj, the Lower Bohinj mountain range offers wonderful hikes to suit all; shorter linear walks, longer circular walks or hut-to-hut hikes. As the days shorten in autumn, you can also make great use of the Vogel gondola to take you up or down – I prefer the latter, though I’m guessing I’m in the minority when it comes to that!

I love walking along the ridge, or part of it, that runs between Črna Prst, above Bohinjska Bistrica, to Rodica and onwards to the peak of Šija and down the ski slopes to the Vogel ski resort. Below are some of the highlights of my recent hike through the Bareča dolina valley towards Rodica.

The path starts off gently through the forest…

…before reaching the largely abandoned but nevertheless beautiful Suha mountain pasture.

From here its onwards and upwards to the Čez Suho saddle, where, on a fine day, you are richly rewarded with views as far as the eye can see of the surrounding peaks of the Julian Alps and, to the south, towards Slovenia’s Primorska region. You can also see the path(s) ahead and then take your choice. Turn left for Rodica or right towards Vogel.

On reaching the saddle beneath Šija, it’s just a short 15 minutes to the top, before heading down the ski slopes to the heart of the Vogel ski resort. The paths are well marked throughout.

On the way back, I met some very friendly sheep…

And stopped to ring the wishing bell!

.before reaching Vogel, which is, indeed, ‘Like a fairytale’!

In autumn the hugely popular 7 Triglav Lakes Valley is far less crowded so you can enjoy the best of the valley whilst, at times, even feeling like you have it all to yourself!

Without doubt one of my favourite autumn hikes is to Pršivec, a viewpoint on the north side of Lake Bohinj, where in autumn the colours of the surrounding larch trees, combined with the stunning views of the lake and the surrounding peaks, is truly magnificent.

There is often fog lingering above the lake in autumn, and on reaching the viewpoint at Vogar, you get that smug feeling of being, almost, on top of the world!

Lake Bohinj is at its most spectacular when viewed from Pršivec. It almost seems heart-shaped, well, it certainly captures the heart of all who see it!

I hope this has provided at least a few ideas for autumn hikes in Bohinj; there are countless others, too. So, what are you waiting for, it’s all there, ready for the taking – or rather the hiking! Click here for more about what else to do and do in autumn in Bohinj and here for advice on hiking in Bohinj in autumn.

© Adele in Slovenia