JK25

The JK25 — the Julius Kugy Alpine Trail — is a 720 km long-distance hiking route linking Austria (Carinthia), Slovenia, and Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Divided into 30 stages, it accumulates 45,000 metres of elevation gain and 270 hours of walking time, ranking it among the most ambitious alpine circuits in the International Walking Network.

About the JK25

The Julius Kugy Alpine Trail takes its name from Julius Kugy (1858–1944), the Trieste-born mountaineer, botanist, and author who spent decades exploring and writing about the Julian Alps. His 1910 classic Aus dem Leben eines Bergsteigers brought these mountains to a wider European audience, and the trail honours his legacy by threading through the very ranges he mapped and loved.

The idea for a circuit through the Southern Alps was first proposed in 2004 by Helmut Lang, building on a concept developed by Milan Naprudnik (1927–2021). The route was formalised in 2014 under the name "Alpe Adria Alpine Tour" and officially renamed the Julius Kugy Alpine Trail in 2019, opening for its full 30-stage season from April of that year. In June 2024 the trail gained a new landmark: a peace sculpture by sculptor Georg Planer, unveiled at Wolayer Lake to mark the route's role as a cross-border trail of friendship and reconciliation.

As of 2026, the JK25 is classed as part of the International Walking Network (IWN) and was selected in November 2023 as one of eight flagship tourism projects by Austria's Federal Ministry for Labour and Economy — recognition of its potential to draw serious long-distance hikers to the three-country border region. Coordinating operators are the alpine clubs of Carinthia (Alpenverein Kärnten), Slovenia (PZS), and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, jointly known as the Julius Kugy Forum.

The route is a genuine circumnavigation of the Southern Alps. It starts and finishes near Bertahütte (1,525 m) in Carinthia and loops through 33 valleys, crossing 52 passes and traversing 1 national park and 7 nature reserves. Terrain alternates constantly between mid-altitude forest and meadow walking and fully alpine sections on ridge lines above 2,000 m. Maximum elevation on the main route is 2,401 m; the lowest point dips to 198 m near the Adriatic foothills. Stages are rated from moderate to very severe, and the total 45,000 m of ascent means most hikers should budget at least five to six weeks for the complete circuit.

The trail also carries significant historical weight. Southern stages follow sections of the Pot Miru (Path of Peace), tracing the World War I Isonzo Front from the Alps toward the Adriatic. Battlefield cemeteries, preserved fortifications, and memorials appear regularly from Stage 17 onward, adding a sombre counterpoint to the alpine scenery.

Route Overview & Stages

The 30 stages average roughly 24 km each. The table below covers key stages across the route's four geographic sections: the Karawanken opener in Carinthia, the Slovenian core through the Steiner Alps and Triglav, the Italian arc through Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the return through the Gailtaler Alps. Full per-stage GPX files are available at the official trail website.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Triglav National Park, Slovenia — Slovenia's only national park covers 880 km² of the Julian Alps. The trail passes through the Soča valley and along high ridges with direct sight lines to Triglav (2,864 m), the national symbol appearing on the Slovenian coat of arms. Strict leave-no-trace rules apply and camping in certain zones is restricted to designated bivouac sites.
• Wolayer Lake (Wolayersee), Carinthia/Italy border — A glacially carved lake at 1,976 m and the route's most iconic overnight stop. The adjacent Wolayer See Hütte sits at 2,017 m. In June 2024, a peace sculpture by sculptor Georg Planer was unveiled here to mark the trail's role as a three-country path of friendship.
• Soča River Valley, Slovenia — The Soča (Isonzo in Italian) runs an extraordinary turquoise-green from snowmelt and mineral-rich spring water. Stage 16 follows the valley floor near Bovec — one of the few genuinely flat sections of the entire route and the best resupply point between Triglav and the Italian stages.
• Loibl/Ljubelj Pass, Austria–Slovenia — At 1,369 m, Loibl is one of the oldest trans-Alpine crossings in the Eastern Alps. A tunnel near the pass was constructed by forced labour from the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp during WWII; a memorial stands at the site. The forest descent into Slovenia from here is one of the route's most atmospheric sections.
• Dreiländereck (Three Countries Corner) — Near Tarvisio, Stage 22 passes close to the geographical meeting point of Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. The landmark embodies the JK25's founding vision: a trail that dissolves modern borders in the spirit of Julius Kugy, who wandered freely across these mountains before the political divisions of the 20th century.
• Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe (Steiner Alps), Slovenia — An undervisited limestone range east of the Julian Alps, with summits above 2,500 m. Stages 5–9 offer technical ridge walking graded very severe in places, requiring hands-on scrambling in sections. The huts here are quieter and more affordable than those inside Triglav National Park.
• Pot Miru (Path of Peace), Slovenia–Italy — From Stage 11 onward, the JK25 overlaps with this WWI memorial trail tracing the Isonzo Front. Preserved trenches, bunkers, and Austro-Hungarian fortifications line the route. The Kobariški muzej (Kobarid Museum) provides essential context for the 11 Isonzo battles fought in this valley between 1915 and 1917.
• Gailtaler Alps, Carinthia, Austria — The penultimate section traverses this range south of the Gail valley. Traditional Carinthian Almhütten offer dormitory beds alongside home-produced Liptauer cheese, Speck, and schnapps — a welcome contrast to the high-altitude rifugi further south. Several stages here are rated moderate, providing a gentler finish to an otherwise demanding circuit.

