Day 9: Tolmin Slovenia to Tribil Di Superiori Italy

One word sums up today’s hike: brutal!

Day 7 on the Alpe Adria Trail!

We said “nas vídenje” to Slovenia and “buona giornata” to Italy as we embarked on a 13+ mile trek to the tiny Italian village of Tribil Di Superiori.

The first six miles were straight uphill to the Italian border, and by the time we reached the top, a cold, blustery wind had us layering up. Within minutes of descending, we’d peeled it all off again!

Along the way, we passed another outdoor WWI museum with bunkers and fortifications. Though we briefly explored it, we couldn’t help but think about how miserable it must have been for soldiers to man these high altitude fortifications.

It felt like a long day of hiking. Both of us are feeling the aches, pains, and blisters as our bodies adjust to day after day on the trail.

The last quarter-mile was uphill, and Bob declared that if he were a llama, he’d spit, sit down, and refuse to go any farther. That image had me chuckling the last few minutes of our walk. Thankfully, he’s not a llama and we both made it to the end of the day’s trail.

We reached our stop for the night around 4:30, unsure of what to expect since the website had been vague. As it turns out, we’re staying at a hostel—one with a special twist. Tribil di Superiori is home to only 63 people, and the hostel is a community project. Locals volunteer to manage bookings, clean, shop, and prepare home-cooked meals. There’s even an honesty bar and simple breakfasts in the morning.

Tonight, a warm and friendly couple served two types of lasagna as a starter, followed by curried chicken with roasted eggplant and peppers for the main course. They offered pastry for dessert, but we were stuffed!

We shared dinner with a woman from Australia who had just finished hiking the Peaks of the Balkans. She’s back on the Alpe Adria Trail to cover a few stages she missed last year. We were impressed by her stamina and envious of her 10-pound backpack (ours each weigh 18 lbs).

The view from our room. The other direction would show you a bell tower that chimes on the quarter hour, all night.

Tomorrow, we head downhill to Cividale, a 15-mile trek from Tribil di Superiori.

Buona notte from Northeastern Italy!

Jen & Bob