Slovenia may be Europe’s best kept secret.

When you think of hiking in Europe, you probably think of heading to the Alps in France, Germany or Switzerland – or maybe the Dolomites in Italy. But I bet you don’t think of Slovenia.

When researching a hiking trip to Slovenia, it was hard to find a comprehensive guide to the best hikes in and around Slovenia’s only national park, Triglav National Park. In fact, it was hard to find anyone who had even heard of Slovenia.

Slovenia is heaven for outdoor lovers. There’s dozens of trails ranging from short, easy tracks to peaks more than 2,000 metres above sea level that will leave your legs begging for mercy.

Dominated by huge mountain ranges, many areas of Slovenia can only be seen by those dedicated to some serious ascents – but you’ll be rewarded with views of snow-capped mountains, vibrant green meadows, mountain huts with views to die for (and some delicious hearty food such as blueberry pie!) and pristine lakes and rivers.

By talking to locals and staff at my hostel, I headed out on some of their favourite trails to put together a list of hikes accessible by public transport.

When To Go

One of my most important factors to consider for a hiking trip to Slovenia is the weather.

It can snow a lot in Slovenia and unless you’re kitted out with crampons, snow shoes and winter gear, the freezing winter months is not the time to visit.

The best time of year to go is late May to end of June and September. This is when the temperatures are in the mid to high 20s and the winter snow has melted.

If you go in spring, you may find snow patches and many summits above 1500 metres will be inaccessible due to several metres of snow.

Most of the locals I talked to said September was the best time to hike in the Slovenian mountains with good weather and fewer crowds. Locals advised me to avoid July and August as it can get very hot and busy.

Where to hike

There’s a couple of areas throughout Slovenia that are prime hiking country. The most popular areas are around Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. These areas are perfect as a base as they are serviced by many hostels, hotels and guesthouses and have facilities such as supermarkets, ATMs and restaurants.

Triglav National Park is where most of the hiking action is in Slovenia ranging from short jaunts to epic multi-day treks hut to hut. The national park boasts many hiking trails and mountains, including Slovenia’s highest mountain, the 2,864m Mt Triglav.

To access Triglav National Park, your best bet is to base yourself either in the town of Stara Fuzina near Lake Bohinj, around Lake Bohinj or Bohinjska Bistrica. There’s lots of guesthouses and a couple of hostels in these locations so it’s easy to find accommodation. There’s also a free shuttle bus that services several key trailheads from Lake Bohinj and Bohninjska Bistrica in the summer months between June 22 and early September.

There are also good beginner hikes starting from the shores of Lake Bled.

Experience and fitness level

Hikes in Slovenia range from easy to difficult. If you’re taking on the mountain trails in Triglav National Park, you’ll need hiking boots, a high level of fitness, a raincoat and warm clothing, and have some navigational knowledge. You’ll need to be able to follow trail markers as the trail can be easily lost due to snow or tree falls. It’s also best to hike with someone if possible as the upper reaches of the trails can be very remote.

Hiking trails

If this is your first time hiking in Slovenia, here’s a list of my favourite trails to kick off your outdoor adventures in Central Europe. So pull on your hiking boots and get on the trail!

1. Lake Bled viewpoints

If you’re after a fairly easy hike to warm up with, complete the circuit of the three Lake Bled viewpoints. The hike starts near a campground on the south western side of the lake about a 30 minute walk from the Bled township.

The most popular viewpoint of Lake Bled is the Ostricja lookout, which offers a magic panoramic view of the Lake Bled island.

From Ojstrica, you can head further up to the Velika Osojnica viewpoint in about another 25-30 minutes.

Then follow the signs and head to the Mala Osojnica viewpoint. From there, you can follow the signs to take you down to the shores of Lake Bled to complete a circuit.

Going to and from this hike you can also walk around the entirety of Lake Bled.

Allow about 4-5 hours to complete the viewpoint hike and Lake Bled circuit.

2. Lake Bohinj viewpoint

You can also get a panoramic view above Lake Bohinj by heading to the Pec lookout about a 30 minute walk from the town.

To make this hike longer than just the walk up to the Pec viewpoint, make Mt Rudnica your first stop. To reach this peak, start off from the small village of Stara Fuzina – located about a 15 minute walk from the Lake Bohinj main bus stop.

Signage leads from Stara Fuzina to the trailhead, but the Maps.me app will also be helpful to keep you on track. The hike up to Mt Rudnica takes about an hour. You’ll first come across a mountain hut and then walk another five minutes to the viewpoint.

From the top of Mt Rudnica follow the signs to Lake Bohinj (Bohinj Jezero). This will take you along the ridgeline before you start to head down.

Eventually you’ll end up at the Pec lookout after about another hour.

Allow about three hours for the circuit taking in the Rudnica and Pec peaks.

3. Black Lake & Double Lake

One of the most popular hikes near Lake Bohinj is to Black Lake and Double Lake.

The hike up is steep and narrow in places and is only recommended for experienced hikers comfortable with heights.

Check local conditions for this hike when you arrive at Lake Bohinj as the trail was closed during summer 2019 following a rockslide.

