Rivers in Slovenia

No doubt Slovenia’s appeal lies in its alpine lakes and rivers which attract many vacationers all the year round let them be outdoor types who long for activities that pump their adrenaline or families with kids who want to relax within an unspoiled natural environment.

The fact that this nation is a land of water is most eloquently asserted by its ramified network of rivers. Because of the porous nature of limestone, most of the rivers in the Karst region are subterranean, but the rest of Slovenia has a conspicuously dense network of watercourses. Over several millions of years, rivers have determined the image of the landscape: they have created narrow valleys in the mountains and filled the broad valley plains with deposits of sediment.

Alpine Rivers of Slovenia

Many rivers cross the land of Slovenia the longest of which is the Sava. Several tributaries flow into the Sava during its 219 km course which starts in the alpine regions of Slovenia near Kranjska Gora and ends at the Croatian border.

Two smaller rivers the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka at the foot of the Julian Alps are the two sources of the Sava. Sava Bohinjka, the mecca of water sports lovers surface from a cave upon the Komarca cliff and pours down the valley underneath forming the Savica waterfall. The Sava river is both the central and the longest river in Slovenia. It has a number of tributaries, including the Tržiška Bistrica, Savinja, Ljubljanica and the Krka. Its 219 km course flows from the source of the Sava Dolinka at the Zelenci marsh (833 m) near Kranjska Gora to the Croatian border. Its second source, the Sava Bohinjka, flows from Lake Bohinj to Radovljica, where it converges with the Sava Dolinka. The Sava Dolinka one of Europe’s most beautiful waterways originates near the Italian border in the Zelenice Lake and after its 45 km course flows into the Sava Bohinjka at Radovljica town.

The second longest river of Slovenia is the Soca (or Isonzo in Italian) gliding through mountain ranges and valleys of the Triglav National Park in northwest Slovenia and in the northern part of Italy. Its source is in the Trenta valley. From its upper section, the Soca river gushes wildly toward its end at Tolmin. The crystal clear mountain river abounds in marble trout, and grayling attracting fly fishers from every corner of the world.

On rivers, fishing methods vary with the season, the type of water, and the angler’s personal preference. Dry fly, nymph or streamer are all popular techniques, although they depend on water condition. As regard to the rods, five- to nine-weight rods that are 8 1/2- or 9-feet long are commonly used.