Table of contents
Deleker
16 pictures
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1/16
Lots of water on the slopes in summer thanks to record snow in winter.
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2/16
The picturesque place canal.
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3/16
Northern ramp of the Vršič pass with smooth cobblestones.
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4/16
A must see: the historic town of Škofja Loka.
Deleker
5/16
The day goes by, Johnny Walker is coming: Camping at Lake Bohinjsko Jezero.
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6/16
Narrow suspension bridges connect the banks of the Soča.
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7/16
The south ramp is the icing on the cake of the Stolpiste.
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8/16
The mountains of Slovenia offer varied slopes and passes as well as beautiful forests and mountain panoramas.
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9/16
Chemical accident? The Soča river always surprises with its color.
Deleker
10/16
At the lake of Bled in front of the caravan backdrop.
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11/16
Encounter with local two- and four-legged friends.
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12/16
The route through Slovenia that Jo Deleker took.
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13/16
The DB Autozug to the destination area in Villach is comfortable and fast.
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14/16
The paved hairpin bends of the Vršič pass are a challenge when it is wet.
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15/16
Not yet melted: masses of snow from the winter on Mangart.
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One of the most promising slopes in the region climbs up to the Stol.
to travel
On the way: Slovenia
On the way: Slovenia
In the intoxication of the heights
In the north-west of Slovenia, the Alps pull out all the stops: mighty mountains like the Triglav, similar to the Dolomites, varied slopes and passes and the white water paradise of So? A.
Joachim Deleker
10/14/2010
The Alps are going downhill. Here at 14 degrees and 30 minutes east, the mountains rear up again before they disappear into the wooded hills of northern Slovenia. But the easternmost rock bastion has it all: the Grintovec towers up to 2558 meters in the Kamnisk Alps. The massive block with its light gray rock walls would look good even in the Dolomites. The Seebergsattel lies at the foot of the Grintovec. It measures only 1216 meters, but the northern ramp in Austria means unearthly driving pleasure.
Robert with the 640 KTM and myself and Tenere do gymnastics down the Seebergsattel into the Kranj plain. Densely populated, a lot of traffic, not exactly worth seeing. But barely ten kilometers further, modernity ends outside the walls of Skofja Loka, a thousand-year-old city with a listed center. Here you can only continue on foot. Narrow, medieval streets lead to the spacious market square, which is framed by town houses that testify to prosperity and are painted.
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We set our sights on national road 403, which works its way up into the forests of the low mountain range in the tranquil Selscica valley. Farmers bring in the first hay harvest of the year and dry it on the traditional hay harps, the Kozolci. It gets lonely, the river narrower and wilder and the mountains higher. In the middle of the spruce forest, the 903 branches off to Bohinjska, climbs in neat curves to the Bohinjskopass at 1277 meters. The panorama up there forces you to brake hard. The Julian Alps tower up like a wall in the northwest, with the Triglav towering above everything, the highest mountain in the country at 2,864 meters. And at the very bottom of the valley we can already see Lake Bohinjsko Jezero.
It almost looks like the Canadian Rockies: The calm, long expanse of water, ancient trees on the shore, and in the west 2000-meter mountains end the valley. We camp on a campsite right by the water and are allowed to light a campfire. When the campsite manager tells us that brown bears live in the woods by the lake, the Canada illusion is completely perfect.
Deleker
At the lake of Bled in front of the caravan backdrop.
The Triglav is only twelve kilometers away from here, but invisible. By the time we see him again, the speedometers show 60 kilometers more. 60 kilometers that are tough. From Bohinjska via the 905, 906 and 907 to Mojstrana. Best tar, in between a little gravel and curves until you drop. Finally we turn into the narrow Vratatal. The piste only knows one direction here: uphill, at 25 percent in places. The reward is waiting at the end of the dead end. The north face of the Triglav rises monumentally, the light gray of the limestone merges into the equally light gray of the sky at the top. The peaks can only be seen vaguely. Triglav means three head. In Slavic mythology, its three tips symbolize the three-headed god Triglaw, each head with an individual area of responsibility: heaven, earth and the underworld. It is also said that only those who climb Triglav can be a real Slovenian. We decide that we don’t want to become Slovenes right now, so we can confidently turn around and take the dust back to Mojstrana.
A short stop in the touristically overcrowded Bled – the view over the lake to the island including the church and fortress in front of the high Karawanken Mountains is worthwhile – and we disappear back into the hinterland. Climb again over the great Bohinjskopass and then follow the 403 westwards to Most on the banks of the Soca. The sight of them makes us believe in a chemical accident. How else can this color be explained? A deep, artificial turquoise. The Soca rises in the Julian Alps, nibbles on the lime-rich rock and gets its unreal color from the dissolved lime. We roll down the river to the village of Kanal and turn into the mountains there. The map shows a white line running north along the border. It curves as a narrow path through forests and fields, through tiny places like Lig, Kambresko and Jeza, it goes constantly up and down and finally as a border ridge road with wide views of Italy and the Julian Alps. Direct hit.
So far so beautiful. But then a large information board confronts us with the darkest chapter in Soca history: the twelve Isonzo battles in World War I. Insonzo is the Italian name of Soca. For two years, Austrians and Italians fought each other along the valley in a ruthless trench warfare, over a million soldiers killed each other, sometimes just to conquer a few meters of terrain. In view of the restored trenches, bunkers and positions, bewilderment spreads.
