An Alpine Summer

In the concluding instalment we pick up Richard and Jackie Pickles’ story of their eight-country Alpine summer adventure on the shore of Lake Como in Italy

- Richard & Jackie Pickles

We purposely chose a campsite to the north of the lake, in a much less touristy area, but still linked into the very efficient ferry services around the lake. Apart from long, lazy days sunbathing on the lakefront, the main highlight was the full day seeing the sights of the lake, using the local boat services to Perledo, Bellagio and Menaggio.

The South Tyrol is close to the Austrian border and as such the region shares languages, customs, and culinary treats from both Austria and Italy. Heading west to the more mountainous Dolomites was a cultural revelation. High on our hit list of things to do was a visit to the Instagram famous Lago Di Braies. Forgoing the opportunity to drive, we had a beautiful day’s trek from our campsite, up through deserted Alpine valleys and meadows to the lake. After such an idyllic and isolated trek, the crowds at the lake disappointed, but the views didn’t, a true natural wonder of the world.

As beautiful as the Dolomites were, as often occurs, the weather cast its shadow over the mountains. We had the option to sit it out, or move onto Slovenia sooner than expected, sound in the knowledge that the Julian Alps had a good long-term forecast. We chose to move, driving through southern Austria and entering Slovenia via the Wurzen Pass, with the accompanying tank relic marking the border. Having done some rapid research whilst on the road, we targeted the little-known winter ski resort of Kranjska Gora, within the Triglav National Park as a good base for some mountain climbing and exploring. It didn’t disappoint! We spent days exploring the high peaks, stunning waterfalls and clear blue lakes. Slovenia is a mountain paradise and lives up to its reputation as a mecca for adventure seekers.