Visiting Vintgar Gorge | A Nature Lover’s Paradise

Nestled within breathtaking Triglav National Park, Vintgar Gorge is a true paradise for nature lovers. Here, lush greenery meets crystal-clear waters, creating an unforgettable backdrop. Visiting Vintgar Gorge elevates your senses as you walk along the winding wooden walkways that stretch through the gorge, hear the soothing sounds of rushing water and the see vibrant hues of the landscape. With dramatic cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and a tranquil ambiance, Vintgar Gorge invites you to immerse yourself in the splendor of nature. Whether you’re an avid hiker, a photography enthusiast, or simply seeking a peaceful retreat, this hidden gem perfectly balances adventure and serenity.

Visiting Vintgar Gorge

Vintgar Gorge is a 1 mile (1.6 km) gorge etched into solid limestone and dolomite rock by an alpine river. Over 500 meters of walkways, bridges, and galleries have been built here since its discovery in 1981 to allow visitors to experience its beauty.

As you walk, you’ll see the magnificent rock walls of the gorge, the brilliant blue-green river as it snakes through them, raging rapids, tranquil green pools, and waterfalls. This post is a guide to visiting Vintgar Gorge, what to expect, tips for the best experience, and how to get here.

​The walk is easy to moderate, as it’s mostly flat, although with some elevation on the return. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the end of the one-way walkway through the gorge. Even if you stop many times to admire its enchanting views and take photos.

From here, you return to the entrance, parking, or your shuttle pick up point via one of two paths through the woods. Overall, they advise allowing 3 hours for the entire process.

The Canyon Walls

At the start of your journey into the gorge, you walk on a trail relatively level with the river. As you progress, the walls become noticeably higher and the wooden walkway, which is affixed to the walls of the canyon, becomes more elevated, providing amazing views of nature and the colorful water winding below.

The canyon walls reach up to 330’ (100 m) in places, which is over 20 stories. This makes a very dramatic backdrop for the scenery as you walk.

In some places, the canyon walls are very close together, enhancing the experience of being surrounded by nature. In other places the canyon feels very spacious with beautiful views of the forest and the flowing river.

There are also wooden bridges where you cross the gorge from one side to the other. These bridges provide spectacular views into the center of the gorge.

The canyon walls set the stage as a beautiful backdrop to nature.

The Radnova River

The Radnova River that carved this gorge stems from tributaries from the glacial valleys of the Julian Alps, so the water is crystal-clear. In its more tranquil moments, this alpine water has a green or turquoise color that’s simply spectacular. In areas with gentle rapids, it looks light blue, and in heavier rapids, it looks almost white.

Shortly into your walk, the calm water starts to run faster through the rocks.

These cascading rapids alternate with beautiful, tranquil, turquoise and green pools.

About 15 minutes into my walk through the gorge, I saw these rapids, which were much more powerful.

The ever-changing river is captivating and leaves you in awe.

Bohinj Railway Bridge

About 40 minutes into the walk, you reach the Bohinj Railway Bridge. This pretty, arched, stone bridge from the early 1900’s crosses 100’ (33 m) over the gorge. It’s a very popular spot for photos, especially with the rapids racing below them.

If you’re lucky, maybe the train will pass while you are visiting.

Bistro And Visitor Center

At the end of the gorge walkway, you’ll see the small bistro and visitor center below. This is the official end of the walkway and where you return your helmet (as you are no longer under the rocks).

The bistro has a terrace with tables overlooking the gorge. This is a great place to stop for a snack, enjoy the view, and reflect on your walk. They sell a variety of sandwiches and beverages, as well as ice cream and other treats. There’s also a restroom here.

But before you start your return journey, take 10 more minutes to walk down to Sum Falls (below).

Sum Falls

Sum Falls, which means “noisy falls” in Slovene, is a pretty little spot to see after walking through the gorge. I think many people skip this because it’s not well marked, but it’s just a short walk down a dirt path after the bistro.

