The Julian Alps (, , , , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of the Julian Alps is included in Triglav National Park. The second highest peak of the range, the 2,755 m high Jôf di Montasio, lies in Italy.
The Julian Alps cover an estimated 4,400 km2 (of which 1,542 km2 lies in Italy). They are located between the Sava Valley and Canale Valley. They are divided into the Eastern and Western Julian Alps.
Name
The Julian Alps were known in antiquity as
Alpes Iuliae, and also attested as
Alpes Julianae AD 670,
Alpis Julia 734, and
Alpes Iulias in 1090.
Like the
municipium of
Forum Julii (now Cividale del Friuli) at the foot of the mountains, the range was named after
Julius Caesar of the gens Julia,
perhaps due to a road built by Julius Caesar and completed by
Augustus.
Eastern Julian Alps
There are many peaks in the Eastern Julian Alps over 2,000 m high, and they are mainly parts of ridges. The most prominent peaks are visible by their height and size. There are high plateaus on the eastern border, such as
Pokljuka, Mežakla, and
Jelovica.
The main peaks by height are the following:
Western Julian Alps
The Western Julian Alps cover a much smaller area, and are located mainly in
Italy. Only the Kanin group lies in part in Slovenia.
The main peaks by height are:
Passes
Important
Mountain pass of the Julian Alps are:
-
The Vršič Pass, 1,611 m (5,826 feet), links the Sava and Soča valleys. It is the highest mountain road pass in Slovenia.
-
The Predil Pass (links Villach via Tarvisio and Bovec to Gorizia), paved road 1,156 m (3,792 feet)
-
The Pontebba Pass (links Villach via Tarvisio and Pontebba to Udine), railway, paved road, 797 m (2,615 feet)
See also
-
Italian Julian Alps
-
Triglav Lakes Valley
-
List of mountains in Slovenia
-
Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail
Bibliography
External links
