Stage 12 of the Slovenian Mountain Trail: Istria on the Adriatic Coast
OVERVIEW OF STAGE 12
To be honest, we hiked just one day of stage 12 (which is intended to be 3 days). There are a few reasons for this. First, the trail leaving Matavun at the end of stage 11 requires half a day of road walking along a busy highway. We experienced this for just one mile during stage 11 and it really sucked. The thought of spending half a day with cars whizzing past us as we tromped through scratchy weeds was uninspiring. Second, we were unable to connect with the two mountain huts along the route; we tried calling several times - even when they were supposed to be open - to no avail. There are no towns or other accommodations nearby these remote huts; we thought it was risky to hike 15+ miles without a guaranteed place to stay. Finally, once we descended from Nanos, walking through pastures and open fields became pretty monotonous.
The sea was calling us…
Instead, we took a bus straight to Ankaran and walked the last day of Stage 12 backwards through Spodnje Skofje to Tinjan, a round-trip hike of 13 miles. This mini-trek enabled us to pick up two final stamps for our passbook. We finished our Slovenian Mountain Trail trek in the dark, after bumbling through a vast vineyard and nearly falling off the edge of a cliff into the sea. We never did find that darn stamp at Debeli rtič!
LODGING
We stayed for several days at a comfortable rented apartment in Izola, just 5 minutes walk from the sea and about 30 minutes by bus from Ankaran. In October, the weather was absolutely perfect: sunny, 74 degrees. The summer crowds had all gone home and we had the beach promenade all to ourselves!
PHOTO INSPIRATION
Stage 12: Ankaran to Tinjan, plus a day trip by bike to Portorož and Piran
Ankaran and the other Slovenian coastal cities belong to the Istrian peninsula, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea and currently shared by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Being in the Istria region of Slovenia is like stepping into Italy. Until it was absorbed by the Hapsburgs in 1797, it was part of the Venetian Empire. The Hapsburgs ruled briefly for about five years until they capitulated to Napoleon, who recommitted the peninsula once again to the Italian Kingdom (part of the Illyrian provinces of the Napoleonic Empire). During Italy’s fascist period in the 1920s, Istria underwent a period of cultural suppression and forced Italian assimilation (understandably unpopular with the Slovenian and Croatian residents). After World War II, Yugoslavian partizans occupied the coast and Istria became part of Yugoslavia. When Yugoslavia disintegrated in 1991, Croatia and Slovenia split the Gulf of Piran coastline. Many people here still speak (think, act, and cook) like Italians.
Done with hiking, we gave our poor feet and legs a bit of break and rented bicycles to explore the area. There are nice cycling trails from Izola to Portorož and Piran, easy to follow and safe. Our loop took about 6 hours, including lunch and frequent photo stops.
TOTAL WALKING MILES/KM: 13 Miles
Stage 12: 13 miles / 21 kilometers
COST PER DAY PER PERSON: $50
Average cost per day during stage 12 was USD $50.00 a person, which included a rented apartment in the town of Izola (USD$75 a night), meals and drinks (including wine and beer), and bike rental for one day. We splurged on the apartment and ate as much seafood as we could digest. We were celebrating!
EQUIPMENT
No via ferrata kit, climbing shoes, or helmet needed (even if you do the full three days). There are no via ferrata trails, scree slopes or climbs of any sort in Stage 12. It’s all downhill!
FOOD
The food in the small towns of Izola, Piran and Portorož was everything you would expect from a Mediterranean region that was part of Italy until recent times. Lots of seafood, grilled veggies, cheese, garlic and wine, all perfectly seasoned and cooked.
