Discover the remarkable beauty and diversity of Slovenia as you walk from Maribor near the Austrian border to Ankaran on the Adriatic Coast on the legendary Slovene Mountain Trail (Slovenska planinska pot or Transverzala). This inspiring long-distance route traverses the heart of Slovenia, crossing the Julian Alps, the Karavanke, and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, as well as the forested Pohorje plateau and the rolling hills and olive groves of the Karst, offering a unique blend of dramatic mountain landscapes and rich cultural heritage.

Perfect for fit walkers and mountaineers with some alpine experience, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook presents the complete Slovene Mountain Trail, described in 12 stages of 3?6 day treks, covering 550km (342 miles) and taking a total of 49 days to complete. Each stage can be tackled individually or linked together, allowing you to tailor the adventure to your own plans and ambitions.

• Explore Slovenia's most iconic mountain regions, including the vast forests of Pohorje, the sheer limestone peaks of the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the flower-strewn alpine pastures and ridges of the Karavanke, and the scenic limestone Karst on the approach to the Adriatic. Each day brings new scenery, from high summits to tranquil woodlands and traditional villages.
• The Slovene Mountain Trail is best enjoyed from mid-June to the end of September, when routes are generally snow-free, and mountain huts are open.
• Stages of the Slovene Mountain Trail are clearly described with daily distance, ascent/descent, grade of difficulty, and estimated walking times, making it easy to plan each day, whether you seek a gentle track-based stage or challenging technical terrain with via ferrata and fixed protection.
• The stages are designed for maximum flexibility, with ease of access via public transport and the option to complete sections in any order, whether you dream of a continuous 49-day trek or prefer to savour individual highlights of the Slovene Mountain Trail at your own pace.
• Each route description includes essential information on start and finish points, public transport connections, mountain huts, accommodation, refreshment options, and facilities, making it easy to plan every stage of your Slovenian Mountain Trail journey.
• Features detailed sketch maps, profiles, and photographs for every stage, plus practical advice on Slovenian wildlife and flora, waymarking, traditions such as collecting summit stamps, and enjoying local food and drink along the trail.

Plan your adventure along the Slovene Mountain Trail with this definitive Cicerone guidebook and discover one of Europe's most varied and rewarding long-distance walks, where each stage reveals a new facet of Slovenia's natural and cultural treasures, from alpine peaks to the sparkling Adriatic coast.

Justi Carey and Roy Clark started visiting the British mountains in their teens, a discovery which has shaped their whole lives. Their passion and love for the outdoors has since led to travels across the world taking in Iceland, North America, Jordan and New Zealand and a deep commitment to the environment, while their continuing interest in being out there has resulted in an enthusiasm for downhill and cross-country skiing, canoeing, cycle touring, horse riding and even rollerblading! Since moving to Slovenia in 2002, Justi has worked as an English teacher, while Roy has developed his skills in, and passion for, landscape photography. They now run a Bed and Breakfast in the mountainous north-west corner of Slovenia.

A guidebook to trekking the Slovene Mountain Trail, crossing Slovenia from Austria to the Adriatic. The 550km route is presented in a series of 12 3 to 6-day treks of all levels of difficulty, all featuring start and finish points that can be accessed by public transport. They can be completed as single sections or linked to create a longer trip. Each day is graded: low-grade walking is mostly on tracks or lanes with no steep ascents, whereas the most difficult stages may involve steep and technical terrain including fixed protection or sections of via ferrata, for which a helmet, self-belaying equipment and the appropriate experience are required. In addition to clear route description and mapping, the guide provides all the practical information you will need to plan your trip, covering transport, accommodation and safety, as well as background notes on geology, plants and wildlife. From Maribor, close by the Austrian border in the north-east, to Ankaran on the Adriatic coast in the south-west, the route covers outstanding mountain and upland walking: the vast forested plateau of Pohorje, the sheer limestone peaks of the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps with their via ferrata protected routes, the traditional alpine pastures and flower-strewn ridges of the Karavanke, and the forested hills and olive groves of the limestone karst country that stretch towards the coast.

Map key Overview map Introduction Landscape and geology Climate and weather Wildlife and flowers The route When to go Getting there Travelling within Slovenia Accommodation Food and drink Money and shopping Communications Health and hazards Language Maps Waymarking Equipment Mountain safety Using this guidebook The Slovene Mountain Trail Stage 1 Maribor to Slovenj Gradec Stage 2 Slovenj Gradec to Sol?ava Stage 3 Sol?ava to Zgornje Jezersko Stage 4 Zgornje Jezersko to Tr?i? Stage 5 Tr?i? to Dovje/Mojstrana Stage 6 Dovje/Mojstrana to Vri? Stage 7 Vri? to Trenta Stage 8 Trenta to Petrovo Brdo Stage 9 Petrovo Brdo to Idrija Stage 10 Idrija to Col Stage 11 Col to Matavun Stage 12 Matavun to Ankaran Appendix A Bibliography Appendix B The Slovene language Appendix C Transport to and facilities at the stage start points Appendix D Hut telephone numbers Appendix E Route summary table