Valley of the Seven Lakes
Photo Credit: ID 217951587 ©Alexander Uhrin|Dreamstime.com
The Valley of the Seven Lakes is a valley like no other. Nestled in the midst of clouds, this enchanting alpine valley is encircled by majestic mountains that have stood sentinel since the beginning of time. It stands alone as its own kingdom, with its lakes and sheer cliff faces providing a haven for many plants and animals. Anabell and Tarragon must traverse this valley to arrive at the Kingdom of the Lake at the End of the World.
The real-world Dolina Triglavskih jezer (Valley of the Triglav Lakes) or Dolina Sedmerih jezer (Valley of the Seven Lakes) is an 8-kilometre-long glacial alpine valley nestled in the heart of Triglav National Park. The glacial lakes, imposing cliff faces and karst terrain are a haven for a diverse array of alpine flora and fauna, including the legendary white Alpine ibex, known as Zlatorog (Golden Horn).
I make a pilgrimage to the Valley of the Seven Lakes every year, just like the famous Slovene mountaineer Julius Kugy did before me. It feels like a kingdom where one can find peace, reflect on one’s journey, and marvel at the wonders of creation all day long.
Julius Kugy, Julijske Alpe V Podobi (Maribor: Obzorja, 1971), 78. The translation is attributable to Daniel Goulding.
Julius Kugy, Julijske Alpe V Podobi (Maribor: Obzorja, 1971), 54. The translation is attributable to Daniel Goulding.
“I no longer come to the Triglav Lakes. But you will see from my book that they have grown close to my heart. They lie high and they are far from me. The path to them is no longer as easy as it once was. I, too, have become ‘so old’. I am afraid I will never see them again. But in my dreams I often hurry to them. At first light, I am already at the edge of Komarča, then crossing the rubble with the overgrowth under the white cliffs of the White Rock, resting underneath the old, enduring trees, leaning against a tree, benevolently and safely hidden by branches that bend down to the ground as if in a twilight, friendly state... Then I lie down on a lonely lakeside shore and listen to the wonderful silence that rings out over the landscape. So overwhelming is the silence that sometimes it seems as if suddenly there is a violent rumble and thunder. Anxious and frightened, you listen intently. But it is only your own heart that beats and beats and burns. And the quiet sound and song that the breeze now brings? What is that? Oh, what a fairy tale, what a wish, what a song from a time long gone by! How beautiful it is up there!¹
The solemn, fabulous feeling of the landscape of the Triglav Lakes and all its strange charm float above its dark waters, penetrating the heart of the stricken, listening traveller.²”
Photo credit: Andy Loo