From the Alps to the Adriatic

23 – 30 September 2008

A week in eastern Italy and Slovakia

For sheer diversity of wildlife and habitats it us difficult to match the mountains and marshes of north east Italy and Slovenia, close to Trieste on the Adriatic coast. These range from coastal wetlands and cliffs, through the limestone grasslands and scrub woodlands behinds Trieste, to the open expanses of gravel on the river Tagliamento and on up through the forest of the Alps to above the tree line.

The limestone hills of the flower-rich Karst are peppered with remarkable dolinas (swallowholes) where the roofs of caves have collapsed. Here, and elsewhere on the Karst, there is often a micro-climate with a curious mixture of alpine, western European, Balkan and Mediterranean flowers.

All of this is less than two hours from our base in a hotel in the Karst. It’s in Italy but close to the Slovenian border.

Peregrine Falcon

Coastal cliffs on the Adriatic coast, with Duino castle in the background.