Soča Outdoor Festival

The Soča Outdoor Festival is a trail running and outdoor sports event held over three days in late June at Tolmin, in the Soča Valley of western Slovenia. The festival uses the dramatic landscape of the Julian Alps foothills and the Soča river corridor as its setting, with race routes climbing through forest and mountain terrain above the valley floor.

Races and programme

The event centres on a series of trail runs of varying distances, designed to accommodate participants across a range of fitness levels. A vertical race to Tolmin Castle — a medieval fortification above the town — is one of the headline events, covering significant elevation gain over a short horizontal distance. Longer trail routes take in wider sections of the valley and surrounding hills.

A riverside festival village operates throughout the three days, with live music in the evenings, food and drink vendors, and an outdoor market. This social and cultural component makes the Soča Outdoor Festival accessible to non-runners and supporters accompanying participants — the event is pitched as a broader outdoor gathering rather than purely a competitive race.

Practical information

Registration for the races is available via the festival website, with entry fees varying by race distance. Entries typically open several months in advance and popular distances fill before the event. Spectators do not need to register and can attend the festival village and cheer at accessible race segments without a participation fee.

Tolmin is in the Soča Valley, approximately 90 kilometres from Ljubljana (around 1.5 hours by car). Public transport to Tolmin is limited; driving or arranging shared transport is the practical option for most visitors. Accommodation in Tolmin and the nearby villages books up for festival weekend — camping is often available on site or nearby.

Tips for runners and visitors

Late June in the Soča Valley is typically warm (20 to 28C during the day) with occasional afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains. Trail runners should carry mandatory safety equipment as specified in the race regulations. The valley’s turquoise rivers — the Soča is one of the most visually striking alpine rivers in Europe — make for excellent swimming and relaxation between race events.

The festival setting in the Soča Valley places it close to other significant outdoor destinations: the Triglav National Park, Bovec for white-water kayaking, and the Tolmin gorges are all within easy reach for participants staying beyond the event days.

For more on the Soča Valley and Slovenia, see our destinations section.