Facing Mountains, Loss, and My Inner Overachiever on Slovenia’s Newest Hiking Trail

Writer and avid hiker Peggy Orenstein is exactly the kind of person you should send off into the wilderness with an iPhone and a pair of hiking boots. And for this episode, we did just that. In October 2022, Slovenia rolled out the 167-mile Juliana Trail, a route that circles Slovenia's Triglav National park and the Julian Alps and takes walkers back in time. Peggy tackled a portion of the trail and along the way, she found:

• Well-preserved remnants of World War I.
• A rich farm-to-table cuisine.
• Cultural legacies, including a lengthy history of beekeeping.
• Fantastic hiking, that leads along the Sava River and through icon spots like Lake Bled.

Don't miss these moments!

• 2:37: An interview with Peggy.
• 8:15: Her first day on the trail.
• 11:27: How the Juliana Trail came together.
• 14:33: Exploring Slovenian culture along the trail.
• 19:31: Visiting Lake Bohinj.
• 21:08: Losing her phone on the trail.
• 26:47: Toasting with a septuagenarian on a mountaintop.
• 30:58: The last day on the trail.
• 34:16: Peggy's ode to American pop music

In the episode, you'll understand what it's like to hike the Juliana Trail, the trail's highlights, and how Peggy faced down her inner overachiever.

Resources

• Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Learn more about the Juliana Trail and plan your own hike. 
• Read Peggy’s other AFAR stories: hiking the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan, horseback riding in Wyoming, and exploring Yunnan, China. 
• Buy Peggy’s latest book, Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.