If the trail is open, the hike starts on the right hand side of the entry point into the Savica Waterfall carpark. Simply follow the signs to Crno Jezero (Black Lake). The one way hike to Black Lake will take about two hours.

If you plan to continue up to the Double Lake, plan your visit for the summer and autumn months as the upper reaches of the hike past Black Lake are often under several metres of snow during winter and spring.

You’ll need a full day (8-10 hours) to complete the round trip hike up to Double Lake or about four hours for the return trip to Black Lake.

4. Stol & Mali Stol

Standing at the Lake Bled viewpoint and looking at the mountains to the right, you’ll be able to spot the peaks of 2,225 metre Stol and 2,198 metre Mali Stol.

The hike up to these summits is a three hours of switchback hell as you head uphill without reprieve. But there are plenty of places to stop along the way to catch your breath, rest your legs, and enjoy the view.

When I went I was only able to make it to the summit of Mali Stol due to deep snow further on and an absence of snow shoes or crampons, but the views were still worth the climb.

You’ll need to allow about 7-8 hours to complete this hike. The trail is only for experienced hikers due to the steepness and navigational challenges due to possible tree falls.

You can reach this hike by taking the bus towards Jesenice and getting off at Moste or Potoki and following the signs pointing to Stol or Valvasorjev Dom – a mountain hut.

You’ll have to walk a couple of kilometres to the trailhead along a tarmac road, and then walk an hour up to the mountain hut.

From the mountain hut, it’s at least another 2.5 hours to the top.

It can get very cold and windy at the top so be prepared for all weather conditions.

There’s no water on the trail so make sure you fill up at the mountain hut before you begin the strenuous part of your hike.

5. Mostnice Gorge & waterfall

For a scenic intermediate hike, head up to Mostnice Waterfall, located near Lake Bohinj.

Enter through the Mostnice Gorge (entrance is €5) from the village of Stara Fuzina (follow the signs for Mostnice Korita). Once through the gorge, follow the signs onto Slap Mostnice (slap is the Slovenian word for waterfall) via a wide vehicle trail used by locals.

You’ll reach a mountain hut first, and then five minutes later you’ll reach the waterfall.

The round trip will take about 3-4 hours and this is perfect as a rainy day hike.

6. Mt Prsivec

The hike up to the summit of 1,761 metre Prsivec can be done in a circuit starting from  the carpark for Mostnice Gorge or Blato. I recommend doing this hike from Blato and taking advantage of the free shuttle bus from Lake Bohinj.

From June 22 to early September, the shuttle bus runs several times daily from Lake Bohinj to Blato.

From Blato, follow the red trail signs to Koca na pri Jezeru mountain hut through beautiful woods.

Once you reach this hut, continue towards Prsivec. The hike winds along a mostly flat but rocky trail, until the last approach up to the summit of Prsivec where you’ll need to do some rock scrambling.

From the summit, you get a great bird’s eye view of Lake Bohinj.

From the summit, it’s a rough, rocky and steep descent. There’s many fallen trees for about an hour down and you may have to go off the path to get around them. Care is needed and make sure you follow the red and white target markers as much as possible.

It will take a couple of hours to get off the summit and down to a dirt road. Turn right here and head towards the Kosijev dom na Vogarju mountain hut and the Vogar lookout.

Once you pass Vogar, follow the signs towards Stara Fuzina. Eventually you’ll head downhill via a steep set of rocky stairs and end up on the road near the Mostnice Gorge trail. Head back to the town of Stara Fuzina, and then you can continue back down onto Lake Bohinj.

Due to the rocky terrain and navigational hazards, this hike should only be attempted by experienced hikers.

Plan for an 8-10 hour round trip.

7. Mala Ticarica/Mala Zelnarica

This hike can be done as long circuit starting from Planina Blato, and takes 7-9 hours return.

A free shuttle runs up to this trailhead during the summer months.

From Planina Blato, take the trail headed to the Koca na Planini pri Jezeru mountain hut.

This hut has a nice view of the lake and shepherd’s huts.

From there, you want to follow the signs to Koca pri Triglavskih jezerih (Seven Lakes Valley hut).  At Planina Ovcarija, the trail splits. Both trails will take you to the mountain hut, but you want to take the upper trail on the right to get to Mala Ticarica.

Follow this path until you get to a junction, and you’ll see chains heading down to the lakes and then a path going uphill. You want to take the path going uphill to get to the summit of Mala Ticarica. From here, it’s about a 30 minute walk to reach the summit.

The summit is the perfect place for some snacks or lunch to enjoy the 360 degree views, including down to the azure lakes below.

From the summit, head back down to the junction just below the summit and follow the signs to Mala Zelnarica. It says this section takes 2.5 hours to complete, although it only took me an hour but I’m a fast hiker.

If you’re getting tired, you can head down to the mountain hut and return to Planino Blato from there.

If you’ve got more energy, then head across to Zelnarica. The trail gets harder from here, it’s more rocky, steep and there’s some narrow sections.

