Join us singing on the train to Slovenia – using Interrail – with a stop en route in Heidelberg, Germany, and the second day, all the way to Slovenia on the Blauer Enzian train (the Blue Gentian.)

Then we will join the Plavajoči Grad (Floating Castle) international music festival, at Sneznik castle in south east Slovenia.

And finally, we will enjoy a singing walk up Slovenia’s highest mountain Triglav (2,864m) to sing on the top and in 3 mountain huts on the way up and down (with via ferrata climbing helmets and harnesses to keep us safe on the final ascent along a narrow rocky ridge.)

You can come for all – or part – of the week – 1) singing with us on the train, 2) at the music festival, and 3) on our ascent of Triglav.

I will send some songs in advance – a mixture of folk songs and well known community choir songs arranged for harmony from Slovenia and the UK, with recordings, word booklets and scores. And we will have Zoom tutorials as well in advance of our departure.

We will meet at St Pancras to catch to the 11:00 Eurostar to Brussels, then trains through Germany and Austria to Slovenia.

I will arrange all travel and accommodation and make our reservations. For Heidelberg we will camp at a site on the banks of the river Nekar (or you can stay in B&B in the town if you book it yourself.) At the festival camping is the only option (bring a small tent.) For Triglav we will be staying in 3 mountain huts on the way up and down.

What you need:

1) Some experience of singing in harmony and the ability to learn songs and perform them occasionally both formally and informally. I will go over each of the parts of the songs as we travel – but it is necessary to have some familiarity with them in advance.

2) Some fitness and hillwalking experience if you are joining us on Triglav (the last section to the summit from the mountain hut Kredarica is along a narrow ridge, made safe by via ferrata (a wire rope alongside the path which you can clip onto.) No climbing is involved, but some of the route involves a little scrambling.

3) A head for heights. The last section involves an exposed ridge with severe drops into the valley below. Although we will be kept safe by being clipped onto the via ferrata, this would not be the moment to discover you have vertigo. A little practice on mountains in the Lake District (eg Jack’s Rake or Striding Edge,) Wales, or Scotland will help to reduce the fear on exposed ridges. Some singers in the past have chosen not to go to the summit but wait at the Kredarica mountain hut for our return.

4) Good sense of humour and the willingness to adapt to sudden changes like missed connections on the train.

This will be my 40th visit to Slovenia, my 12th journey across continetal Europe by Interrail, my fourth ascent of Triglav, and my second visit to the Floating Castle festival.