Paragliding in Slovenia, over the Soča and the Vipava

Where to paraglide, starting with the Soča

If I had to choose one place, it would be here. Kobariški Stol is the valley’s highest launch, with a panoramic ridge of more than 20 km that often sits above the inversion layer, which is why cross-country pilots love it. Kobala is the other classic. At Bovec you take off from station C of the Kanin cable car or from the Mangart saddle, which you can drive to. The Soča Valley tourist board says that from Kanin you can fly towards the Boka waterfall and carry on to Tolmin. I cover Stol and the villages below it under Kobarid.

The Vipava and Bohinj

The Vipava Valley is thermal country. The tourist board names Kovk and Lijak as its official launches, and experienced pilots also go up Čaven. At Bohinj, tandem pilots fly from Vogel or from Mount Vogar on the far side of the lake, with the water and the Julian Alps below. For me it’s the most scenic flight in the country. The cable car and the rest of the mountain are in my guide to Vogel.

Other launch sites around the country

In the Upper Sava Valley, between the Karawanks and the Julian Alps, there’s Grpišca at 1,600 m and Vitranc above Kranjska Gora. In the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Krvavec, Potoška gora and Sv. Lovrenc above Bašelj, near Preddvor. In the Karawanks, Dobrča and Kriška gora. And in the lower hills people fly the Pohorje, the Gorjanci, the Zasavje hills and the Polhov Gradec Dolomites.

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Can I fly on my own?

If you’re a pilot, yes, but sensibly. The tourist board says to check wind direction and strength before choosing a launch, and notes that even experienced pilots walk or ride the cable car down when it’s unfavourable. The Soča Valley tourist board recommends talking to a local instructor, publishes the official pilots’ frequency and flags specific rules, such as packing up by the roadside at Log pod Mangartom because the landing field is private, or notifying the airfield before launching near Bovec. Triglav National Park has its own rules for flying too.

Skydiving at Bovec

For a bigger rush, Bovec airfield offers tandem skydives from about 4,000 m with around a minute of freefall before the canopy opens. Aviofun runs them, usually at weekends, and the first week of August brings the Skydive Camp, which draws skydivers from many countries. If that’s your kind of day, have a look at the Kanin and Učja gorge ziplines in activities in Slovenia.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Bovec on Booking.com and filter by area before price.