THE JULIAN'S LOG

Fourteenth Post

"SUMMER HOLIDAYS"

The summer meadows have now been cut and the grass is hanging over the traditional hay -racks to dry, so summer is really here. The treks and hikes in this week’s edition can all be achieved from our door, with no need for transport. They vary from valley walks to high level treks and the scenery, flora and fauna reflect the diversity of the terrain….

FOCUS ON HIKING AND TREKKING: FROM THE DOOR

Mojstrana is situated in the Vrata valley, so the most obvious and accessible walk is that up the length of the valley, about 16km each way if you want to do the whole walk! The majority is off road, along the banks of the river, with strategically placed benches and information boards. About half way is the Pericnik Waterfall, which has already been featured in previous Blogs and is well worth a detour up, or a walk to, in its own right. There are two falls, the lower and upper and you can walk behind either one and generally be rewarded with a refreshing shower and view into a cauldron of water, especially in the Spring with the snow melt.








Near the end of the valley is the Aljazev Dom, a beautiful example of a mountain dom and also a small chapel where services are held regularly in the summer. Here are many places to relax and gaze up at the awesome North face of Triglav.





Another 45 minutes walk takes you to the head of the valley, the snow line and amazing oasis of rock garden flowers and opportunity to see Ibex or Chamois.








On another day, you can extend the walk from the Dom, up into the higher mountains, up Stenar, at 2501 with a tremendous view back down the length of the Vrata valley and across to Triglav, or up to Luknja at 1758m, which is a natural watershed for our water, that flows eventually to the Danube, or down into the South side of the mountains and into the Adriatic. Of course, from Vrata you can ascend Triglav and there is a range of other high -level mountain tours from here.

On the other side of the road from us is the Karawanke mountain range and from the door there are easy and challenging routes. The best three are Kepa, 2139m, Dovska Baba, 1891m and Borovlje, 1476m. All have stunning scenery and views from the top on one side into Austria and the other, across to the Julian Alps and Triglav.


From the centre of Mojstrana, you can do a great “warm up walk” up Grancisce, 844m which provides a stunning view of the village and it orientates you to it’s location in the valley and in respect to the Alps. There are also walks up Sleme, 2077m and Jerebikovec, 1593m, both of which have lovely Planinas and history; with memorials to Partisans and reminders of the sadder days of war.

The local tourist board also marks 4 short, tourist walks around the village ensuring there is something for everyone!
The best guide-books for all the walks mentioned are:
-Cicerone Guide: “The Julian Alps of Slovenia” J. Carey and R.Clark
-“Walks and climbs around Dovje and Mojstrana A tourist Guide” Stanko Klinar


Hope you’ve enjoyed this edition. Next Blog will take a break from walking for a week and focus on:

"VASKI DAN" A VILLAGE DAY

SPRING/SUMMER HOLIDAYS. TREKKING

THE JULIAN'S LOG

Thirteenth Post

“SPRING/SUMMER HOLIDAYS”

Being located on the edge of the Triglav National Park, there is a wealth of hiking from our door. There are walks for all levels, but being situated at the start of the Vrata Valley, which leads to the North face of Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak at 2864m, suggests this is where I should start….

FOCUS ON HIKING AND TREKKING: TRIGLAV

At 2864m, Triglav stands imposingly in the Julian Alps and all Slovenes endeavour to summit out and experience the ritualistic lashing of your back- side with 3 ropes! It would be rude to live here and not reach the summit of this revered mountain.


There are many routes up Triglav, all are secured and require us to use via ferrata harness. A helmet is particularly necessary in the limestone environment. There are also climbing routes up the North Face.

The best time of year to ascend is between late June and September. This year, there is still snow up to 2000m, so ice axe and crampons are still necessary. The best times of day to top-out are early morning to lunch - time or in the evening, in order to avoid the potentially lethal electric storms which can unleash in the afternoon. There are small commemorative plaques lining the secured path that act as timely reminders to respect the power of nature.

There are several mountain doms/kocas providing food, lodging and entertainment, which help break up the trek and plan your ascent times. Breakfast at 5am and an early departure from the Kredarica Dom was an unforgettable experience!
The scenery, views, flora and fauna are stunning and constantly changing as you climb. One route passes through the Triglav Lakes Valley, where you take in seven beautiful lakes each providing endless photo opportunities.



The best rock garden ever is near the summit of Triglav and we were privileged to see magestic Ibex and more timid Chamois.










The weather conditions can change quickly and on one summit, Mark was lucky enough to experience a brocken spectre on the ridge, making the experience even more unique.






Maybe one of the best memories and experiences from the trek however is the camaraderie and respect for the beauty of the area that you experience from the Slovenians you meet on the route and in the Doms. Triglav is more than a trek; it is really a pilgrimage.




Hope you’ve enjoyed this edition. Next Blog focus will be on
MORE HIKING AND TREKKING

JULIAN'S LOG

Twelfth Post

“SPRING HOLIDAYS”

“When sugar was hard to come by, there wasn’t a Slovene farm that didn’t keep bees alongside other domestic animals. Honey was the only sweetening agent and wax an indispensable material for making candles…”

FOCUS ON SLOVENIA, HONEY AND BEE KEEPING

Slovenia has a rich beekeeping tradition and the colourful beehives can be seen in many meadows and gardens. The Gray Bee, Carniolan Bee, has adapted to the alpine climate and is well known for its gentleness, hence the hives often being seen on peoples’ balconies. The home of Mihael Ambrozic is here in Mojstrana. He was one of the first exporters of this Gray bee and his property used to be home to thousands of bees, the walls of the house still have plaques depicting the export destinations.





The Bee Museum in Radovljica is excellent and presents the history of apiculture and current beekeeping in an interactive and interesting manner. Bees were kept in low wooden beehives and the museum has examples of old wooden logs that were used initially by farmers.
In the mid eighteenth century, a unique folk art of painting the beehive fronts with religious, funny or folklore tales began, and a range of such fronts can be seen at the museum and locally in Dovje.

Honey is an important food here in Slovenia. Slovene beekeepers collect 2000 tonnes of it annually. It can be seen for sale at many markets, and honey products are popular gifts for tourists to take home. The flower meadows and forests provide excellent foraging for the bees, which results in a variety of “pollen flavour” honeys: flower, fir and spruce, wild cherry, alongside propolis and Medica (honey liqueur)

Hope you’ve enjoyed this edition. Next Blog focus will be on
HIKING AND TREKKING