Alpine adventures through Slovenia
The 86-mile, glacial Soča River continues across the Italian border, and is known as the ‘Emerald Beauty’
Just over the border from Italy and Austria, Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s perfectly preserved slice of the Julian Alps. Now is the time to see this mountainous region waking from its icy slumber and become one giant outdoor adventure playground. Cycling and rambling trails are accessible once more, and melting snows swell the park’s rivers, unleashing endless rafting and kayaking possibilities. A textbook karst landscape – in fact, the word originates from Slovenia – Triglav is a patchwork of limestone caves, arches and deep ravines. Highlights include the mountain-encircled Lake Bohinj, the mist-shrouded Savica Waterfall and the Soča River, which runs such a vivid cyan, it appears Photoshopped. Come late spring, the views here become all the more idyllic, as wild blooms, including rare Alpine orchids, run riot over the park’s meadows – easy enough to explore on your own or on guided botanical walks during Triglav’s International Wild Flower Festival.