Practical Information

Best Time to Hike

The JK25 is realistically walkable from mid-June to mid-September. Snow persists on passes above 2,000 m until early June, and autumn storms close exposed sections by October. July and August offer the most stable weather across all three countries, with average daytime temperatures of 20–25 °C at mid-altitude and 8–14 °C on exposed ridges. Afternoon thunderstorms build quickly from late July onward — plan high-route stages as early starts to clear the ridgeline before noon.

June brings wildflowers and the quietest huts; August is the busiest month, particularly inside Triglav National Park where Slovenian weekenders fill the standard huts. September delivers cooler, clearer days and significantly fewer crowds, though huts begin closing from mid-month. Check current opening dates directly with individual huts before finalising your itinerary, as schedules shift from year to year.

Accommodation

The trail is serviced by 17 mountain huts (20 including extension routes) and 13 additional lodging options in valley towns. Dormitory beds cost approximately €20–€40 per night (roughly $22–$44 USD); half-board (dinner and breakfast) adds €15–€25. Italian rifugi tend to run slightly higher than Austrian or Slovenian huts. Private rooms, where available, cost €45–€80 per night.

Camping outside designated sites is restricted inside Triglav National Park and in most Austrian and Italian nature reserves along the route. Wild camping is legally possible in parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia with landowner permission, but the hut density makes it largely unnecessary. Book huts at least two weeks ahead for July–August, especially on the Triglav stages — reservations are made directly with individual huts by phone or email, as no central booking platform covers the full route as of 2026.

Getting There & Back

The trail starts near Eisenkappel-Vellach in southern Carinthia, approximately 55 km south of Klagenfurt. Klagenfurt Airport (KLU) has connections to Vienna, Munich, and seasonal charter routes. Regional buses run from Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof south to Eisenkappel (journey ~1 hour); Bertahütte is then approximately 3 hours on foot from the village. The route forms a complete circuit, so start and end transport logistics are identical.

Hikers tackling partial sections can access the route via Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU, ~2 hours from the central Slovenian stages) or through Udine or Trieste (~1.5 hours from the Italian stages). Tarvisio is the most convenient midpoint resupply town, served by rail from Udine (1 hour 20 minutes, change at Carnia). Bovec in Slovenia is reachable by seasonal bus from Ljubljana or Nova Gorica.

Permits & Fees

No permit is required for the JK25 itself. Entry into Triglav National Park is free; overnight camping at designated sites costs approximately €8–€12 per person per night. Some sections cross private agricultural land — stay on the marked path and close all gates. Download official GPX files before departure, as mobile coverage above 1,800 m is intermittent in all three countries. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) provides basic medical coverage in Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. The trail uses its own logo-marked waypoints with QR codes linking to digital stage notes in four languages.

