Responsible travel in the Julian Alps

Please opt for public transport whenever possible to reduce your environmental impact, but also helps alleviate traffic congestion and preserves the natural serenity of the area. You can leave your car at home, the Julian Alps offer excellent connectivity, ensuring a convenient and eco-friendly journey.  

If you come by car, always park on designated parking areas to avoid disrupting local traffic flow and ensure the safety and convenience of all travelers. Consider using remote car parks to save on parking fees. Many remote parking areas offer organized shuttle services and public transport connections to popular destinations. 

Visit our Mobility in the Julian Alps subpage to gather information about various transportation options available in the region.

Transport rules regarding dogs: Please note that public transport service providers have their own rules and most do not accept dogs on buses. There are exceptions to those rules: guide dogs, police dogs, military dogs, rescue unit dogs and mountain rescue dogs accompanied by a guide. In case the provider allows transport of all dogs, that is only possible with a mandatory muzzle.

When it comes to supporting the local economy, there are numerous avenues through which you can make a positive impact. One effective method is opting for direct bookings of accommodations, activities, or services. By choosing to book directly with local providers, you ensure that a larger portion of your spending goes directly within the community, but also foster a more personal and authentic experience.

Furthermore, another way to bolster the local economy is by purchasing products from local producers. This approach benefits individual businesses and promotes sustainability and community growth. In this regard, exploring and supporting collective local brands is highly recommended. These brands prioritize quality, craftsmanship, and ethical practices, ensuring that your purchase aligns with your values while supporting the local economy.

By engaging in direct bookings and purchasing from local producers, you actively participate in the growth and vitality of the local community. Your support goes beyond mere financial transactions; it becomes a catalyst for the development of sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and overall community well-being. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to creating a thriving local economy that enriches the lives of both residents and visitors alike.

In the Julian Alps, camping and caravanning are only allowed in campsites and caravan parks, while tenting and bivouacking are restricted to campsites. Which means that spending the night in the busiest areas of the Julian Alps is not possible when campsites and caravan parks are full. Advance booking is therefore highly recommended during the peak season. Be aware that "wild camping" is strictly monitored and penalised by the municipal police. Controls are carried out at night. 

"We must be aware that we are entering someone else's space, i.e., the land of the owner. None of us would be happy if someone set up a tent in our living room or backyard without asking" adds Klemen Langus, Director of Tourism Bohinj. "And it only takes one set of footprints for thousands to follow." 

Overnights in the mountains

In the mountains, enjoy clear starry nights from a bench outside the mountain huts and lodges, shelters and bivouacs. Pitching a tent in the wilderness is not allowed. This is also important for your own safety. 

Please note: in most cases, you need to book an overnight in the mountain huts in advance. 

Book here and support the locals

If you want to really support the local economy, make sure you book accommodation directly with the provider. Use our Accommodation in the Julian Alps Search platform to find the best fit. 

When it comes to outdoor adventures in the Triglav National Park, you have the choice between biking routes and hiking trails. Thanks to its extensive road infrastructure, the Triglav National Park offers many opportunities for mountain biking. However, it is crucial that mountain biking takes place outside the sensitive natural environment, and only on the roads and trails specified in the National Park Management Plan. Follow the trails that have been coordinated with operators, owners, and the regulations governing mountain trails and forest roads. This ensures that you're biking in areas where it is permitted and appropriate.

In the Julian Alps, we have coordinated over 1,000 kilometres of carefree and authentic cycling enjoyment. Check out the digitised tours of the Juliana Bike long-distance circular bike route and the Julian Alps Bike Network. 

In addition to using the appropriate routes, all responsible cyclists are encouraged to be considerate of hikers (pedestrians have priority) and wild and grazing animals (cycle in daylight to avoid scaring wildlife, close the gates of cattle pens, etc.).

When spending time in nature, it is crucial to show respect for the plants and animals that call it home.

Admire them from afar when the opportunity presents itself, but make sure your presence does not disturb their lives, or that you don't harm their delicate habitats.

Stick to designated trails to minimize your impact on delicate ecosystems. Straying off trails can trample fragile vegetation and disrupt wildlife habitats.

