Behind the scenes on a Slovenia re-walk

Inntravel on the trails: Behind the scenes on a Slovenia re-walk

Vicky Bailey, 26 August, 2025
Vicky is Inntravel’s destination expert for Austria, Slovenia, and Cyprus and manages our team of walkers, writers, and holiday experts who look after our route notes. When we say we walk every step – we do it in their shoes! Vicky recently went to Slovenia to re-walk a few of our routes and catch up with hoteliers.

Can you tell us a bit about your recent trip to Slovenia?

Two of our holidays in Slovenia were scheduled to be re-walked, with our experienced duo of walking consultants, Penny and Eric, assigned to the task. This gave me a great opportunity to join them in Slovenia to see their work in action and catch up with as many of our hoteliers along the way.

My visit took in Ljubljana, the Logar Valley, and the Julian Alps before a day spent re-walking in the Soča Valley.

Has much changed since the routes were last checked?

There had been some temporary changes to routes in both the Logar and Soča valleys. We were revisiting the areas to ensure the temporary changes were still needed and to equip the holidays with some additional walks to ensure Inntravellers are getting the best out of their visits.

It was exciting to see the Logar Valley well recovered from the floods and to be able to re-introduce some old routes. It was satisfying in a different way to scope out a new walk in Kobarid needed because of a temporary bridge closure.

How did you find route checking/finding?

It was fascinating to see how much goes into route-checking – it’s a real curation process!

Everything, including:

• Detective work to foresee where a change might be coming to an area.

• Quality focus – revising the walk selection down to the finest details to get the best experience for Inntravellers. For example: is this loop better clockwise or anticlockwise? Does this diversion add or detract? Is this viewpoint more rewarding if we point it out, or do we let people discover it themselves?

• Painstaking attention to detail to ensure walking instructions are unambiguous.

• Careful attention to the safety of the route and the suitability to the grade.

What did you like the most about walking here – do you have a particular highlight?

The new walk around Kobarid captured so much of what makes the Soča Valley unique.

An early-morning ascent took us through cool woodlands, then out to a remote village set in meadows under the shadow of Mount Krn. There was no one about except a local family chasing an escaped goat over the steps of a church.

It got busier on the descent via stunning waterfall Kozjak and down to the classic views over the Soča – but even here there were secrets to be found; we left the main path to descend the woods via a series of restored trenches, an instantaneous connection with the region’s past as a WWI frontline.

Meeting other visitors at the better-known highlights just confirmed this one as a Grade A Inntravel walk for me – experiencing in one morning both the jaw-dropping highlights, and the peace and authentic connection with a place you can find when you venture a little further from the beaten track.

Any standout meals?

The food was universally exciting. Slovenian food is so underrated – the excellent chefs at the hotels we work with draw on influences from the Alps to the Adriatic.

The Hotel Plesnik in the Logar Valley and the Hotel Hvala demonstrated this contrast to perfection.

At the Hotel Plesnik – a Michelin-green-star worthy tasting menu of locally sourced food, finished with a pine-needle cordial so you could literally taste the forest.

At the Hotel Hvala – stunningly presented trout caught in the Soča, with platters of seafood from the Adriatic.

Although the traditional Slovenian Štruklji was the one constant wherever I went and was perhaps my favourite – every region has a different take on these delicious, rolled dumplings, sometimes savoury, sometimes sweet.

Which was the most memorable hotel from your visit?

On a visit where I got to meet so many of our hoteliers, I really can’t pick one – what stood out was the variety and the quality – the rich tapestry of being able to visit so many places and experience excellence in different ways.

From the stylish Angel Hotel in Ljubljana, a bijoux labyrinth with touches of whimsy everywhere, to the homely Rozle House Apartments in Kranjska Gora, where host Barbara is just as passionate about walking as we are and will share all her tips.

Where’s next?

Austria, I hope before the end of the season – to check out a top-secret location for a new holiday!

Inntravel on the trails: Behind the scenes on a Slovenia re-walk

Our Slovenia holidays