Vintgar - simply Gorgeous (Vintgar Gorge (Bled))

Name: lobourse

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Product:	Vintgar Gorge (Bled)
Date:	17/12/07 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful, easy walking, not too long

Disadvantages: Can get slightly crowded

Slovenia is the northernmost republic of what used to be Yugoslavia, sharing borders with Italy and Austria in the Alps, and Hungary to the east and Croatia to the South. The highest peak in the Slovenian Alps is called Triglav (owing to its triple-headed peak) and gives its name to a national park, at the south-eastern corner of which is Vintgar Gorge, a few miles outside the town of Bled. The gorge is carved out of the rocks by the fast-flowing Radovna river, and is 1600m long.

=== WHAT IS THERE TO SEE ====

On parking the car, you buy your tickets at a little chalet at the entrance of the gorge. This is an ideal destination if you do not want to have any tricky decisions about which way to go, as you simply follow the path along the river. The banks of the river start off tree lined, but as the paths go further in, you pass between steep rocky cliffs. The path follows sturdy wooden bridges, with solid handrails, which criss-cross the swift-flowing water at several places.

The noise of the river in places is deafening at is goes down rapids, or narrow channels. In others, the river flows more serenely, giving your senses a breather and you have the chance to relax and enjoy calm surroundings.

As for the water, I simply do not have words to do the colours justice. While it is white and churning through the cascades, in others it runs through the whole palette of greens and blues - turquoise, aquamarine, periwinkle, and myriad others that I don't know the name of. My 6 year old daughter tried to count all the different colours and gave up after 25! The water is also very clear, and at various points you could see fish facing up stream to swim against the current.

The walk ends by an old sluice gate, 30 metres above which is the elegant arch of a single-span bridge. The water runs over a small weir, before dropping over the highest single drop waterfall in Slovenia, although unfortunately this is not nearly as dramatic or spectacular as it sounds. This is the end of the path, which is marked by another entrance to the gorge, and a coffee shop. You can follow a footpath all the way back to Bled via the church at Katarina, which is some 4 km distant. The coffee shop here is very reasonably priced considering the location - the ice creams being the same price you would expect to pay in a newsagent, rather than those at a top tourist attraction. The coffee, while cheap, was undoubtedly the worst we had in Slovenia. There are also toilets available.

==== GETTING THERE ====

Vintgar Gorge is no more than 3 miles out of Bled, tucked away down pretty side roads with their tidy Alpine cottages. Although there are signposts all the way along the route from Bled, some of the signs are not obvious, and you can end up doubting that you have come the right way. The final approach to the gorge is down a very steep narrow road with hairpin bends, but the volume of cars and walkers there leave no doubt that you are in the right place.

==== COST, ACCESSABILITY ====

Entry to the gorge costs Euro3 for adults, and Euro1.50 for children aged 3-14. Although we did see a couple of people carrying pushchairs, this is not really suitable for them as the bridges are both slippery and narrow. In some places, the path is only narrow enough for one person, because of rocks jutting out. On the plus side, my 3 year old was happy to walk all the way, as it is not particularly steep anywhere on the path. You should allow at leat an hour and a half for a visit, although with a coffee and ice-cream along the way and a leisurely pace, we took nearer two-and-a-half.

We saw some people stop and eat a picnic on the rocks by a particularly tranquil spot, while others climbed over boulders to take pictures. The only downside is the crowds, which are a problem in certain parts where you have to wait and let people pass - some nationalities seem more willing to do this than others! However, you do get to hear lots of different languages and accents.

==== OVERALL ====

Vintgar is a great destination for an excursion if staying in this part of Bled. I would advise getting there as early in the day as possible as it can get crowded, but if you take it leisurely, the crowds are not too big a problem. It is fine even for quite small children, but not for people who cannot walk unaided. The temperature is very pleasant, making a contrast from the heat elsewhere. Half a day is enough, possibly even less although you need to allow time to drive there and find a parking space.

An earlier version of this review and pictures is on ciao.

Summary: Beautiful river gorge, close to Bled, good even for small children