One day, we were at home, searching for our next destination… We  wanted it to be peaceful, affordable, not crowded and close to some sort of water. A river maybe. Close to the hills. With a cozy feeling of home. 

While narrowing down our wishes and being more specific about everything, we came across Camp Lebanč. As a wrap:  We spent there almost every weekend of this summer. But read caption anyway 🙂

After about a 2 hour drive from our current home (keep in mind the pit-stops for coffee, groceries and the fact that you  will not necessarily have the same starting point), admiring the lovely Soča river while driving  just next to it for quite a while, looking at hills in the background of the villages we finally  arrived at the destination. 

First impressions: 

Nice location, kind staff, this is going to be a lovely weekend.

How our stay actually  went:

 It was our first ever stay at a campsite with our van and we also took advantage to test our new tent, that is connected to the van. After the check in, a kind young lady told us that the camp is almost empty and that we can go and find our spot wherever we want. Somehow the spot we picked that day was our choice almost everytime we went back (it was miraculously not taken, except for one time). Mind the fact that this was in low season, just in the beginning of summer. 

We unpacked and settled and then took a short tour of the camp: it consists of three main areas: close to the river Nadiža (tents only), middle section where you can come with a car and a tent, a van or a camper and upper section where you can make a yearround reservation and you practically live there while the camp is open. There is small toilet container (ladies and gentlmen separated) in the middle section where you can also wash the dishes. The center of the camp is a nice wooden building, where you can find a bigger bathroom/toilet section, baby corner and a laundry room. On the other side of this building is a reception with a bar and a nice restaurant, where their home made pizzas are a must to try and their burgers are also delicious. Since the camp is quite away from other villages, there is food truck shop available once a week (for basics like local  bread, dairy and dried meat products), but we advise you to take a 20min (by car) trip to a nearby town Kobarid and pick your groceries and other necessities at the local supermarket Planika.

The camp visitors usually know why they picked this exact destination: closeby, there is a bridge, called Napoleon’s bridge with a wonderful view over a  river, called Nadiža. A lovely alpine torrent that will impress you immediatly with emerald green water, white rocks, hidden pools, a riverbed that you can hike in for miles and miles and quite a fresh temperature of the water. As already said, the most beautiful spots are pretty offroad, so make sure you are cautios while searching for them.

We spent our days at the camp very relaxed: starting with a morning coffee while most of the camp was still asleep, so it was quiet. Than packing our equipment (breakffast included:) ) and walking (by our choice) for about half an hour to the spot by the water. By now you should have known that we are intentionally avoiding crowded places and trying to be as far away form people as we can. So we early birds always managed to a find a private spot that also had some natural shade, because the sun can be pretty strong there. If you don’t mind other people company, the walk can be much shorter and there are bathing spots just below the Napoleon bridge or actually, right by the campsite. After coming back to the van later in the afternoon, we slowly prepared dinner – and once the smell of the food overflows the camp, you can instantly get hungry… and yes, there were days where we treated ourself a pizza or a burger and a glass of dark beer at the camp restaurant. 

After dinner, when the evening settles and the dishes are washed,  all the camp kids come outside and it is lovely to see them playing freely. However, the rule is quiet hours after 10pm and everyone respects that so the nights are calm, fresh and everyone can get a good night sleep and be in a good mood the morning after.

Overall experience: We loved this campsite very much and returned many times this summer;  sometimes just for the weekend, sometimes for a whole week. The staff is really nice, including the owner. The bathroom is clean and everyone seems to respect the rules about staying on site. As a bonus, you can bring your pet, too. Check below for more rating standards.