| Cost From: | $4595 |
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| Length: | 11 days |
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| Activity: | Hiking / Trekking, Cultural Adventures |
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| Difficulty: |
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Beautiful country, wonderful guides, very good group, good hikes!F. Fisher—Denver CO
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The ultimate way to explore Italy—on foot! Discover jewel-like towns of the southern Tuscan countryside, from remarkable Siena to the enchanting villages of the sun-splashed Maremma, with its hidden coves and vineyards producing “super-Tuscan” wines.
Tucked between Italy and Austria, Slovenia is a superb hiking destination, from the snow-capped Julian Alps in the north to the shores of the shimmering blue Adriatic. This stunning realm of jagged peaks and sublime wildflower-carpeted meadows may well be Europe’s best-kept secret. In the Julian Alps, we hike spectacular ridgetop routes to classic mountain chalets, follow airy paths above treeline for breathtaking panoramic views of Europe’s largest national park, and delight in Slovenia’s traditional villages, mountain-ringed lakes, and historic towns including Kobarid, immortalized in Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. Our trip ends on the sun-splashed Adriatic, where the Venetian port of Piran beckons us with its waterfront cafes.
$4595 (11-15 members)
$5095 (6-10 members)
Single supplement: $495
Prices are for 2010 dates
Jun 1-11, 2010 Ingrid Cercek
Richard Bell
Jul 20-30, 2010 Ingrid Cercek
Sep 14-24, 2010 Ingrid Cercek
Reading list, click here.
After a walking tour that leads us through delightful Ljubljana, an enchanting city of sidewalk cafes set below a guardian castle, we head to the dramatic, glacier-carved valley of Logarska Dolina, one of the most stunning natural settings in Europe, where lacy waterfalls trace down sheer limestone walls. Our hikes bring us up to the high meadows of Velika Planina, with its ancient wooden chalets, and to the mountain refuge of Klemenca Jama.
From Jezersko, near the Austrian border, a beautiful hike brings us to an ancient mountain farm where we enjoy lunch, then we visit the lovely Renaissance town of Radovljica, with its honey-colored buildings. A late afternoon gondola ride takes us across the impossibly picturesque Lake Bled to its 17th century island-church. From Lake Bohinj, a deep blue lake surrounded by the highest peaks in the Julian Alps, our hikes bring us through the narrow canyon of the Mostnica Gorge, with its jade-green river, up into a dramatic world of lush mountain meadows surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and along trails with spectacular views of triple-summited Mt. Triglav.
On the western side of the Julian Alps, we enter an Old World realm of tiny villages, translucent rivers, and deep forests that formed the infamous Soca Front during World War I. One of our hikes here brings us up to the rocky ramparts below Mt. Krn (7,300'), with a descent to the small, tranquil village of Dreznica. Overnights are in the historic and charming town of Kobarid, where Hemingway set his World War I masterpiece.
From the tiny village of Livek, our trail leads across meadows brimming with wildflowers to Mt. Matajur, with breathtaking views that stretch all the way to the Gulf of Trieste. We head for the Dalmatian Coast and captivating Piran, set along the azure Adriatic and full of Venetian Gothic buildings. The next day, we hike along the coast at Secovlje, with its marshes and wading birds, and enjoy our farewell dinner at a charming seafront restaurant. Depart on Day 11 via Ljubljana.
This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure
