Indisputably, Vintgar Gorge is among the most magical locations to go to in Slovenia. For 1.6 km, boardwalks crisscross their method alongside the Radovna River, creating a fascinating panorama that’s photogenic and enjoyable to discover. Vintgar Gorge is considered one of Slovenia’s hottest points of interest.
Vintgar Gorge was considered one of our high experiences in Slovenia. It’s attractive, it’s straightforward to stroll, it’s straightforward to get to, it doesn’t value some huge cash, and it’s enjoyable for the complete household.
If you’re in search of a really cool expertise so as to add to your journey by Slovenia, put the Vintgar Gorge in your checklist.
Boardwalk path | How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
What’s Vintgar Gorge?
Planning Data
How you can Get to Vintgar Gorge
Images of Vintgar Gorge
About Our Go to
How you can {Photograph} Vintgar Gorge
Non-obligatory Return Hike
Greatest Time to Go to Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge with Youngsters
Vintgar Gorge or Tolmin Gorge?
What’s Vintgar Gorge?
Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6 km lengthy gorge positioned in Triglav Nationwide Park. The gorge has been carved out by the Radovna River, a crystal-clear river that appears emerald inexperienced or aqua relying upon the lighting circumstances.
The boardwalks which are erected alongside the Radovna River are what make this gorge go to so particular. For brief intervals of time you’re suspended over the river, which could be a thrill to stroll and actually enjoyable to {photograph}.
Now, 1000’s of vacationers go to Vintgar Gorge yearly. The summer time months of July and August are peak season, so if you can be visiting throughout this time, count on to share the boardwalks with lots of people!
How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
Fast Details
Distance: 1.6 km one-way (3.2 km spherical journey)
Value: Adults €10; Youngsters 6-15 years €2; parking €5 for vehicles, €10 for campervans
Location: 5 km northwest of Bled (10 minutes by automobile)
Hours of Operation: 7:30 am to 7 pm through the summer time months; go to the official web site for up to date hours the rest of the yr
IMPORTANT NOTE: At present, there’s solely one-way site visitors in Vintgar Gorge. The official web site states that this was carried out with the intention to scale back the opportunity of an infection with COVID-19. You’ll stroll by Vintgar Gorge first after which return to the parking zone through considered one of two totally different trails. One path is brief and steep whereas the second path is longer however goes previous St. Katarina. This will change later in 2022. For full particulars, go to the official web site.
How you can Get to Vintgar Gorge
The best strategy to get right here is by automobile. There are a number of giant parking heaps close to the doorway to the gorge. Subsequent to the doorway of the gorge is a really giant lot and that is the very best place to park. There’s a second lot positioned uphill from the gorge and from right here it’s a couple of 10 minute stroll to get to the doorway (downhill to the gorge, uphill to get again to your automobile after your go to).
These parking heaps replenish quick! We arrived at opening time and there have been only a few vehicles in the primary parking zone (the decrease lot subsequent to the doorway). By the point we left the gorge nearly 2 hours later, each heaps have been crammed and a site visitors jam was forming as extra vehicles have been struggling to search out an out there parking spot.
Distances and journey occasions from close by cities:
Bled: 5 km, 10 minutes
Lake Bohinj: 34 km, 45 minutes
Ljubljana: 65 km, 45 minutes
Kranjska Gora: 33 km, 35 minutes
Public transportation
There’s a shuttle bus that runs from Bled to Vintgar Gorge a number of occasions a day (1€) from June 30 to September 16.
Strolling by Vintgar Gorge
After you pay your entrance price on the ticket sales space, you’re nearly instantly greeted with boardwalk trails, small waterfalls, and scenic views of Vintgar Gorge.
Coming into Vintgar Gorge | How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
The primary half of the gorge was our favourite half. That is the place you’ll stroll on probably the most picturesque boardwalks, stroll by canyons, and crisscross forwards and backwards over the Radovna River on bridges.
Throughout the second half of the stroll you continue to get to stroll on boardwalks, however now you additionally get to stroll alongside gravel paths alongside the river’s edge.
At occasions, the river is wider right here, and slower transferring. And that’s a part of the enjoyment of this stroll…watching because the river rushes by the slim gorges after which opens up within the wider sections, solely to slim as soon as extra because it turns round one other bend.
Alongside the river’s edge, prior guests have constructed plenty of cairns. Throughout a misty morning, just like the one we had, these could be very attention-grabbing to {photograph}.
Rock cairns | How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
In the direction of the top of the gorge you will notice this massive stone bridge. Trains nonetheless run alongside this bridge, and one truly chugged by throughout our go to.
The path ends at one other ticket sales space and a small café. From right here, you’ll be able to take a detour to the Sum waterfall, simply 60 meters away.
On the finish of the gorge you’ll be able to flip round and retrace your steps again by the gorge or take a separate mountain climbing path by the valley. We had a lot enjoyable at Vintgar Gorge that we needed to do it once more, so we circled and retraced our steps. This gave me a second probability to take some photographs I missed on our first go by Vintgar Gorge.
Listed below are a few of our photographs as we walked again in direction of the doorway.
About Our Expertise
We visited Vintgar Gorge in August. At opening time (8 am in 2018), there have been only a few different folks right here. At 8 am, low-lying mist coated the river, making a mysterious impact. By 9 am, many of the mist burned off.
