Nature sightseeing
VRATA VALLEY
Just
behind the village of Mojstrana, are the three exceptionally beautiful
valleys Vrata, Kot and Krma. These valleys are each starting points for
climbing Triglav. Vrata valley is the most impressive of them. It
is an amphitheatre of mountains, with the tremendous Triglav
North Face shutting off the head of the valley like an enormous natural
curtain. The Vrata valley is approximately 10 km long and offers a lot
of natural beauty along its way. One can go through the woods or right
next to the river Bistrica and explore the ‘Galerije’ or the
Educational Nature Trail.
PERIČNIK WATERFALL
As the glacier withdrew from the Vrata valley a conglomerate
wall was formed. The water of Pericnik drops down the wall in two
falls; the lower waterfall is 52 m and the upper one is 16 m high.
There is a splendid view of the lower waterfall. from the road weaving
through the Vrata valley. A ten minute walk and you will stand
right next to it. The attraction of the lower Pericnik fall is that you
can walk behind it.
TRIGLAV AND ITS NORTH FACE
Triglav is Slovenia’s highest mountain and it is also the highest
summit in the Julian Alps. It represents our independence and is a
National Symbol. The summit was conquered for the first time on the
26th August 1778. According to ancient Slavic legend, Mt. Triglav
(2864 m) is a three headed God who is watching over the earth, the sky
and the underworld. For its height (1200 m) and width (3 km) Triglav’s
North Face is classified as one of the most dazzling in the Eastern
Alps. Many great events of Slovenian mountain climbing history are
recorded here. Horizontally, the wall shows typical stratification and
vertically, pronounced pillars: Slovene, German, Central, Jug’s etc.
The wall also has natural windows and funnels. At the foot of the
Triglav’s North Face there is a marked path, starting at Aljazev hut.
KOT VALLEY
This
valley, overshadowed by the pinnacle North Face of Rjavina, is
remarkable for it’s solitude and quietness. The valley is mostly
covered with trees and has no mountain huts. It represents one of the
shortest ways to the top of Triglav.
KRMA VALLEY
The Krma valley presents the easiest but also the longest way to Mt.
Triglav. In the winter time this area is suitable for ski-touring. Krma
is 7 km long and is the Eastern continuance of the Radovna valley.
There is access by road from Mojstrana, through the village of
Zgornja Radovna to the alp Zasipska planina (8 km, 2 hours walking). At
the alp Zasipska planina is a mountain hut, the Kovinarska koca,
from where the top of Triglav can be reached in 6 to 7 hours.
JULIAN ALPS AND TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK
The largest and the highest alpine mountain group in Slovenia is a
part of the largest European mountain range the Alps. Its name comes
from the roman city Forum Iulii, which is today Cividale in Italy. One
third of the Julian Alps is on Italian territory, bigger part in
Slovenia covers Triglav National Park. In 1908 Prof. Albin Belar
prepared the first proposal for founding the park. Unfortunately his
''nature conservation park above the Komar a cliff'' was not realised.
Not until 1924, when The Alpine Conservation Park in the Triglav Lakes
Valley was founded (extent 1400 hectares). In 1981 the Law on the
Triglav National Park was issued (83.807 ha). The park was divided into
a central area (55.332 ha) and a peripheral area (28.475 ha).
RADOVNA
Radovna
is the name for the village, the river and the 20 km long valley. The
Radovna valley begins where the Kot and Krma valleys end. The bottom of
the valley is narrow. In certain places there are undulating grassland
areas made by glacier sediments. Unfortunately, people have
intentionally levelled out the grassland for more convenient
cultivation. The River Radovna emerges just below the Gogala farm
-house, sourced mainly from subterranean streams from the Kot and Krma
valleys. In front of the Gogala house in Zgornja Radovna stands the
Gogala linden tree. This tree is more than 500 years old and is 25 m
tall and has a circumference of 642 cm at chest height. The tree is
covered in beautiful blossom every year and looks magnificent despite
its age.
KARAVANKE MOUNTAIN RANGE
This mountain range is more then 100 km long. The mountains
lie continuously in an east -west line hence the peaks appear to
follow each other like caravans. The Western half of the
Karavanke range is much higher then the eastern part. The two highest
summits, Stol (2236 m) and Kepa (2145 m) are in the western part. There
has always been a lot of traffic between Austria and Slovenia,
travelling over the Karavanke road-passes (Jezerski vrh 1218 m, Ljubelj
1058 m, Korensko sedlo 1073 m) Mountain tourism is also very well
developed, with 19 mountain houses and several skiing centres Pec, Peca
and Zelenica.
RIVER SAVA DOLINKA
This river separates the mountain ranges of the Julian Alps and
Karavanke. It’s source is the Nadiza Waterfall in the
Tamar Valley,and runs under ground through the whole Planica
valley. It then springs out in the lake and marshes at
Zelenci. The Sava Dolinka and Sava Bohinjka, from the Bohinj Valley,
create the longest Slovenian river, the Sava (221 km through
Slovenia, 900 km to its emergence in The Danube).
