Photographing Autumn Colours in Triglav National Park is most rewarding if you know where to go. The landscapes in the mountains are very specific, usual rule of thumb don’t help much here. The altitude, amount of sun vs shade, sun direction and type of trees of the area all matter when we talk about fall colours. In this article I want to share my favourite locations where to photograph Autumn colours in the park.
One more thing to make clear. Triglav national park encompasses most of Slovenia’s Julian Alps. It is common to use the one of the two namings for the roughly same area. This said, let’s find out where to photograph autumn colours in Triglav national park!
1) Slemenova Špica (or simply Sleme)
Slemenova špica is one of the most popular hikes in autumn when larch trees turn yellow. Due to relatively easy access, this is also a very busy location. Start your hike from Vršič pass and follow the well marked trail for an hour and a little bit. Both sunrise and sunset can be very rewarding here. Avoid weekends as there will be too many people around.
2) Lake Bohinj and Mostnica river
The area around Lake Bohinj is covered with thick beech forests. These turn nice reddish brown colour in Autumn and on top of this the area here is often foggy in the morning. What else would a photographer wish for? There are many options to photograph here and it makes sense to stay for 2-3 nights. The lake itself is one option, then the foggy forests around the lake and a walk to Mostnica river valley is a must.
3) Peričnik waterfall and Vrata valley
Peričnik must be the most popular waterfall in Slovenia. And autumn is a great time to visit. The forest around the waterfall and though the whole Vrata valley is a beautiful mix of trees which gives you a wide colour range to photograph. Since Vrata valley is on the shady side of the Alps, the colours here arrive early.
4) Vršič pass and mountain road
Vršič pass is the highest mountain pass in Julian Alps. If you aren’t sure where to find autumn colours, this is a safe choice. Colours here last for a long time. They start with beech forests on the north side, then on the south side and at the end the larches around the top turn yellow. Let me remind you that Slemenova špica is a short walk from here!
5) Road to Mangart saddle
Mountain road to Mangart saddle allows you to access larch trees easily. You don’t need to drive all the way up, the beautiful scenery starts much sooner. Immediately after the road toll station you will find amazing beech forest and higher up the road, there are plenty of larches. Afternoon and sunset is the best time to visit.
6) Water Hurst of Šunik (Šunikov vodni gaj)
Šunik is one of my favourite places to photograph smaller scenes in autumn. There are no grand views, just beautiful alpine stream that has carved its way to the valley into the limestone rocks. In autumn, these rocks are covered with fallen leaves which create stunning colour contrast to the blue and green of the water.
7) Valley of the seven lakes (also Triglav lakes)
The seven lakes valley is the heart and soul of Triglav national park. This was the first protected area when the park was established. For a good reason. The nature here is just stunning and autumn is obviously the best time to visit. Not the easiest though! This is a long hike to get there and the mountain huts are already closed for the season. The yellow larches make it well worth the effort and if do the work you will see what paradise looks like!
Autumn Colours in Triglav National Park – more resources
To this is the magical seven – places to find autumn colours in Julian Alps. Of course there are many more places where the colours appear and I encourage you to go and explore. Here are some great resources that will help you on your journey.
https://www.tnp.si/
The official website of Triglav national park
PhotoHound – Best Photo Spots in Triglav National Park
I am the curator of this guide and local photographers keep adding new photo spots and images to the guide.
http://www.hiking-trail.net/
Comprehensive directory of hiking trails and recent conditions
https://www.esenkoworkshops.com/autumn-slovenia-photography-tour/
Autumn in Slovenia Photograph Workshop – this is my most popular workshop and usually it fills up more than a year in advance. Get in touch to get listed for 2022.
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