The primary half of the stroll, the stroll to the far finish of the gorge, was the very best a part of our go to. Round each flip was a brand new view. There weren’t too many individuals right here but, and regardless that we didn’t really feel like we had the place to ourselves, it was straightforward to get the photographs we needed. It took us about one hour to stroll the complete size of the gorge.
At 9 am, we circled and walked again. This was a a lot totally different expertise. Now, many extra folks have been on the path, creating site visitors jams as some components of the paths are too slim for two-way site visitors. By the point we reached the exit, at 9:45 am, it was a gentle circulation of individuals into the gorge.
Get Right here Early to Have the Greatest Expertise
I can’t emphasize this sufficient…if you wish to have the very best expertise, get right here proper at opening time. One hour makes all of the distinction between a leisurely, nice stroll on the boardwalks and crowded, barely annoying expertise.
The following finest time of day to go to the gorge is the final two hours earlier than closing.
How you can {Photograph} Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is a delight to {photograph}. It’s a beautiful spot and the right place to {photograph} the river with lengthy shutter speeds to freeze the motion of the water.
To be able to do that, you will want a tripod. However you’ll be able to’t use a conventional tripod. The boardwalks are slim and a full-sized tripod will block the trail of different guests, creating site visitors jams and plenty of annoyed guests. I don’t suppose that full-sized tripods are forbidden however they aren’t a good suggestion, particularly throughout peak site visitors occasions (which, in summer time, is all day lengthy).
To get round this, I used a Gorilla Pod and hooked up it to the boardwalk railings. This fashion, I may stabilize the digital camera and never block site visitors.
Our digital camera + Gorillapod | How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
But it surely’s not excellent. As folks stroll by, the boardwalks bounce and vibrate, which then shakes the digital camera, blurring your photographs. You must time your photographs with breaks in crowds.
Non-obligatory Return Hike
If you would like, you’ll be able to stroll Vintgar Gorge one-way after which return to the parking zone on a separate mountain climbing path. There’s a path that begins on the far finish of the gorge and results in Sveta Katerina and again to the higher parking zone. The complete distance of the stroll is 12.5 km spherical journey and may take between 3 and 4 hours.
To be taught extra about this hike, or in order for you an incredible useful resource for mountain climbing in Triglav Nationwide Park and the Julian Alps, take a look at Strolling the Julian Alps of Slovenia by Roy Clark and Justi Carey. We referenced this e book lots for Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, and the Julian Alps.
Greatest Time to Go to Vintgar Gorge
The spring and fall months are the very best occasions to go to Vintgar Gorge. Crowds are manageable and the climate is nice.
The worst months to go to the gorge are throughout peak season, the months of July and August. Nevertheless, that is after we visited, and we nonetheless had an incredible expertise, however the important thing was getting right here at opening time.
The most effective time of day to go to Vintgar Gorge is at opening time and one to 2 hours earlier than closing time. The worst time of day to go to Vintgar Gorge is noon, between 10 am and a pair of pm, when vacationer buses dump a great deal of folks off on the entrance to the gorge.
Vintgar Gorge with Youngsters
This can be a excellent spot to take youngsters! They are going to love strolling the boardwalks and the paths alongside the river. It’s basically flat the complete method, with only a few quick climbs, so it’s very straightforward to stroll. The boardwalks have railings so it’s secure to stroll with out worrying about your youngsters taking a plunge into the Radovna River. Simply depart your stroller within the automobile. These paths are slim and strollers will take up the complete width of the boardwalk, creating site visitors jams through the busy a part of the day.
We noticed plenty of households with youngsters of all ages, so this can be a very talked-about household spot.
Vintgar Gorge with Youngsters | How you can Go to Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge or Tolmin Gorge?
We visited each and the 4 of us unanimously agree that Vintgar Gorge was our favourite. Vintgar is longer, extra spectacular, extra enjoyable to go to, and simpler to get to. I’d solely advocate making the journey out to Tolmin Gorge in the event you even have plans to be in that space. For instance, if you’re planning to go to Bovec and the Soca River valley.
However simply in case you’re curious, right here’s a view of the Tolmin Gorge.
Tolmin Gorge
The place We Stayed
We stayed on the Residence Home Berghi in Kranjska Gora. We picked Kranjska Gora over Lake Bled as a result of it was barely cheaper, a lot simpler to search out lodging, and positioned very near the Vrsic Go in Triglav Nationwide Park, considered one of Slovenia’s finest mountain climbing places.
Kranjska Gora is a good place to make your private home base for exploring Slovenia. This small city is stuffed with fantastic eating places and is ready with the backdrop of the jagged, rocky Julian Alps. Plus, it’s a lot much less crowded than Lake Bled so we didn’t should cope with each day site visitors jams attending to and from our lodging.
We liked Kranjska Gora, however I can’t say that we liked our condo on the Residence Home Berghi. We had an enormous quantity of house, with three bedrooms, three loos, and a full kitchen. However the condo shouldn’t be soundproofed effectively (each evening we may clearly hear our neighbors speaking and transferring round) and this wasn’t the cleanest place we’ve stayed in. But it surely did provide plenty of house, quick wifi, and an incredible location. If we did it once more, we might most likely keep at Resort Skipass in Kranjska Gora.
