Heading out to the SSEC in Kobarid, Slovenia in 3 weeks time for some singlespeeding, sunshine and beer.
Then my wife flies out (Venice) to join me and we have a week to explore. What to do?
Where can we find active things to to? MTBing, road biking, hiking, running, climbing, waterskiing...? What's worth seeing?
We'll have a hire car so we're mobile. We've been to various parts of the Dolomites before and loved it - especially Garda - but we're minded to see a bit of Slovenia and Croatia this time. We'll probably spend one day in Venice to have seen it, but we're more excited by the Great Outdoors I think.
Cheers 🙂
Bob
You could easily spend a week in the soca valley. Go to Prijon sports near Bovec and spend a day or three kayaking with them (I did with the wife, as rank beginners, had 3 really good days on the river) get the Soca valley mtb guidebook, pick some routes from there. Drive up the highest road in Slovenia to the Mangart saddle, watch the sunset, stay at the hut, climb Mangart.
Drive round to the North wall of Triglav for a gawp and wall, then round to Lake Bled and Bohinj, camp at the lake, hire a canadian canoe and paddle round.
Stick to Slovenia, no shortage of beauty or things to do. Save the other places for another time, and spend less time in the car.
Lake Bled, Slovenia, stunning.
We spent 3 days in venice, 3 days Garda, then got the train to Bled. Arriving in a deserted hamlet at 0500 and walking across the train tracks was a cross between some old western and the borat movie but once we'd caught the bus 2k into town it was gorgeous. Small lake (5k around), island in the middle with old monastery you can swim/boat to. Plenty of running, walk into the hills (watch out for snakes and bears... Really), hire a canoe/SUP, and there's even some high alpine stuff around. 3grand (oops not 5... Edit! mountains in Julian Alps.
Food was amazing too, lots of fresh fish and local wine for absolute pennies.
Bovec is the place in the soca valley for activities. Loads of sports agencies in town that you can do anything and everything with. Bit much, possibly. We liked Prijon sports, because kayaking is all they do. Bit of mtbing too, I think. Bit more focussed, bit more of a relaxed environment.
the Architecture Biennale should be open 28th May, there's a good day to spend just there.
Seen the pic on the SSEC fb page?! 😯
Very much interested in this as we too are off out there for a week with SSEC in the middle
Tons of outdoor stuff to do.
Triglav via the Plemenice Ridge is tremendous. It's a long day and depending upon confidence you may want VF gear on the ridge itself (it is, or was, erratically equipped).
And if you are in Kobarid, do go to the museum and the historical trail. The battles in and around Kobarid during WW1 are relatively little known over here but it was absolutely brutal. The book "The White War" covers WW1 on the front that stretched from Slovenia across to the Dolomites. And of course A Farewell to Arms is set on the same front.
I think there are also guided tours to some of the battlefields.
Postojna Cave in Slovenia is well worth a visit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postojna_Cave It's some 24km long, you need to take a train to get to the inner chambers. Home to the olm, a weird blind lizard.
You can do the touristy thing or get kitted up and do noe of their caving tours.
the Slap Kozjak (sp?) waterfalls are worth a short walk to (from a small parking area on the road up from Kobarid to Dreznica, or Kamp Koren, or Kamp Lazar)
Fort Kluze. and from the parking area there, there's a short walk up a hill to Fort Hermann.
Vrsic pass if you like going up lots and lots of hairpin bends (think parking at the top was not free).
and in that entire Soca valley, there are loads of places to do canoeing, canyoning, etc. and finding the sport where the filmed Narnia.
must go back sometime.
:PAs above Slovenia. http://www.sloveniaforyou.com/InfoBohinj.htm
Been to Bovec once and Bohinj twice 😆 You can do a bit of skinny dipping on the far side of Lake Bohinj if you so wish 😛
Good work... STW delivers