Vintgar gorge Bled
One of the most visited natural attractions in the vicinity of Bled and in Slovenia in general is the wild Vintgar gorge. The exceptionally picturesque and once impassable ravine, carved into the rock by the river Radovna on its way to Sava Dolinka, attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists every year.
Basic data:
- Starting point: Podhom (46.3928, 14.0848)
- Length of the gorge: 1 km 600 m
- Time for the whole round trip: 1 h and 45 min
- Suitable for: family trips, individuals, couples…
The Radovna River is fed by the waters of the Kot and Krma valleys, and it got its name from the valley of the same name, which is wedged between the steep slopes of Pokljuka and Mežakla. The Vintgar gorge begins after the end of the valley, in the village of Podhom, and in a good kilometer and a half long and up to 250 meter deep gorge, visitors enjoy the playful river and unique nature.
Radovna in Vintgar shows its power especially in the spring time, when it is very watery. All this mixing of pearly clean water, drumming and a really strong current next to the mighty gorge, the overhanging walls of the Vintgar, the rapids, and the picturesque path directly above the wild river make a strong impression on a person.
The path is mostly led along footbridges that are attached to the rocky walls of the gorge, but in a few places you also step on solid ground. Although the members of the Gorje tourist association have installed more than 1,200 meters of safety nets in the gorge to protect visitors, visiting the gorge is still at your own risk. For the safety of visitors, the gorge is also closed in winter.
Vintgar is perfect for family outings and it’s great to combine it with a visit to Pokljuka or one of the other attractions of Bled that you can find in this blog.
In the last few years, the route through Vintgar gorge has been made into a one-way route, with an entrance at the upper end of the gorge, in Podhom, and an exit at the Šum waterfall near Blejska Dobrava. For the return route to the starting point, you can choose the green route (arrows), where you will walk through Sv. Katarina and enjoy the beautiful views of the surroundings of Bled, or you can go to Bledska Dobrava (red route) and from there go back to your starting point.
The Gorje tourist association, which has been managing the gorge for 130 years, kindly asks visitors to visit their website before visiting the gorge and buy tickets online, and it’s also great if you read all the details about the circular routes, opening hours, parking lots and everything else that visitors need to know before visiting Vintgar. It is necessary to be aware that despite all the protection, the path through the gorge can also be dangerous.
Another well-intentioned warning… I strongly advise against visiting the Vintgar inn, which is only 10 meters from the entrance to the gorge. Years ago, when we visited the gorge, I went to the inn to kindly ask if they could pour water into my bottle, and the owner’s response was incomprehensible. The lady started yelling at me what am I doing, that they have to pay for this water, at first I thought that the lady was joking, but after a few seconds, I realized that she was serious… I thanked her nicely and promised to tell everyone about their relationship with potential customers and I keep my promise.
Conclusion
You can find even more ideas for trips around Bled in the article where I present to you the most beautiful sights of Gorenjska.
I wish you a nice day and let’s go to nature!
