GREAT ESCAPES
SLOVENIA
A River Runs
Through ItWith its towering
limestone massifs
of the Julian Alps,
plummeting gorges,
and emerald river—and
only about 3,000
permanent residents—
the Trenta-Bovec-Žaga
area of northwestern
Slovenia has long
been a sanctuary for
European adventurers.
Over the centuries,
the region drew iron
miners, sheepherders,
and alpinists, but its
isolation dissuaded
many from planting
roots. Now an influx ofNATGEOTRAVEL.COM
outfitters is breathing
new life here, and
sporty travelers are
the winners.
“I don’t know of
many other places
where you can ski,
mountain bike, raft,
fly fish, and paraglide
in the same spring
weekend, all in such a
beautiful setting,” says
Petra Vasadi, owner
of Soca Rider rafting
company. Although
visits surge in summer,
the trails in and around
324-square-mile Triglav
National Park afford
ample room to roam,
and the area’s villages
and mountain huts
offer storybook sur-
roundings for relaxing
after a day outdoors.
—John Briley