A Few Questions about Slovenia Trip

It looks fun!

I was going to say you missed Maribor, but it sounds like you will get another time.

You could take a short trip down to Croatia, such as Opatija.

Can I come? Some of my favorites are in your plan. When you get to the end of Mostnica, to the waterfall, stop at the restaurant just before you enter the woods to see the falls and have a blueberry strudel.

Thanks for the responses.

rizell... Graz and Maribor were on the original itinerary, but I kept finding things I wanted to do at the other stops, so I deferred them to another trip. A dip below the border with Croatia is definitely on my radar.

Emily... Your advice, as always, is much respected and appreciated. Blueberry strudel... added to the itinerary!

English is widely spoken in Slovenia.

Hi everyone!
I was interested in this post because we are planning a trip there this summer. I am particularly interested in your post about Logarska Dolina. After reading RS book we decided to spend a couple of nights there. There isn't a lot written about the area. I'm wondering how we find our way to the hikes and scenic routes and such. I would expect that there will not be English spoken or a tourist office in that area.

Also, could Maribor be a day trip from Ljubliana? If so, what is special about it?

Thanks for letting me piggy back..

Lori,

A few resources on the Logarska dolina:

Two info points in the area:

• http://www.solcavsko.info/index.php?id=54
• http://www.logarska-dolina.si/index.php?id=122

IMHO the most helpful website for the area:

• The Solčava Panoramic Road: http://www.solcavska-panoramska-cesta.si/en/
• Website includes 15 hikes (with an overview map of where they are): http://www.solcavska-panoramska-cesta.si/en/where-to-go

There are official-looking websites:

• http://www.logarska-dolina.si/index.php?jez=EN
• http://www.solcavsko.info/index.php?jez=EN

There are also many travel blogs with helpful info, for example:

• https://nomadisbeautiful.com/travel-blogs/travel-guide-the-logar-jezersko-valleys-in-slovenia/
• https://www.zigzagonearth.com/logar-valley-slovenia-logarska-dolina/

Thank you so much Dave. This is great information.

Lori... You're welcome!

I am jumping in late here, but I do have a suggestion for a hike we did in Logarska Dolina that we loved. It is longer and more difficult than the ones you mention, but we love to hike. I first hear about it from Dejan (who lives in Slovenia). Here is the private message he sent me about it when I inquired about good hikes in that area:

"Another option is to hike to Velika Raduha (2062m), the summit of the Raduha massif. Despite the lower altitude it's a more prominent peak than Ledinski Vrh with arguably better views, although to make it a 6-hour hike you'll have to reach the higher trailhead at the Bukovnik farm above Solcava, so not strictly in Logarska Dolina. You'll be able to get there if you have a car. You have to turn off the main road in Solcava by the bridge over the Savinja. The signs will say Crna na Koroskem and Podolseva, but there will also be wooden tourist signposts for the Bukovnik farm along the way, so you won't get lost. It'll be a 25-minute drive (6 miles) from Solcava, with views of the Raduha to the east. At one point you will have to turn off the road to the right, onto the access road to Bukovnik, it's all signposted. Right before you reach the farm itself, a forest road will turn off the access road to the left. Leave the car somewhere around there and follow that road for a short while until you see a path going into the forest to the left with a red and white circular mark. Take that path to the Grohat Hut and then continue following the signs for Raduha (Durce). After Grohat, you will reach a junction where the left trail will lead to Durce and the right directly to the top of Raduha. Make sure you're following the trail to Durce as the direct trail is a very difficult climbing ascent. On Durce Pass take a right towards the top of Raduha. It's an easy 2.5 hours from the trailhead to the summit." End of quote

That was in 2016. There is a large visitors center in town and they have a huge map on the wall. You can get more information on the hike and see it on the map there. It will take 2/3 of the day (6 hours). There is a hut not far from the trailhead which is a great place to stop for a drink in the way down. It is a Hike, not a walk on flat ground, but the views were incredible. We were there in 2016, so all information should be vetted at the visitors center. Dejan's directions got us right there.

One more thing:

If you do the hike, be careful. There are many ways up to the top and if you start down the wrong trail you will wind up in a completely different area. I suggest taking a picture of signposts along the way and make a note of which way you should go from there. The one that tripped us up was almost at the top. We Follow the natural way the path went and missed our turn. (it wasn't signed for where we were headed so we thought the other path was to a viewpoint. ) Fortunately we realized it fairly quicklly and got turned around.

Connie... Thanks for the suggestion! I will take a close look at that hike.

We just returned from Slovenia (and other nearby countries). Some random thoughts: Are you including Plitvice Lakes? That was a highlight for us and there are lots of additional hikes besides the boardwalk & waterfalls. Ljubljana has a “Open Kitchen” (huge outdoor restaurant vendors) only on Fridays. The WWII museum in Kobarid was surprisingly good for a small museum. Finally we were in Lake Bled over Easter holiday and there were lots of families!

jkcotton2... Thanks for your response.

Are you including Plitvice Lakes? That was a highlight for us and there are lots of additional hikes besides the boardwalk & waterfalls.

My original plan was to do Slovenia, Croatia, and B&H in the time allotted, but I kept finding more and more I wanted to do in Slovenia, so I ended up limiting the trip to Slovenia. I'm hoping to hit Croatia (including Plitvice) in the fall of 2020! Given the hiking options at Plitvice, how long did you stay there?

Ljubljana has a “Open Kitchen” (huge outdoor restaurant vendors) only
on Fridays.

Thanks for mentioning this. Sadly, I had all of my lodging lined up before I found out about it. I expect I'll make it back some day and will try to be there on a Friday evening in the summer.

The WWII museum in Kobarid was surprisingly good for a small museum.

Can't wait to see it!

If you have the time and inclination, it would be awesome if you shared a report on your journey in the "Trip Report" section of the forum.