Alps; the karst area south of Ljubljana towards the Italian border; the short coastline; and the flat Pannonian plain to the north-east near the border with Hungary.
Geologically, most of Slovenia, including the Karavanke, is composed of limestone. The term ‘karst’, derived from the Slovene word kras, is used all over the world to describe limestone formations, and includes such typical features as deep, steep-sided gorges and dry valleys, sinkholes, springs, water-dissolved caves and tunnels underground, and water-eroded surface rocks resulting in the formation of limestone pavements. Many of these can be seen in the Karavanke range. Glaciation has also contributed to the characteristic mountain landscape.
Looking east from the summit of Vajnež, showing the much steeper faces on the northern, Austrian side (Walk 11)
Besides limestones, other rocks in the Karavanke include conglomerates and breccias, shale and mudstone. Many Karavanke rocks are rich in fossils and contain iron ore, on which the whole economy of the region was once based. Look up (or down!) at the red-coloured rocks and soil to see the evidence of the iron to this day. It was mined in the Karavanke hills and with plentiful wood and fast-flowing mountain streams for energy, the forges thrived. The town of Jesenice developed on the back of the iron and steel industry and, although iron is no longer mined here, the steel factory of Acroni is still one of the region’s biggest employers. In other areas of the Karavanke, mercury, lead and zinc were also mined in the past.
Climate and weather
Slovenia’s position in Central Europe means that, in spite of its small size, it has three distinct climatic zones: a Mediterranean climate by the coast, with warm sunny weather through much of the year along with mild winters; a Continental climate in eastern Slovenia, with hot summers and cold winters; and an Alpine climate in the north-west with warm summers, cold winters and abundant precipitation. The Karavanke fall into the Alpine climate area.
Tortoiseshell butterfly
Trends over the past 20 years or so suggest that the effects of global warming are beginning to be felt. Temperatures are rising, resulting in less snow in winter, and summers are hotter. Wind patterns are also changing, and long periods of drought have been followed by extensive flooding, which can be devastating in an area of steep-sided valleys and mountains.
The Wildenstein waterfall (Walk 20)
In any mountain area weather is notoriously difficult to forecast. Snow can occur at any time of year and can render a summer walking trip a disaster if you are not adequately prepared. In summer the snow does not tend to lie for long, but in some years the peaks and high-altitude paths can be snowbound from October to May. April and November are times of maximum rainfall. Thunderstorms are common in July and August, and can obviously be particularly dangerous on ridges and high-altitude routes; they can spring up out of clear air within half an hour, perhaps not leaving enough time to get to safer ground. Thunderstorms are most common in the afternoon and evening, so it is often advisable to make an early start so you have a chance of achieving your objective before a storm occurs. The mountains around the Ljubelj Pass (Walks 13–19) are particularly prone to afternoon thunderstorms.
Weather forecasts can be obtained from the local people where you are staying. There are forecasts on television (Slovenia 1) daily at 6.55pm, which cover the whole country and give a long-range forecast for about four days ahead (although it is of course in Slovene, the map symbols are universal). The tourist information office will also have a forecast. The internet site www.arso.gov.si is in Slovene only, but click on the words vremenska napoved (weather forecast) to find vremenska napoved v sliki (weather forecast in pictures); this gives a two-day forecast with symbols. Other general weather websites will give you an idea of the outlook but are unlikely to offer any detail for mountain areas. A notable exception is www.windguru.cz, which supplies a detailed forecast for parapenters (and surfers) – choose Slovenia and Julijske Alpe from the drop-down menus.
Limestone is usually white and can be extremely bright when the sun shines on it. Sunglasses are therefore a recommended piece of kit, even on a day that appears cloudy.
Environment
Fortunately both Slovenia and Austria understand how precious the Karavanke are; a joint project between Slovenia and Austria aims to make sure that development is made in keeping with the natural environment and the long heritage of the people that live there. The website www.karavanke.eu is a great resource, especially if you use a translate program on the Slovene part, as not all of it has been translated into English yet.
As a visitor to the area, it is your responsibility to make sure that this area remains unspoilt – be especially careful to keep your environmental impact to the minimum by keeping to the footpaths and taking all your litter away with you. Remember also that this is a working landscape: leave gates as you found them, keep dogs on a lead, and avoid disturbing livestock.
Wildlife and flowers
This brief section mentions just some of the key species that can be observed – it cannot do anything approaching justice to the wealth of wildlife to be found in Slovenia.
No discussion of the flowers of the Karavanke would be complete without mentioning the narcissi (Narcissi poeticus subsp. radiiflorus) that flower in such profusion in late spring. They are something of a national institution, and one of the symbols of the town of Jesenice. In Slovene they are called ključavnica, meaning lock – in one legend explaining the name, it is said that God warned the bees not to suck nectar on Sundays, and when they ignored the decree, God locked the nectar into the flowers. In the past the flowers were even more abundant, when the grass was mown in August. Changes in agricultural practices mean that in many places the meadows are no longer cut for hay, and woodland is taking over the flowers’ habitat. At their best they are really something to see – although Golica (Walk 6) is the most well-known area, their range extends along the ridge to Dovška Baba (Walk 4).
As might be expected in such an unspoilt landscape, the alpine flowers are a highlight of all the walks in this book, from the familiar deep blue of gentians to less well-known species such as the indigenous Zois’ bellflower (Campanula zoysii), related to the harebell. The wonderful lush growth of Alpine hay meadows needs no introduction here; the regular cut of the plants, two or three times a year, means that the hardier species do not get the chance to dominate the more delicate ones and the variety of colours is reflected in the many species of butterflies.
Zois’ bellflower (left) and gentians (right, above) are abundant on the high Karavanke slopes, while hellebores (right, below) burst from the forest floor in springtime
Given that around 53% of Slovenia is covered with forest, almost all the walks pass through sections of beautiful woodland. Spruce, beech, pine and larch are interspersed with other species in true mixed forest, which gradually changes its nature with height. The highest of all is the dwarf pine, encountered before the trees give out altogether and leave only the short grass studded with flowers among the rocks.
Many parts of the Karavanke are still worked and are used as pasture for livestock in the summer, even up to the ridges. This means there are fewer areas for the typical high-altitude mammals such as chamois, although they can be seen in some places.