Deleker
Northern ramp of the Vršič pass with smooth cobblestones.
A little bit carried away by the brutal history lesson, we board our single-cylinder and roll thoughtfully to Kobarid. The proximity to Italy is obvious here. Palm trees, oleanders and agaves, cafes and ice cream parlors on the lively square, narrow streets and numerous scooters create a Mediterranean atmosphere. Along with Bovec, Kobarit is the center for adrenaline-boosting outdoor sports. Kayakers will find their paradise on the Soca, it is one of the most popular white water rivers in the world, and agencies offer canyoning, paragliding, mountain biking and mountaineering. The audience along the Soca is correspondingly young. Only motorcycling is not on offer.
But we’ll take care of that ourselves, looking for the slope over the Stol. Shortly before the Italian border, an inconspicuous lane branches off, the rusty barrier stands open invitingly. The path is moderately steep uphill through the dense beech forest and only emerges from the forest far beyond 1000 meters. But then the slope turns into a top-class panoramic road.
The Julian Alps loom in the north and east, the peaks still covered in snow. On the spacious green top of the pass, only a few tinkling goats disturb the absolute tranquility. So far, the path has been a breeze, but that will change on the south ramp. Thousands of meters of incline, damn tight hairpin bends and soft, thick gravel demand full concentration. There is hardly any time for a quick look over the steep green slopes, whose grassy carpet is glowing in the backlight.
We land back in Kobarit and aim for the next highlight, Mangartstrasse. It is often referred to as one of the most beautiful roads in the Eastern Alps. The trail to Mangart branches off at the Predilpass. Barely two kilometers further, the road plunges into the beech forest, makes a 180-degree turn – and ends in a wall of snow. All the anticipation on Mangartstrasse is shock-frozen by this icy barrier. The frustration triggers an act of desperation in Robert, he attacks the white wall, digs his way through with the TKC 80-tire KTM and actually reaches solid ground. He disappears around the next bend and is quickly back again: “Forget it. Much more snow.” We hadn’t expected that in the summer, but last winter brought record amounts of snow to the Eastern Alps.
Deleker
A must see: the historic town of Škofja Loka.
So turn back, to the Predilpass and back down to the Socatal. Sometimes the river flows very calmly, then wildly again. Small towns, rustic and ancient wooden barns, wobbly suspension bridges. Pure alpine idyll. The ascent to the Vrsicpass begins shortly after Trenta. The spectacular 50-turn pass was laid over the mountains by 12,000 Russian forced laborers as a supply route to the Isonzo front during World War I.
The south ramp is curvy, great to drive, but only after the pass at 1611 meters does the spectacle begin. The descent has it all, paved hairpin bends and, when wet, a low-friction game of vagueness. But it’s not the pavement that knocks us out of our saddles, but the view of the mountains. This is where the Julian Alps are at their peak: kilometer-high vertical walls, jagged, furrowed, angular, huge and forbidding, definitely at the top level of the Dolomites. And the rugged Triglav towers over it all. The Slovenian Alps are indeed the crowning glory of Europe’s most beautiful mountains.
Info
Deleker
Travel time: one week – Distance covered: 1500 kilometers – Capital: Ljubljana – Area: 20273 m² – Independent since: 1991 – Currency: Euro – Population: 2019614
Slovenia, a member of the EU since 2004, is small but combines Mediterranean beaches and Alpine peaks. No wonder that motorcyclists find a great area here.
getting there:
The fastest route to Slovenia leads via Munich, the A 8 to Salzburg and on via the Austrian A 10 toll road through the Tauern tunnel to Villach. From there over the Wurzenpass to Slovenia. For the long journey from northern and western Germany, the night journey with the DB Autozug is ideal. For example, a one-way trip from Dusseldorf to Villach costs from 186 euros per person and motorcycle, depending on the season. It is also possible to travel to Trieste. Information from DBAutozug, phone 01805/241224 or at www.dbautozug.de
Travel time:
The best time for Slovenia is between May and October. In May, the Mangart Strait can still be in hibernation, but the high mountains are still photogenic, and spring is blooming in the valleys. In summer it can get up to 35 degrees, and July and August are also the main season. It will be quieter again in September.
activities:
The Alps and the Socatal are prepared for all imaginable outdoor activities. Especially whitewater enthusiasts will find their paddling paradise on the Soca. There are also offers for paragliding, paragliding, skydiving, mountaineering, hiking, canyoning or mountain biking. Most agencies are based in Kobarid and Bovec. Information on the website.
accommodation:
The north-west of the country is fully developed for tourism. Accordingly, all categories of accommodation are offered, from campsites to five-star hotels. The price level has now almost matched that of Central Europe.
literature:
We recommend the two Slovenia travel guides from the publishers Michael Muller and Reise Know How for 19.90 euros each. The Slovenia paper from Friday proved to be a good card & Bernd on a scale of 1: 150,000 for 9.95 euros
Internet:
www.slovenia.info, www.emerald-trail.com, www.dolina-soce.com, www.julijske-alpe.com, www.bovec.si Slovenian Tourist Office, Maximiliansplatz 12, 80333 Munich, phone 089/29161202.
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