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From top: Groups kayaking on Lake Bohinj, Triglav National Park, Slovenia; Saint Michel Church, Chamonix, France; a bouldering route at Silvapark, Austria


Party animal One of the oldest national parks in the Alps, Slovenia’s Triglav is celebrating its centenary in 2024 with a slew of events, including exhibitions and guided tours, which are set to start from mid-May and run for the rest of the year. Nudging the Italian and Austrian borders, the park’s a 324sq-mile, forested beauty, capped off by 2,864m Mount Triglav and packing in Alpine ravines, caves and rock faces. Lakes Bled and Bohinj are local showstoppers, but less-visited corners where you can swerve the crowds touch deeper still — whether you’re whitewater rafting the Soča River, reaching high into limestone peaks or holing up in an off -grid mountain lodge. tnp.si


Ticket to paradise For UK travellers keen to reach the French Alps by train, Eurostar has long off ered a no-fl y option to get to Paris, but the cost of the onward trip is about to get signifi cantly cheaper. This summer, France is set to launch a new monthly rail pass covering the length and breadth of the country — including Chamonix, Chambéry, Grenoble and other Alpine stations — for just €49 (£42). Hot on the heels of Germany’s new single rail Deutschland-Ticket, France’s Pass Rail will cover unlimited use of TER (regional express trains), Intercités (intercity trains) and local transport, but not high-speed TGV services. sncf.com


Rock on Last summer, the Austrian resort of Galtür, in the Paznaun Valley, launched as many as 300 new bouldering routes at Silvapark, at the foot of 2,671m Ballunspitze mountain. This is the region’s largest natural rock boulder arena, at altitudes of 5,905ft to 6,560ft, and features everything from beginner-friendly slabs to more challenging elevation cracks and overhangs. There’s a weekly climbing and bouldering course with mountain guides that’s suitable for the whole family. And when you’re done, the valley’s three other resorts — Ischgl, Kappl and See — ensure there’s plenty more action to keep you entertained. paznaun-ischgl.com


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