MAGICAL… the Vintgar Gorge Walk is simply magical!
This Lake Bled Gorge is one of the most visited places in Slovenia: narrow gorge, lush vegetation, emerald water…
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit with map, tips, photos and video.
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Slovenia:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Slovenia: DiscoverCars
My favorite adventure from Bovec: Kayak on the Soca River
My favorite excursion from Ljubljana: Postojna Cave and Predjama castle
My favorite places to stay:
- Lubljana, central – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: Lesar Hotel Angel
- Bled, iconic – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: Vila Bled
- Bovec, outdoorsy – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: Dobra Vila
- Piran, historic – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: Hotel Piran
Why do the Vintgar Gorge Walk in Slovenia?
Walking through the Vintgar Gorge is a wonderful experience.
The walk is well set up with platforms and bridges over the green water.
But be careful, you might be expecting to see fairies or other creatures appear at each turn!
It is clearly one of the best things to do near Lake Bled Slovenia. Just look at it:
Video – Virtual tour
Below is a short video to get an idea of what you could experience at the Lake Bled Gorge (Vintgar Gorge) – get a virtual tour!
One of the best landscapes in Slovenia!
About the name
Its Slovene name is “Soteska Vintgar”.
2 stories:
- Some say Vintgar originates from German Weingarten (the vineyards in Podhom)
- Others say that the gorge section makes one think of of a wine glass.
More photos after the planning tips.
PLANNING TIPS & Map – Vintgar Gorge, Slovenia
Vintgar Gorge Location – Map
- West Slovenia, not far from Lake Bled
- Ljubljana to Lake Bled = 1h drive
- Only 4 km northwest of the town of Bled – small road but not very difficult.
- The carpark is quite large, but it fills up very quickly
- Near the village of Gorje
- Below is a map to help you get oriented and locate the Vintgar Gorge:
This location is included (with GPS coordinates, map of location and planning info) in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Slovenia road trip:
Plan your dream trip in Slovenia thanks to my guide
- 7 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- 16+ extra ideas
- GPS + info to make the most of your time
- 190+ original photos to help you choose
How to get to Vintgar Gorge from Bled:
- Option 1 – BY CAR – Easy 10 min drive to Vintgar Gorge from Bled Center
- Option 2 – ON FOOT – It is only 4km so you can also hike (30min to 1h walk depending on your speed)
- Option 3 – SHUTTLE BUS – from June to September a tourist bus leaves the bus station at 9:45 am and every hour. It drops you at the entrance and you have 2 hours to enjoy the walk before talking the shuttle back – book
- Option 4 – Local tourist shops organize drop off from Bled
- If you want to combine with a visit to Lake Bohinj on a full day tour – You can book an organized tour and select the option pick-up from Bled – Book Small Group Tour
Need to rent a car in Slovenia?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Choose a car with enough power for the mountain roads
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
Best time to visit the Gorge
- Best time to visit Vintgar Gorge – Early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. When it starts getting busy, it is harder to stop, enjoy and photograph. Because then a long queue starts building behind you. Frustrating!
- Worst time to visit the Gorge: between 10:30 and 1pm as this is where the buses, groups and all arrive. So, it gets very crowded
- It is closed in Winter and opens in April – the exact opening date varies depending on conditions
- I visited in the morning and the combination of light, stillness, water roar and mist were just perfect!
Price and Times
- Opening months – April to November
- Vintgar Gorge opening times – Mostly 8am to 6pm (except July and August 7am to 7pm and October 9am to 4pm)
- Vintgar Gorge entrance fee – 10 euros for adults
- Parking is 5 euros
- See latest prices and opening hours on this official website
Vintgar Gorge in Winter
The Vintgar gorge is closed in Winter and the boardwalks not maintained until the start of the new season.
Visit Tips
- Vintgar Gorge walk time – taking my time and lots of pictures it took me over 1h one way.
- The hike is easy – just a few steps – we were unfit and had no difficulty.
- Wear good shoes because it can be slippery
- Don’t wear a big backpack. To cross other people on the narrow sections it gets difficult!
- Toilets under the hut at the entrance and above across from the cafe (but higher) at the other end
- It’s no longer possible to return via the gorge, so you’ll have to take the 1.3km or 1.2km hiking trails with a slight incline. Again, wear good shoes.
Where to stay in the area
- The most common place to stay nearby is the town of Bled to have all the facilities and the lake – Check out the best rated accommodations in Bled
- However, if you are looking for something more peaceful, you can stay near the gorge in Podhom – Check out accommodation options
Day trip from Ljubljana to Vintgar Klamm and Lake Bled:
- It is a 1h drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled on motorway.
- Trains – the closest train stations are Jezero Bled and Lesce but none arrives in the center of Bled and train rides are actually quite long
- Bus – roughly every hour, a bus departs from Ljubljana bus station to go to Bled (with other stops)
- If you have only a few days in Ljubljana, I recommend booking an organized day trip. This way you won’t waste time and they will drop you at the Vintgar Gorge and at the Bled Lake and the Bohinj lake. This is a great overview of the area! Book a Small Group Tour
Vintgar Gorge Walk – Difficulty
History of the Vintgar Gorge walk
The Vintgar gorge is where the Radovna River cuts into the hills of Hom and Bordt.