The return is a little steep, but it’s well worth the effort as this is the prettiest waterfall in the gorge.

Gorge Return

As noted above, you can only walk one way on the walkway in Vintgar Gorge. At the end of the walkway, you chose between two main paths to return. If you turn to the left after the bistro, you walk the River of Trees Trail back to parking and the entrance. If you turn to the right, you walk the King of Triglav Trail.

Both run parallel to the gorge, but away from it in the woods. For full details on each trail and where they lead, see vintgar.si.

I took the second trail, King of Triglav, as this is where my shuttle pick up was. The walk took me about 10-15 minutes, but it also loops all the way back to the entrance.

The bonus to this trail, is that you get to see the Church of Saint Catherine (below). There’s also a spot on the hill nearby where you can see Bled Castle in the distance. It’s tiny, but it’s still a nice view.

Church of Saint Catherine

The Church of Saint Catherine is a lovely old church along the King of Triglav Trail.

This cute little church dates back to the 1400’s. It was known historically for pilgrimages on St Catherine’s Day. In more recent history, a treasure chest from the 1800’s was reportedly dug up in front of the church.

When I was here, the door to the church was locked, but I was able to see the beautiful frescos at the altar through the crack between the doors.

Tickets For Visiting Vintgar Gorge

It’s best to buy tickets for Vintgar Gorge in advance at vintgar.si. They’re sold in set time slots (every 20 minutes as of this writing). The ticket website will show which time slots have the most availability. This is great because then you can book a time slot with fewer people. This is reportedly in the early morning, but it’s more accurate to check the website.

If you’re driving from Bled, the drive takes about 5 to 10 minutes, but you still need to walk or take a shuttle to the entrance from the parking lot. If driving, they say to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled visit time. There is a small fee for parking.

There is also a shuttle from Bled near the bus station, which takes about the same amount of time as the parking shuttle. I paid a small fee for my shuttle at the little tourist booking shop near the bus station, but according to the Vintgar website, there is a free one too.

When you arrive at the entrance, you scan your pre-purchased ticket and you receive a helmet for your walk. This is a requirement to protect you from hitting your head on the canyon walls as well as from rocks that may fall from above. There is netting above for protection, so the helmet is just an extra precaution.

Wear good walking shoes for the walk as you will be on both wooden walkways, going up and down steps, and walking trails in the woods. It’s also a good idea to bring water. Especially if it’s a hot day.

Note that there are no refunds for rainy days, so check the weather before you buy your ticket. If it’s raining, of course, make sure to bring your umbrella and wear a raincoat

Want More Of Slovenia?

Slovenia surprised me with its beauty. Its capital, Ljubljana, is an enchanting city and likely where you will fly in. It has a medieval castle on a hilltop overlooking the old town, a riverside promenade with beautiful architecture and bridges to admire, interesting history, and a wonderful cafe culture.

Bled, about a 40-minute drive northwest of Ljubljana is another must-see, although admittedly a little touristy due to its beauty. With stunning alpine Bled Lake, and fairytale-esque Bled Castle soaring above it, it’s like walking in a postcard. It also makes a great base for the area as there is plenty of adventure nearby, like Vintgar Gorge, hiking Mount Triglav, hiking Seven Lakes, canyoneering, rafting, and more.

There are also some very captivating seaside towns on the west side of Slovenia. Piran, Izola, and Koper, are three very picturesque towns on the Adriatic coast with charming historic architecture, and amazing food. These towns were once part of Italy, so in addition of learning about Slovenia, you’ll also discover many Italian influences while enjoying the sun and the sea. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear Italian spoken here along with Slovenian and English.

Finally, if you love horses, or have a penchant for royal history, make sure to visit Lipica Farm, a breeding farm for the famous white Lipizzaner horses founded by Archduke Charles of Austria in the 16th century.

Safe Travels!

Julie