Don't pick wildflowers or collect rocks as souvenirs, removing them disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems.  If you're thinking, “What's the harm of picking only one?” consider that others definitely have had the same thought, and together, these actions can cause significant damage.

Keep your noise level down and keep your dog on a leash at all times to prevent them from chasing or disturbing wildlife.

What about picking berries and mushrooms? 

Picking is allowed under the 3rd protective regime in Triglav National park. Make sure, you know the forest fruits and mushrooms before you pick them. The daily limit of picking is 2 kilograms per person. 

Although the high mountain lakes and alpine rivers are tempting you to take a refreshing dip, bathing in them is strictly forbidden. High mountain lakes and alpine rivers are very sensitive and vulnerable habitats due to their small size, poorer flow and extreme conditions such as low winter temperatures, changes in water levels and high temperatures on summer days. 

To protect these delicate ecosystems, bathing is only allowed at regulated bathing sites. If you are in doubt about where swimming is permitted, ask at the nearest info point for guidance. 

Quality of bathing waters

In bathing water areas, ARSO (Slovenian Environment Agency) monitors water quality every 14 days during the bathing season. Check the water quality of bathing areas in the Julian Alps here: quality of bathing waters.

What about our four-legged friends?

Dog owners are kindly reminded that bathing is not allowed everywhere. In regulated bathing areas, dogs must remain out of the water and on a leash, but they can freshen up higher or lower down by the riverbed or outside the regulated bathing areas. If the riverbed or shoreline is in the Triglav National Park, dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.

Responsible and considerate owners always pick up after their four-legged friends. This helps to maintain a clean environment and prevent infections that can affect both people, especially children (toxocariasis), and animals (dog tapeworm). Dog faeces are particularly dangerous for ruminants (cows, sheep, deer, etc.), which can be infected when free grazing in the meadow as well as through hay or silage.

Always put your pet's faeces in special bags and dispose of them in the bins provided, or at least among the rubbish, but never in a nearby bush. There are not many bins in the wild, so we recommend carrying an extra bag in your backpack to carry it for longer periods of time.

In the Municipality of Bohinj, the Ordinance on Public Order stipulates that dog owners are obliged to clean up their dog's faeces, carry cleaning equipment for picking up the faeces and dispose of them in bins. Violators are prosecuted by the municipal police or an inspector and fined €200 or more.

While the allure of capturing breathtaking aerial shots with a drone is understandable, it is important to recognize the potential disturbance they can cause to wildlife and fellow visitors. For a bird’s eye view, hike a trail to one of many panoramic summits. In the interest of preserving the tranquility of the Triglav National Park, the use of drones is not allowed without a permit. 

The use of drones without a previously acquired permit is allowed only for the purpose of protection, rescue and assistance in natural and other disasters, for the purpose of state defence, and for the purpose of executing police tasks.

The use of drones for film and video recording is allowed (with priorly acquired permits) in areas of infrastructure and in settlements.

In the natural environment, drones can only be used for the purpose of recording documentary and promotional films which are intended for the promotion of the park and its local communities subject to the limitations on noise for such devices and the height of flight above the areas which are classified as particularly sensitive areas of nature and where such use has no significant effect on the elements of animate nature of the Triglav National Park. 

For your own safety, please don't pet the cows! But also in respect of both the animals and the farmers who work hard to preserve traditional alpine farming practices.
Here are 10 essential rules for safe encounters with grazing animals: 

1. Avoid contact with grazing animals, do not feed animals and keep a safe distance.
2. Keep calm and don't frighten grazing animals. 
3. Mother cows protect their calves. Avoid encounters between mother cows and dogs. 
4. Always keep dogs under control and on a short leash. In case of an attack by a grazing animal, let the dog off the leash immediately.
5. Stay on marked trails while walking on pastures. 
6. If a grazing animal blocks the way, go around it and maintain the greatest possible distance. 
7. If grazing animals approach you, stay calm, do not turn your back and avoid the animals. 
8. At the first sign of animals' anxiety, leave the pasture as quickly as possible. 
9. Do not ignore fences! Use a gate if there is one, close it tightly, and cross the pasture as quickly as possible. 
10. Treat the people working here, the nature, and the animals with proper respect.