Visiting Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia

If you are visiting Slovenia, you need to put Vintgar Gorge on your list. Vintgar Gorge (also known as Blejski Vintgar) is a narrow valley or a canyon formed by the river Radovna and it's located on the eastern part of the Triglav National Park (about 4 km from Bled). It's 1,6 meters long and 250 meters deep. The gorge was discovered in 1891 by photographer Benedikt Lergetporer and Gorje Mayor Jakob Zumer and opened for tourists in 1893. Today it is one of the most popular natural attractions in Slovenia.

When to visit?

I recommend visiting right when it opens or in the first hour to avoid the crowd. Opening times are different at different times of the year, so I recommend you check that out on their website. We were one of the first ones there but once we got back to the car (around 2 hours later) the whole parking lot was filled with cars and buses. The perfect time to visit it is from May to September (summer months are busiest though) and keep in mind that it's closed in the winter time due to safety reasons. It's no problem if it rains, it will still be open for visitors.

Prices and Parking

The entrance fee for the Vintgar Gorge is 10€. You can park in two parking spots, one is just before the gorge (it costs 10€ for 2,5 hours of parking) and one a little bit further from the entrance (it costs 7€ for 4 hours of parking). At both parking lots, you have people who collect the fee at the entrance. 

The Wooden Trail

Through the gorge leads a wooden walkway that takes you along the path of the river and crisscrosses from one side to the other. These wooden structures are carved into the cliffs and you walk right above the river. You can admire the beautiful views and encounter small waterfalls, rapids and pools. There is also one spot where you can see a huge stone arch bridge and the Bohinj railway from 1906.

Two Trails Back

This is a one-way-only walk trough the gorge, to return you choose between two trails. The walk through the gorge takes about half an hour and then you decide whether you want a shorter and steeper (75 minutes) or longer (90 minutes) trail. The shorter one goes through the woods and the longer one through pastures. We chose the second route and we didn't regret it, you get to see lots of cows and sheep (they are very used to the hikers), also the views over the valley are amazing. You also pass the church of St. Catherine. The trail is super easy to follow through the gorge and also later on through the pastures. It took us about two hours to finish the whole path.

If you are in Slovenia or you are from Slovenia and fancy a little trip, I highly recommend you check out Vintgar Gorge. It's an amazing and unique experience not only for adults but also for children.

Thank you for reading!