How Meeting Mountains Planned 11 Days in Slovenia for a Dutch Couple

Meeting Mountains help visitors of Slovenia to make the most out of their trip. In this blog post you can read a day-by-day report of what active, cultural, natural and culinary experiences we selected for a Dutch couple who asked us to plan their 11 day trip.

Spa area at Pristava Lepena

Day 1

The guests arrive in the afternoon to the Soča Valley after a drive from Germany where they stayed the night before. We meet up for a drink at the fantastic Brunarica restaurant, located right next to their accommodation at Encijan Apartments. We meet in person for the first time after several e-mails of correspondence, then go over the tentative plan for their upcoming stay, present the area on a map an look at the weather. After about an hour, the guests depart to their first experience - a relaxing evening with jacuzzi & sauna in a very special location - Pristava Lepena - embedded in nature. They go back to Brunarica for a tasty dinner.

This year Hiša Franko offers a complementary wine & cheese experience for lunch.

Day 2

The guests would like to rest, so they sleep in and then we bring them for lunch to Hiša Franko - the highest rated restaurant in Slovenia - two Michelin stars. Daan and Carola meet head chef Ana Roš and her team that creates an out of this world culinary experience for them. We drive them home to their accommodation and they relax for the rest of the evening.

Day 3

We meet up in Bovec in the morning to go to Lepena for a beautiful bike ride together. The 20 km trail follows the river, cultural landmarks and cross hanging bridges over the Soča River. We arrive and eat a tasty traditional Slovenian lunch at Kamp Klin, finishing it with the best apple strudel that the valley has to offer. It has started to rain and we need to make an adjustment to the schedule. Instead of biking back in the rain, we extend our tour in Lepena to pass Sunikov Vodni Gaj where the beauty of the cascading waterfalls silences us for a time of contemplation.

To get back to Bovec in time for our next experience, our activity provider SportMix instead arrange for a pickup for us and our bikes. We arrive dry and in time for caving - with a twist.

Roli the speleologist (caving enthusiast), hands us the protective gear, presents a briefing and off we go to the entrance of the Srnica cave. As we get engulfed by the mountain, our pulses raise but Roli's calmness is contagious. After a bit of climbing, a bit of crawling and a few geology lessons we reach the exit of the cave - a different opening than where we entered. The “twist” is that now we will have dinner - fresh trout grilled over an open fire, with fresh potatoes and salad - all of it transported with us through the whole cave.

As darkness falls we turn on our headlights again and get rappelled down the mountain where the openness and solid ground after all feels like a relief.

Day 4

Day 4: “The quadruple“ was planned for this day. It’s a Meeting Mountains speciality - a 22 km journey using transportation methods driven by fire, water, air and soil. 4x4 vehicle, zipline, mountain biking, kayaking and rafting - one after another. As we mentioned, we use SportMix as our main activity provider, because they provide the best service of all the providers in the valley. However, due to the weather we had to cancel the first three, which instead gave Daan and Carola a chance to sleep in after yesterday's adventure.

Daan and Carola arrive with a mini raft half way to their dinner destination and when they arrive we drop off their car so that they can drive it directly to dinner at one of our favourite culinary and cultural experiences in the valley - Jelenov Breg Matajurjem - a farm that holds deer, bunnies, a dog, a donkey, a horse, bees and lots of vegetables. They offer home cooked food and some of the kindest service we’ve ever experiences.

Day 5

The master piece of Daan and Carola’s vacation in Slovenia is a hike ending with a night at a mountain hut. Our ambition is high - to go to Kredarica hut on this day, then meet up with a licensed mountain guide that would take us to Triglav, Slovenias highest mountain, the next morning - followed by the descent back down to the valley floor.

Our trip begins in Krma valley, from which there is about a 6 hour hike to Kredarica. We prepared with lots of margin in terms of time, food and equipment but due to a thunderstorm that was not forecast and a developing physical issue we had to change plans and stay at a different hut - the picturesque Vodnikov Dom. There we fed ourselves on warm barley stew, drank a cold beer and dried our clothes over the wood fired oven. The long day ends in a warm bed, at 1817 meters.

Day 6

Eggs, bread, cheese and an incredible view of Triglav waits for us as we wake up. The guests decide that we should slowly walk back down to Krma valley instead of summiting Triglav. We take a different way down than we walked up so that we can see different landscapes and flora. Using a low walking pace we have time to really take in the beauty of the landscape, discuss geology and care for our bodies. We drive back to their accommodation and they enjoy another relaxing dinner at Brunarica Restaurant.

Day 7

Daan and Carola are leaving the upper Soča Valley to travel through Slovenia by themselves. However, they’re still following our itinerary until they leave in a few days. It begins with a standup paddle board trip with Bovec SUP in scenic Most na Soci - which is located on the way down to their next stop: wine country Goriška Brda, just 1,5 hours south of adventure capital Bovec. A degustation dinner awaits at their wine maker accommodation - Kabaj Wines - and a bed with a view over the vines.

Day 8

Biking, oiling and wine:ing is on the schedule. Daan & Carola pick up their rental bikes at TIC Brda, then go for an olive oil tasting at Oljčni Bar in Šmartno. They then bike the circular trail that was prepared for them on a navigation app, going through picturesque villages and rolling hills until they reach their lunch stop - the best seafood restaurant in the area - Buzinel - also with far reaching views. With full bellies they wrap up their flavour-day with a wine tasting at Ščurek before returning the bikes and heading back to Kabaj.

Day 9

Caves and more caves - Slovenia is known for its many and large cave systems. On this day, Daan and Carola follow guided tours at two of the biggest ones: Škocjan and Postojna, who happen to be located just 25 minutes apart - although they offer very different experiences. Once out in the open, they go to check in at their next accommodation: Residence Gold Istra, located on the hills near to the picturesque Slovenian coastal towns of Piran, Portoroz and Isola.

Day 10

Another day spent on bikes: also a prepared circular trail, but this time next to the sea - through the villages mentioned before, passing salt fields, ice cream shops and grill bars. Sunset with a glass of wine overlooking olive trees at Residence Gold Istra.

Day 11

A truffle hunter and his owner meet Daan and Carola at breakfast. All of them are going to look for the famous delicate mushroom that grows underground and is easiest to track down with the help of a dog. They find truffle, and return to Restaurant Gold Istra where it gets prepared in a multi course meal for them. After lunch they drive to the picturesque and calm Bohinj lake where they spend their last evening in Slovenia before headed back to the Netherlands on day 12.

Daan and Carola have finished a full circular tour around west Slovenia where they experienced sea, summit, rain and sunshine. Farm food, fine dining food, inside and outside of mountains. They return home with photographs from their visit, wine and lemonade from their accommodations and long lasting memories - imprinted deeply by the many feelings felt during their tour.

Are you considering visiting the Soča Valley? Meeting Mountains are local experts and create tailor made visits for those wanting to make the absolute most out of their time. We find your unique and personalised accommodation, avoid tourist traps and bring you to places you’d never find yourself. We combine nature, activities, culinary experiences and genuine local culture to craft unforgettable moments for you. Do you have any questions? Write Johannes, our Founder, or book a free 30 minute appointment for a consultation.

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