Once you reach the summit, it’s then a very steep and slippery descent. When you get to the junction, continue heading downhill towards Koca na Planini pri Jezeru, which you passed earlier in the day. Once you reach there, return the way you came earlier on the hike back to Planina Blato. You’ll need to be aware of the bus schedule otherwise it’s a long walk down.

I really enjoyed this hike but it is a long and strenuous hike, and is only recommended for experienced hikers due to the distance.

8. Visevnik

The hike to Visevnik is an enjoyable trail taking you up to a beautiful part of the national park. It’s a popular hike, so best to start early to avoid the crowds as the summit is very small.

The hike starts from Rudno Polje. A free shuttle bus runs up here from Lake Bohinj every morning during the summer months. 

It takes about two hours to cover the 3km up to Visevnik, gaining nearly 700 metres. I’m told there’s stunning views up here, but unfortunately it was a white out the day I went up.

From the summit, you can return the way you came, or return to Rudno Polje on an alternative trail. From Visevnik, you will walk across a ridgeline before coming down a steep scree slope.

When you reach a junction, turn left and head downhill through a beautiful forest, following signs to Rudno Polje.

9. Crna Prst

On a clear day, this hike offers up views down to Lake Bohinj from the summit of the 1,844m Prst peak.

This trailhead for this hike starts from Bohinjska Bistrica and takes about 6-8 hours.

To start the hike, head out of Bohinjska Bistrica via Rozna Ulica until you reach the end of the road and then follow the signs to Prst or Oroznova.

The hike winds gradually through beautiful woods on a rocky trail and eventually you end up at Oroznova koca, a mountain hut. From the hut, you’ll head up again up a steep, very rocky trail. If the weather is good, you’ll be able to get some good views.

Unfortunately for me, we were shrouded in clouds all day and never saw the views but staff at the hut showed us photos of what we missed – the views were spectacular. The moody forest on a mist shrouded day was also good though!

As you approach the summit, the hike becomes more of a scramble than a hike, and it can be difficult in wet conditions.

Fifteen minutes from the summit, you’ll encounter red trail signs – make sure you follow the ones to Prst. At the summit, you’ll find a mountain hut and hopefully views.

This hike may be difficult in wet conditions, and care is needed on the muddy and slippery trail.

Make sure you have the Maps.me app handy on this hike as some turns on the trail are not well marked. Some navigational experience would be handy on this hike.

Equipment List

Hiking in the Slovenian mountains is serious business and you need to be prepared.

Items you need are:

• Good quality hiking boots, preferably waterproof or water resistant
• Rain and wind proof jacket
• Hiking poles (or grab a stick at the start of your hike)
• Maps.me app on your phone so you can make sure you stay on the trail
• Charged up phone and battery pack
• At least 2 litres of water (more in the warmer summer months) and a sachet or two of Hydralyte
• Snacks and lunch (or bring cash to buy something after your hike at one of the mountain huts)
• Bag for any rubbish
• Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses
• If you’re hiking in the shoulder season months, you might also want to bring a warm jacket in case the weather changes.

Getting Around

While a car will make it slightly easier and faster to get to the trailheads, it’s still possible to get to all these hikes on local buses.

Many of the Triglav National Park trailheads start from the village of Stara Fuzina, near Lake Bohinj. You can get here by taking a bus from Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj. From the lakeside bus stop, it’s a 15 minute walk up to Stara Fuzina and then follow the signs. The trails are marked with an icon of a person hiking.

There’s also a free bus that runs to the most popular trailheads during the summer months.

To reach the trailhead for Stol, take the bus headed to Jesenice from Lake Bled and get off at Moste or Potoki. The Maps.me app is very useful to find the trailhead for this hike.

Things You Should Know:

• Make sure you check the weather forecast before you go as many of these hikes will be treacherous in rain and storms. Rapid changes in the weather can also occur in the mountains so pack accordingly with warm clothing and wet weather gear in case.
• Most peaks and hiking trails in Slovenia have mountain huts. These are used by hikers as a rest stop or many locals head up here simply to enjoy a meal and drink with some great views. The mountain huts are open during from late spring to early autumn. In most cases on the trails, I was able to refill my water bottle at the huts but bring at least 2 litres of water on any long hikes just in case.
• Many locals hike with trekking poles but it’s easy to find a stick in the woods if you’re not carrying any poles.
• Be prepared for snow above 1500 metres if you’re hiking in early spring.
• Accommodation in the area is easily found at Lake Bled and around Lake Bohinj. Most of the accommodation in the Lake Bohinj area is in the village of Stara Fuzina – a 15 minute walk from where the buses from Bled drop you off.
• If you want to hire a car, you’ll need to get it from Ljubljana as there’s no car rental agencies in Bled or Bohinj. You’ll have to pay for parking at many trailheads especially those located at Stara Fuzina and near Savica Waterfall or you can take the free shuttle bus in the sumner months.
• You’ll need to bring cash if you plan to eat at the mountain huts as they don’t accept cards.
• English is widely spoken in Slovenia.
• Make sure you pick up a paper trail map and download the Maps.me app and the Slovenia map to your phone before heading off on your hike. I referred to my map a lot to find trailheads and ensure I kept on the trail.