Our hiking section "Runolist" hiked in Primorska from 7 to 9 August 2026 and got to know the beauties of that part of Slovenia, specifically Nanos and Snežnik, at the idea of the current consul Zvone Žigon and his successor Elizabeta Kirn Kavčič.
The team was larger this year, 11 of us went. We were looking at the forecast and they were announcing 18 degrees for Snežnik, which is ideal. Our first goal was a home in Svisčaki. Without any problems, we arrived in front of the lodge, situated in the valley and surrounded by the mountain cottages of the rich Kopran. We settled in the rooms, which were neat and clean. The lodge had drinking water, WiFi and offered a rich selection of food. We rested a bit, put some water in our rucksacks to have along the way and set off for Snežnik. Our goal was Snežnik or Veliki Snežnik with an altitude of 1796 meters, which is the highest peak of Notranjska. It rises above the vast forests on the southern edge of Slovenia, it is also the highest non-alpine peak that represents the border between the Adriatic Sea and the continent, that's why the whole area, as the name suggests, is rich in snow that stays until May. The road sign said 2 hours to the top, but we were in no hurry, we rested often. The final climb was the hardest, but we made it. Although it is not an Alpine peak, it can be compared to the highest Alpine peaks when it comes to panoramic views on a nice and sunny day. We were lucky and as soon as we reached the home, the view of Mali Snežnik burst in front of us, on one side we could see the Kvarner Bay. Above the lodge we found a lot of beautiful eel leaves, which we photographed. We started down the hill and the return was faster. In the distance we saw that it was raining, but it only sprinkled us a little when we were close to the home in Svisčaki.
The next morning we left for Ilirska Bistrica, a wonderful day again, sunny, not too hot, the valley was shining in the sun. Snežnik stayed behind us, and we rushed towards Nanos. The weather was again ideal for the ascent, a little cloudy was good for us. The road was stony, leading through the forest, quite tiring, and the backpack was heavy. When we arrived at our destination, we realized that it took us three hours to climb. We stayed in the "Vojkova koča" Home, almost renovated, without any complaints. The lodge had water, WiFi, clean rooms, excellent food.
The next day we had an arranged tour of Podnanos because one of our members is originally from that area. The guide took us to the square where there were busts of their famous fellow citizens, the most famous being Stanko Premrl, who composed the Slovenian anthem "Zdravljica" with lyrics by France Prešeren. We went to visit the "Zdravljica" museum and the old church. The streets were narrow, rocky as if we were at the sea. This is a famous wine region, and now increasingly a tourist area. We also went to Vipava, where we walked around the square, went to the Vipava springs, of which there are 7, and visited a wine cellar that has a large number of wines from different producers.
Satisfied and full of beautiful impressions, we immediately started making plans to go hiking next year in a new part of Slovenia for a new adventure. We all agreed that Primorska was perfect.
Ljiljana Memon