Gear & Packing List

With 30 stages and 45,000 m of elevation gain, every kilogram compounds on the JK25. Experienced thru-hikers target a base weight of 7–10 kg, relying on the hut network to limit food carry to 2–3 days between resupply points. The terrain demands gear that handles both low-altitude forest trails at 200 m and exposed rocky ridges at 2,400 m.

Backpack: A 50-litre pack is sufficient for a hut-to-hut approach. The Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 is a strong choice for its back system and load transfer on the steep alpine ascents that dominate this route. Hikers going ultralight should look at the Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 50L — under 700 g and fully capable of carrying a complete overnight kit between hut stops. For a ventilated mid-weight option, the Osprey Atmos AG 50 handles the warmer valley sections well and offers a stable ride on technical ground.

Footwear: Stiff hiking boots with ankle support are essential. Trail runners work only in dry conditions on lower stages; the limestone ridges of the Steiner Alps and the boulder fields near Triglav demand sole rigidity. Pack lightweight gaiters for early-season snowfields on high passes above 2,000 m.

Layers: The temperature range across the full route spans roughly 5–28 °C. Carry a hardshell rain jacket (minimum 20,000 mm hydrostatic head), a synthetic or down mid-layer, and a moisture-wicking base layer set. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July–August — never be above the treeline without rain kit packed and accessible. For food carry planning between huts, the guide on how many calories you need hiking a full day is a practical reference; daily expenditure on the harder JK25 stages can exceed 4,500 kcal.

Navigation: Download official GPX files before departure. A dedicated GPS device is strongly recommended for high-alpine stages where phone batteries drain fast in cold conditions. Carry the relevant 1:25,000 Kompass or Freytag & Berndt maps as paper backup. Waymarker QR codes link to digital stage notes when coverage allows.

Emergency: European Emergency Number 112 covers all three countries. Mountain rescue operates as Bergrettung (Austria), GRZS (Slovenia), and CNSAS (Italy). A personal locator beacon or satellite communicator is advisable for the more remote Steiner Alps and upper Carnian Alps stages, where rescue response times can exceed two hours.

For a detailed comparison of pack options suited to multi-week alpine routes, the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 covers seven packs tested on comparable terrain.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to complete the JK25?
The official walking time is 270 hours across 30 stages — roughly 35–42 days of hiking at 7–8 hours per day. Most thru-hikers add rest days in valley towns, bringing the total trip to 45–55 days. The route is also commonly completed across two or three separate seasons, which is a practical approach given work and logistics constraints.

Is the JK25 suitable for beginners?
No. Multiple stages are rated very severe, with exposed ridgelines, via-ferrata-style sections, and sustained high-alpine terrain above 2,000 m. Prior experience on multi-day alpine routes is essential. A shorter route like the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania provides a useful benchmark for the navigation style and mountain terrain involved before committing to the full JK25.

Can I hike the JK25 in sections?
Yes — the 30-stage structure and public transport links at major valley towns make the route highly modular. Popular standalone sections include the Triglav National Park stages (roughly E 11–16, accessible from Ljubljana or Bovec) and the Carnian Alps loop through Italy (E 19–25, accessible from Tarvisio). Full per-stage GPX files are available from the official trail website.

What is the best time of year to start the JK25?
Most thru-hikers begin in late June to complete the high-alpine sections before September hut closures. A June 20 start gives roughly 80 days of stable weather — comfortable for a 45–55 day trip with rest days built in. Starting in mid-July is feasible but leaves little buffer if bad weather in August forces unplanned rest days on the exposed high-route sections.

Do I need to speak German, Slovenian, or Italian on the trail?
Basic English is widely understood at huts and in tourist towns across all three countries. Austrian and Slovenian hut wardens frequently speak good English; Italian rifugi vary. Learning greetings and key phrases in each language is appreciated. The official trail app and website are available in German, Slovenian, Italian, and English as of 2026, and waymarker QR codes link to multilingual digital trail notes.