Discovered in 1891, it was soon arranged with board walks to open it to the public.
The river is rushing and roaring and the gorge is sometimes narrow, so the construction to secure the trail was not easy but they sure did a wonderful job.
As you can see below the whole path is either dirt trail or nice boardwalks on one side of the gorge.
How long is the Vintgar Gorge Walk?
The gorge is 1.6km long. Therefore, it is 3.2 km round trip (2 miles).
Taking your time to admire the scenery, it takes 1h one way to reach all the way to the waterfall.
The walk is fascinating all the time. NO boring moments.
How difficult is the walk in the Vintgar Gorge?
There are 3 sections to the walk
- First, you walk on wooden platforms and bridges in the narrow section of the gorge.
Many times the path continues on the other side and you get to walk above the rushing water. This is absolutely phenomenal.
I felt secure the whole way. The bridges are not moving. And even my mum who suffers from vertigo did not have difficulty walking through the gorge.
There are a few steps here and there.
The only difficulty is that it is narrow, and it becomes difficult to cross path with people when it is crowded.
- In the second section, it is more of a classic trail by the river.
There are stairs here and there. Nothing difficult technically. - Third section, after the café you can walk further and head down a big staircase to be able to see the Sum Waterfall (pictures later in the article) – over 60 steps
I don’t drink coffee 
But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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First section of the Lake Bled Gorge
My preference goes to the first half of the gorge. So, if you are limited in time, you can just do that and walk back.
There are many rapids where the water rushes through the Gorge.
It is so difficult to choose pictures. The whole place is magical. Pack a large memory card for your camera!
The observation bridges are really great.
Sometimes the water is white and rushing on one side but calm and emerald on the other – you might have noticed some sequences of the video.
Geology
The Gorge walls are 50 to 100meters in height.
The wind did not create that canyon. It was the Radovna river, blocked by ice from the Bohinj glacier, that changed course and cut a new path through to soft layer of limestone between the Borst and Hom mountains.
Emerald color of River Radovna
One of the particularities of the rivers and lake in Slovenia is that they display an emerald color. This is also the case in the Vintgar Gorge.
Second half of the Vintgar Canyon Trail – Flora
The second half of Vintgar brings another atmosphere. Some sections are wider and quieter. So, you walk on a dirt trail rather than against the gorge wall.
Here you can see a bit more of the vegetation.
Because of its special conditions, you can find plants in the gorge that do not grow elsewhere in the region.
I love watching the way the rocks are cut and colored.
Sometimes it gets narrow, and the water start rushing again.
But other times, it is quite still, and you are wondering where the fairies have all gone!
Vintgar Stone Bridge, Dam and Sum Waterfall
Vintgar Stone Bridge
Towards the end you see 2 man-made structures on the river. Above the Gorge is the stone arch bridge. It is the bridge of the Bohinj railway, and it was built in 1906, 33m above the river.
The Dam
Just below is the dam where the water is routed to a small hydroelectric power plant.
I must admit that I was a bit disappointed to discover that at the end of the gorge. It was so wild before!
Vintgar’s Sum Waterfall
If you are not too tired, you can walk down the 60 stairs past the hut (just keep your ticket with you to enter back).
Once at the bottom you cross a bridge where once again you can admire the emerald color of the water.
And then you can discover the small Sum waterfall. The brochure says it is 16m high. Other sources say 13m. Whatever… with the colorful pool at the bottom it is quite scenic! (Like many of the Slovenia Waterfalls)
Return Walk – Loop Trails
There are no other trails in the gorge.
It is no longer permitted to return via the gorge.
You must complete the loop outside the gorge. There are 2 options indicated at the gorge exit.
- The green loop via St. Catherine’s Church: the entire loop (including the Vintgar Gorge crossing) is 5.7km. It skirts the mountain of Hom (834m). See map – We recommend this route for the views.
- The red loop via the village of Blejska Dobrava: the whole loop (including the Vintgar Gorge crossing) is 4.3km – the shortest option. Especially if you took the shuttle bus from Bled. There’s a pick-up point in the village.
Vintgar Gorge vs Tolmin Gorges
If you have time, I really recommend to do both, because they are quite different and both beautiful.
However if you are limited in time, my preferences goes to the Vintgar Gorge which I think is more interesting visually and easier to access.
Check out my article about the Tolmin Gorges.
Want to see more things to do in the Bled area?
- My complete guide to Lake Bled with viewpoints and island – read article
- The wilder Lake Bohinj – read article
- The magnificent Savica Waterfall – read article
- The hidden Pericnik Waterfall – read article
Planning a trip to Slovenia? Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
Plan your dream trip in Slovenia thanks to my guide
- 7 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 100+ pre-selected locations
- 16+ extra ideas
- GPS + info to make the most of your time
- 190+ original photos to help you choose
And keep track of your own trip!
Want to see more of SLOVENIA?
Discover more things to do & places to see in my Travel Slovenia Destination Guide.
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This is an excellent review of Vintgar Gorge. Lots of helpful information and the photographs are stunning.
Thanks Christine.
I am glad you enjoyed it. Vintgar is a pretty special place!