Today is the perfect warm-up for our journey. Taste of what Slovenia has to offer from the gorgeous landscapes, the tradition of schnapps, the fresh streams, generous hospitality and delicious food as we explore forests, steep hillsides and finish at a beautiful church in the centre of Lovrenc.

Beginning at Ožbalt railway station, we take the train to the gorgeous hillside where our walking truly begins. Ascending a steep hillside, straight into the trees, you’ll feel the rest of the world slip away as the sounds of the forest take over and you are immersed into the Slovenian wilderness.

After exploring forests and drinking from fresh, Slovenian streams, we finish by the church in the centre of Lovrenc. Here, we are whisked away to a gorgeous hotel for an evening of delicious food and wine. In this area, wines tend to be young and fresh, predominantly white. Alternatively, Slovenia has great beers, liqueurs and other drinks.

Today you’ll experience some of the best of what the rugged Pohorje’s have to offer including gorgeous forests, cute farms, stunning views and beautiful wetlands. It is truly a magical day.

After walking through some of the forests, we reach the wetlands where you can view it from a small tower and walk around the boardwalk. With lakes reflecting the sky as clear as mirrors, water lilies, birds and trees for as far as you can see, the Pohorje wetlands is a unique experience.

Tonight, we stay at Ribniška Cottage where you will be treated to a traditional Slovenian meal served most likely with fresh, white wines from the region. You can, of course, request reds or other selections. This region is better known for young, crisp white wine though.

Heading deeper into the forests, you’ll notice a slight change in scenery at times along with slightly more intense walking. With numerous ascents and descents, today is one of the heavier days of the trip but well worth it.

Passing through the valley of Mislinja then up to the famous Saleška pespot, followed by Zgornji (upper) razbo and finally Radmanova zaga, we cover a lot of ground and some famous landmarks.

With such a full day, most of our guests prefer to relax tonight. Our accommodation is lovely, with comfortable rooms for you to get some space. Tonight is a traditional Slovenian dinner, starting with soup. You’ll notice most meals are three courses here. As always, you have the option to sample a selection of wine and drinks from the region. Here, Slovenia is more famous for its white wines, which are not always served chilled.

Starting at the stunning valley of Velunja stream, Day Four has a beautiful gorge, more streams and forest in store for you, ending at hotel Golte, where you will be treated to delicious food and magnificent views from this stunning ski lodge.

Our walk takes us to the cute Žlebnik homestead, where the famous poet, Karl Destovnik-Kajuh spent his final days, to the beautiful gorge of Hudi potok then we cross the valley of Ljubija stream until our final ascent to Golte. During our walk, the path almost disappears at times creating an ethereal feel. You’ll easily see why Slovenia is Europe’s hidden gem.

At Golte, you have access to the wellness centre with pools, spas and even a massage if you choose. Meals are delicious, with a variety of authentic and modern cuisine, along with a wider variety of wines.

Starting with a 1000m descent on the gorgeous gondola from Golte, you are treated to spectacular views of the mountains, valleys, forests and villages as far as the eye can see. From here we venture through Ljubno along a relaxing path to Gornji grad where we have a break at a stunning baroque church with incredible artwork adorning the walls and ceilings, followed by a hearty Slovenian lunch at a local cafe.

From here, we walk along gorgeous forest roads on the right side of the stream of Dreta until our final ascent to a welcoming farm-stay, our accommodation for the night. Dinner will be a delicious 3-course selection of authentic Slovenian meals, expertly prepared and a selection of wines will be available for you to try. Wines are still fairly young in this region, although you will begin to notice a slight change in taste and options.

A combination of forest and plains with stunning views across the valleys will be enjoyed all day today. Crossing the much loved Menina planina, ascending forest roads to Cernivec pass, walking through the quaint settlement of Tuhinj and finally ascending again to Crni vrh, our walk today has a wide variety of spectacular views and experiences.

Covering diverse scenery gives you the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife from deer to crows, meet farmers and share schnapps as well as see the picturesque cows with bells around their neck and the most beautiful valley scene behind them. Today’s walk is often described as being out of an old European movie.

Tonight, you’ll stay in a beautiful hotel and dinner will be a selection of authentic Slovenian meals paired with delicious wine. As we head further along, wines are expanding to include a selection of reds and more aged

Forests, castles, touching the exact geometrical centre of Slovenia if you wish and crossing the Sava river make today particularly enjoyable. Once across the river, we arrive in a meadow then walk to our steepest ascent of the day. As we venture along, around Arhov hrib, the path almost disappears, making it feel as if you are the only person to have explored here.

Slovenian is full of forest and mountain springs which you’ll have the opportunity to try again today. The water is cool, clear and refreshing, better than anything you have had before. There is also the opportunity to visit Bogenšperk Castle today, a 16th-century castle, considered by many to be one of Slovenia’s most beautiful castles.

Accommodation and dinner are both traditional. In this area and throughout most of Slovenian, the focus is on locally sourced food, providing a delicious array of meal options paired with delightful wines from the region.

Starting at stunning Leskovica pri Smartnem, we have a full day where you’ll come close to one of Slovenia’s highest peaks, walk along famous paths, enjoy castles and finish at Gorenje ponikve. It’s a beautiful day, enjoyed by everyone.

Early on, we join the famous Levstik path, famous because of Fran Levstik, a Slovenian writer. One of his many literary works “Popotovanje od Litije do Cateza” (Traveling from Litija to Catez) discusses the culture, people and landscape of this area. Then we head towards Mirna where we rest at Mirna river with the abandoned castle overlooking everything from the hill above, creating a picturesque place to enjoy lunch.

From Mirna to Dolenja Nemska vas, it’s all easy walking until we reach our destination of Gorenje ponikve where we enjoy a hearty dinner with a wide variety of wines. Here there are more reds and dessert wines available, along with the whites.

Today has stunning forest with sinkholes, truly unique scenery to the area and a definite change from the early stages in the Pohorje’s. Walking through these enchanting forests, the path is fairly hidden giving them an ethereal atmosphere.

Our walk becomes full of meadows, hobby farms with personal wineries attached, sunflowers and highly productive gardens as we continue along. Later, we take a beautiful path overlooking the right side of Krka river where you’ll have the opportunity to see water come through a cliff, rather than under it. Extremely rare to find throughout the world, it is a beautiful natural phenomenon.

As we continue our journey we come to Soteski grad, a once magnificent castle which has begun to be reclaimed by the forest. After following Susica stream and crossing a wooden bridge, we finish the day at Dolenjske toplice, a quaint wellness town popular with locals and tourists.

Leaving the wellness and spa area of Dolenjske toplice, we explore forests, farms, vineyards, castles, a quaint railway station and we end at the incredible Dakota plane in Otok.

Our morning is a mixture of asphalt and forest roads as we wind our way towards Semič. Before we begin our steep descent into Semič, you can look out over the whole valley straight through to Croatia. It is a spectacular view of the villages and mountains, especially on a clear day.

Upon reaching Semič, you’ll enjoy the town briefly, before we head off to Otok. The path to Otok is on the main road but it is still lined by picturesque homes and forest. As we turn the corner, you’ll see the Dakota plane in the distance. A sense of pride washes over our guests as the realise how much they have achieved on this journey and that they completed it.