Walking in Slovenia

I had done one trip previously – Amalfi coast hiking, fall 2023 – with EXPLORE. I was so impressed I asked my excellent guide, Pete, what else he would recommend knowing my abilities and interests. He immediately recommended the Slovenia trip, and it actually was on my list of places to visit. He had apparently set the trip up about seven years ago and was very familiar with it. I have been in 50 countries to date - some several times- and Slovenia is now in my top five and I am already planning my return for next May. We had a lovely small group, being the first of these hikes of the season, hailing from Canada, Spain, Australia, and the UK. The accommodation, staff, management, and food at Art Hotel Kristal were A+ – and I especially loved and took advantage of the options of the sauna and cold plunge, Ayurvedic massages with the wonderful Bhatri, chocolate tasting with the owner, Alenka, and a fantastic wine tasting with her son, Jan. I went home with a lovely assortment of chocolates and also a wonderful bottle of wine that I will try to hold onto for a few years until it is optimal to drink. The hikes were not difficult at all, but I found that I did feel like I got a good amount of exercise by the end of the day. I spent my free day doing a mountain bike ride. The whole area around Lake Bohinj is stunning and there are so many activities that one can partake in, as well as really yummy local restaurants close by the hotel. I loved that the hotel offered a pre-fixe three course menu for hotel guests for only €25 on the nights that were not included with the hike. An incredible bargain given the quality of the food, as with almost all of the food we had in Slovenia, it was locally sourced and delicious. I am not typically a meat eater, but I had the venison twice – locally sourced, and wild – and it was by far the best I have ever had. I would definitely stay at this hotel when I return to the area. I would strongly encourage others to spend some time in Ljubljana – either before or after the trip. A beautiful city a two hour bus ride awaythat is just the right size and full of so much to offer. Next time I am going to see a lot more of this country – it is half the size of Switzerland, but the variety of the terrain and ecosystems is quite impressive. Also, to be noted is that English is widely spoken and children start in grade 3, learning this second language. The Slovenians couldn’t have been nicer and more helpful everywhere I went. What can I say?? Get yourself to Slovenia before it is overrun: safe, clean, and green – a beautiful country of farmers, foragers, wine makers, and beekeepers. Also note that they have some fantastic fly fishing there as well as mountain and road biking – very cycling friendly. After all, it is the country of Pogacar.

The walking was excellent and the tour leader rearranged the schedule to better fit the weather forecast. Good decision(s) as that meant we got up to the high ground when the weather was best and did only a short walk when it was tipping it down! If you're going on this holiday take an umbrella! It's rarely windy but there's potential for rain everyday so with minimal wind an umbrella comes in useful when it rains! Trip came with 3 provided evening meals. All soup, choice 2 main courses (3 if count vegetarian option) plus dessert. So not great if you're picky about what kind food you like and veggies we're offered mushroom risotto twice...

A great holiday in a beautiful place I’d never been to before. There were some challenges with the weather as heavy rain fell on several days, but careful management of the itinerary by Grega our leader meant that we did all the planned walks, albeit some were in waterproofs. The accommodation was not my favourite as our room had visible dust and cobwebs, some with resident spiders, but overall this was a great holiday. As ever the group of travellers is important and part of the experience, a great group. If you haven’t been to Slovenia get it on your wish list, you won’t regret it.

Great hikes, beautiful scenery, lovely hotel. Grega and Clara were outstanding guides, providing a lot of interesting historical, cultural, and geographical information as we walked. Lake Bohinj and the surrounding area are an excellent place to spend a week, and the Slovenian people are very friendly and welcoming.

Very comfortable hotel with excellent food, especially breakfast buffet. Knowledgeable and personable guide who was able to adapt the itinerary depending on weather conditions. Great walking trails with varied features eg forest, lakeside, waterfalls and well planned breaks for a coffee, cake etc. Efficient travel arrangements. Locality beautiful with some shops and good restaurants for free evenings. Very enjoyable trip.

Very good tour. Walking was excellent. Couple of very wet days but that's just Slovenia. Guide was very good and shuffled the itinerary slightly to make the best of the weather. Hotel was great and food in hotel was just what needed. We were quite a large group (15) with some quick walkers and quite hard to keep together. Perhaps more could have been done to make sure stragglers were not left behind at times.