March 2025
Trail Running and Sports Spectacle
Running festival in the Vipava Valley
The Vipava Valley is becoming the leading running destination in Slovenia. All year round, it attracts thousands of runners and their companions with its excellent trails, while also hosting one of Slovenia's biggest international running competitions. Mixing trail running with ancient Roman heritage, the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley is famed as a great sporting spectacle.
Paradise Valley for running in nature
Natural sights and scenery delight runners in the valley. "Prettier than a postcard, wow", they'll post on their social media profiles, enchanted by the scenic trails of the Vipava Valley and Goriška. The landscape is diverse, with high karst plateaus rising above the valley, their peaks over 1,000 metres above sea level. Running trails, covering more than 160 kilometres and providing many opportunities for extreme challenges, also head through the winegrowing hills and along the edges of the plateaus, impressing with their fabulous views. The mild climate lets runners train literally all year round, since snow is a rarity in these parts.
Especially welcoming are the locals, enthusiastic hosts with a legion of sporting event volunteers to help organise and ensure the safety and wellbeing of the competitors. Most of the trail running routes are signposted, following established single track and mountain trails. All the others are digitally mapped and available to runners in the Vipava Valley Outdoor app or as a GPX file. And where to stay after a hard run? There's a range of countryside accommodations in the Vipava Valley and Goriška. Apartments, rooms, agritourism farms, campsites, hostels and hotels are all close enough to the running trails to quickly get you back on track.
Championship endurance competition
Each year, the Vipava Valley and Goriška host several running events. The biggest competition and one of the most important in Slovenia is the UTVV – Ultra Trail Vipava Valley, attracting ever-growing numbers of competitors. In 2024, there were already 2,200 with just as many supporters, creating a great atmosphere along the trails together with the locals. Out of the eight categories named after Roman warriors, the 160 km ultramarathon race gets the most attention. At the finish line, competitors are greeted by authentically dressed interpreters of the Roman Fortress Castra's commander, adding an unforgettable backdrop to the sporting triumphs. On this year's tenth anniversary edition of the competition, the Vipava Valley All-Time Runner Prize will be presented for the first time, in both the men's and women's divisions, celebrating loyalty to the Vipava Valley through a special scoring of the results of all past competitions. From 25 to 27 April, the stage is set for a thrilling contest for this prestigious accolade.
Experience heavenly flavours
After a hard training session, a race or cheering for the runners on their long trails, you can replenish your energy at our agritourism farms, and inns and restaurants. The Vipava Valley and Nova Gorica welcome you to a luxury of authentic flavours. Typical local dishes and the masterpieces of the best chefs, prepared from locally grown ingredients, will pamper and refresh you. To wrap up your running-themed visit, you can also enjoy a wine tasting with one of the Vipava Valley's winemakers, always a special experience.
