Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail

The Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail (Slovene: Slovenska planinska pot), sometimes also called Transverzala, is a route from Maribor to Ankaran. It covers most of the Slovenian mountain areas including Pohorje, Julian Alps, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Karavanke and the southwestern part of Slovenia. It is the oldest hiking track in Europe.[1]

History

Ivan Šumljak, 1959

The idea of connecting the most beautiful, hilly, and mountainous area in Slovenia came from Ivan Šumljak in 1950. Originally, the trail was meant to be a circular route, which would start and end in Maribor. It was later changed to include Postojna and other areas towards the sea. It mostly included existing hiking trails. However, on some shorter parts it was necessary to make new demarcations to connect them together.

The trail opened on August 1, 1953, with 80 control points. Since then, the trail has only changed slightly. These are the trail's current features: Control points: 75; Length: 599 km; Total ascent: 45.2 km; Total descent: 45.5 km.

There are 58 huts and two museums -- Slovenski planinski muzej in Mojstrana, and Franja from WW2) -- and a cavern named Škocjanska jama.

The first guided tour of Slovenski planinski transverzali was conducted in 1958. About 9500 hikers have completed the route over 60 years of the trail's history.

The Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail also has an enhanced route with 35 control points throughout Slovenia.

Route

It is possible to start in Maribor, Ankaran, or anywhere else on the circular route. Hikers must obtain a book from Planinska Zveza Slovenije in which they will be able to collect stamps that are located on mountain tops or huts along the way. If no stamp is available, a photo also counts. The hiking is not time limited.

The route is comprised mainly of easy trails, but there are also some more challenging ones.

Pohorje and Northeastern area

Kamnik-Savinja Alps

Kamnik Alps, Storžič

Karavanke

Stol

Julian Alps

Prisojnik, from Erjavčeva koča na Vršič
Triglav from Debela peč

Southwestern area

Nanos

Old control points

Enhanced Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail

Škrlatica (2740 )m second highest peak in Slovenia

The Enhanced Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail was created in 1966 to include mountains that are dispersed all over the country and are not connected. Until 1993 it had 18 obligatory and 20 non obligatory control points. (10 of them are over 1000 m high). Then it was enhanced to 35 obligatory control points and one hill.

Julian Alps

Karavanke

Kamnik-Savinja Alps

Northeastern Slovenia

Jeruzalem

Posavsko hribovje

Dolenjska an Bela krajina

Trdinov vrh in background

Notranjska

Polhograjsko hribovje

Škofjeloško hribovje

Primorska

References

  1. "Hiking in Slovenia". Www.via-alpina.org. Retrieved 14 February 2015.

See also

External links