Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Graham Gibson from UNITED KINGDOM writes:

Kranjska Gora (Mountain Area)is a small, compact village, but has enough facilities for all tastes. Just returned from a walking holiday in this resort, and I have to say that one week is definately not enough! The walks are plentiful, many are marked routes(although the marked routes are not as clear in places as in Austria). Catch the two part chairlift up to the top of the Vitranc(word of warning, make sure you buy a return ticket, as the walk down can be a bit of a challenge!)and see spectacular views of Kranjska Gora. An hour's walk in the opposite will take you through the forest to a place called Ciprnik, this is a very easy walk until the last 10 mins or so, when it gets a little steep and narrow, make sure you have good walking footwear and possibly a pole with you. Once you reach the summit of Ciprnik, you will have the most amazing views of Italy and Austria, and you will also see the Julian Alps, with the glacial valley of Planica below. Planica is home to highest ski jump in the world, around 200m, but even this looks small from Ciprnik(1746m). Visit Planica and you can walk up to the top of the ski jump and sit where the ski jumpers start, a terrifying sight in summer, one can only imagine what it must be like in winter?
From either Ratece or Podkoren, head up to the Austrin border to Trimaja or Drilander(Slovenian and Austrian) meaning 3 borders, here if you spread yourself out a bit, you can be in 3 countries at once(Slovenia, Austria and Italy).
Also take a tour up the Vrsic pass to the summit, where you will see the Julian Alps in all their splendour(be warned, 25 hairpin bends to the top, and 25 down the other side).
The village of Kranjska Gora is dominated by the Prisank and Razor mountains, see if you can find the small and large windows in the Prisank mountain?
The hotels in the area are all of a good standard, we stayed at the Hotel Larix, this has a fantatic aqua centre, with fantastic food, served in a buffet, Carvery style(when you walk into the restaurant you will feel like you are back at school). Plenty of Pizza restuarants in the centre, together with a traditional Slovenian offering just opposite the fire station. The language, although difficult to understand is not a problem at all, virtually everybody speaks English(We had a guide for two walks and his spoken English was exceptional)
A fantastic place that had only one blot on the horizon, Italians! Whilst I having nothing at all against Italy or its countryfolk, They are always so loud, unable to control their screaming kids, and walk around the place as if no one else is there. Maybe this is what you get 7km from the border in the middle of August? Srecno pot!

2005-08-21