Slovenia should be high on anyone's via ferrata list. The Julian Alps are an extension of the Dolomites but the area is compact and accessible with an excellent bus service and numerous mountain huts. Kranjska Gorska is a good centre for day expeditions surrounded by mountains with via ferrata routes and has a bus service over the Vrsic pass into the Trenta Valley in July and August. Prisank dominates the view from KG and has various grades accessible from the pass including a spectacular one through a window in the mountain. Nearby Mojstrovka north wall provides a spine tingling ascent. Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia with good routes from the Vrata Valley best tackled as a two day expedition. Mangart the second highest on the Italian border has a great route up the north face but you need to befriend someone to get you there by car. Local guide books in English are available. Cheap flights to Klagenfurt and Lubljana and plenty of hotels on the net make for an economical holiday
I cant say that I've seen camping except in the valleys where there are camping sites. You could phone or email the Kranjska Gora Tourist Office where they speak good english - english is the second language. http://www.kranjska-gora.si/Tourist-information
I suspect that camping will be restricted in the Triglav National Park. There are many mountain huts (doms) at reasonable prices.
This site has some info on camping http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/slovenia/
It's not exclusively about VF but the 61 routes are graded 1 to 4, where 4 is described as "serious, high, long and strenuous, often exposed and usually with sections of fixed protection..... self-belaying equipment and helmet strongly recommended". About 18 of the routes in it are grade 4. I'm not aware of anything else available in English, but someone else might be....
The Cicerone guide book is a useful starter. There is a guide "Walks in the Julian Alps" which is also useful. I can't find my copy so I can't give you the publisher.
All the large scale maps grade the routes. Sections marked difficult or very difficult will be protected VF routes. Julian Alp and Triglav National Park maps all have Mountain Hut details on the back.
There is an excellent guide in english "How to climb Triglav" which I picked up free in Kranjska Gora Tourist Office. It lists 12 huts on or around Triglav alone. T
Yes a beautiful area,ive cycled over dozens of alpine passes but the vrsnic must rate as one of the very best.
I had along visit in 1985 by bicycle while returning from Turkey but on subsequent visits have been dissapointed by the tourist developement,especially around lake Bohinj but I guess thats progress!!
Although illegal (well in Yugoslave days) you can always camp discretely in a small tent or bivvy.
As for Triglav,o.k for a mega fit 20 year old but its extremely steep and somewhat exposed.
Don't know much about Via Ferrata in Slovenia - but you can climb Triglav (the highest mountain in the counrty) without any need for any equipment.
I went up there from the Dom Kredarica na Triglav in July '04 - metal pins fixed in the rock on the steep bits and on the ridge from Mala Trigalv to the summit there was an hand-rail.
I did a three day trek. Mojstana - Dom Kredarica. Triglav summit (back to the hut) then to the Koca Pri Triglavski Jezerih (hut by the lakes). And from there the next day up to Mt. Ticarica and along a trail eastwards and down to Stara Fuzina and Lake Bohinj for a welcome dip!
Iglu Sport in Bovec hire equipment for Via Ferrata.
Also, the Slovenian Tourist Board put out a great brochure: Hiking in Slovenia that has a lot of reasonably detailed info in it. There is also another, Camping in Slovenia that has lists of camps. Loads of camping options in the Soca valley.
The local maps put out by the individual tourist boards, usually 1:40,000 have marked routes, the 'rather difficult' and 'difficult' ones usually have some via ferrata aspects to them.
