Discover one of the most beautiful roads in Slovenia: the Vrsic Pass drive and its gateway, the magnificent Lake Jasna.
With mountainous landscapes of the Julian Alps and emerald water, you will not mind the 50 sharp bends since the scenery is breathtaking all the way.
Below is my guide to plan your drive with map, tips and photos.
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 visit Lake Jasna and drive the Vrsic Pass drive?
The drive through the Vrsic mountain pass on Road 206 (also known as the Russian Road) is one of the most beautiful in Slovenia.
It offers:
- Stunning mountain views
- An emerald lake
- A charming chapel
- A series of 50 sharp bends
- …

Below is a short video showing you the fabulous landscapes of Lake Jasna and sections of the drive through the VRSIC mountain pass. I did not film the road much while driving up, but you can see some of the turns as I go down towards the Soca Valley.
Do you understand why it made it on my list of suggested day trips from Ljubljana?
How to you pronounce Vrsic?
The Slovene spelling is Vršič. It is pronounced like ver-sheech.
And the word for route is Cesta.
Many more photos after the planning tips.
PLANNING TIPS & Map – Vrsic Pass, Slovenia + Lake Jasna
How to get to Vrsic Pass Slovenia – Map
- East side of Slovenia
- Ljubljana to Kranjska Gora – 1h drive, partly on Motorway
- The VRSIC road is 24km in length with an average ascent at 8.4%
- 50 bends, half on the side of Kranjska Gora and the other half on the Trenta side.
- The road is open an average of seven months per annum (In winter it is normally closed to all traffic) – check out the status here
- Bovec can be reached via another easier road through Austria if you don’t want to drive this mountain road.
Below is a map to help you get oriented and locate Jasna and Vrsic:

Practical Maps and all the best stops on the road with their GPS coordinates are included in my travel eBook to help you plan your road trip:
No car? That’s ok. Some organized tours from Ljubljana can take you through here to enjoy the amazing views. It’s a long time on the road but it is worth it to be able to see that – Check out the program and price
Visiting Lake Jasna Slovenia & Vrsic Drive
- Good parking close to Lake Jasna + small café (but no food)
- Several cafes and restaurant on the way up to VRSIC pass from Kranjska Gora
- Plan at least 30 min at Lake Jasna to tour it
- It is not a difficult drive, however because some of the bends are really sharp, it is not recommended with a caravan in tow.
How long does it take to drive the Vrsic Pass ?
The drive takes 45 min driving without stopping and without traffic from Kranjska Gora to the Soca Village (Thee Vrsic road is 24 kilometers in length with an average ascent at 8.4%).
However, you will want to stop everywhere, and you may have road works. Plan half a day if you don’t plan on hiking.
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!

What is the most scenic direction for the Julian Alp loop?
It is beautiful in both directions.
I think it is best to drive from North to South down the VRSIC pass to enjoy the beautiful views of the Soca Valley in front of you.
However, I also enjoyed the Soca valley with the mountains behind when driving towards the North… The choice is difficult.
Where to stay
- I wish I had spent the night next to the Jasna Lake. So beautiful – Check out the accommodations in Kranjska Gora and by the lake
- Another option is to complete the drive and rest in Bovec. The town has a large choice of accommodations and restaurants and it is close to many activities – Check out the best rated accommodations in Bovec
Tour of Lake Jasna Slovenia (Jezero Jasna)
First stop on our road trip through the Julian Alps: The Jasna Lake, one of the most beautiful panoramas in Slovenia.
Tour of the Jasna Lake
I had seen photos and was looking forward to seeing it, but I must admit it was even better than I had imagined! Look at that panoramic photo:

The color of the water is unbelievable, I promise you it looks like that. Plus, you have green tree covered mountains all around, and the highest bare peaks of the Julian Alps in the background.

The lake is guarded by a bronze statue of an Ibex called Zlatorog (GoldHorn), a legendary animals in many Slovenia stories about Mount Triglav, the highest point in Slovenia (you can read the legend here).
Note: Lake Bohinj also has a statue but with smaller horns.

Lake Jasna is actually made of 2 artificial lakes just 2km away from Kranjska Gora.
They are formed with the water of 2 branches of the Pisnica stream.
Jasna Lake is at 2723ft of elevation (830m), therefore the water can be cool.

Lake Jasna Swimming and Relaxing
They have set up a beach and a café /bar to relax by the water. You can go for a swim in one of the lakes (there is even a 3-level diving platform int he middle). Or you could fly fish in the other lake.

Parking and staying
There are 2 carparks right by the lake. They can get full in Summertime. In that case, there are more parking spaces South of the lake (turn on unpaved path).
It is so beautiful, I now wish I had spent the night here to see it with the changing light and weather. If you feel tempted too, check out this accommodations close to the lake.
The Vrsic Pass drive
Difficulty of driving the Vrsic pass
Before I share pictures of the main stops along the VRSIC drive, let me tell you about the quality of the road. Is the VRSIC road a difficult drive? Is it dangerous?
My answer is no.
Yes, the 24km long road turns a lot (There are 49 bends… plus one much further away they probably added because they wanted a round number lol). But the road is large enough to cross path with the vehicles in the other direction and if you take your time, the bends are not that bad.
But if you don’t like driving, there is always the possibility to go on a small group tour from Ljubljana and just sit back and relax! (check out program and price)

Vrsic road 206 – bends and animals
See in the photos above and below, the turns are numbered coming from Lake Jasna and driving towards the Soca Valley.
At each turn the road is switching from smooth tar to cobbles to that you don’t fall asleep and turn.
The side of the road is often blocked by either wood ramps, metal ramps or like below rock square blocks.

Just be careful with the animals on the road and don’t hesitate to stop to eat something on your way!


And here we go with bend 49. It was not that bad, even for me who is very stressed on mountain roads!

The road is generally in good condition. If you see cars stopped. Wait in the queue. It means that they are doing some roadworks and traffic is alternating. Be patient, they have a tendency to set up very long traffic lights.
Get ready with my guide to driving in Slovenia.
VRSIC Closure periods
Note that the pass is closed in Winter due snow and the high risk of avalanches. Closure depends on conditions.
You can check on promet.si where you can see all the road conditions and if the VRSIC pass is open.
I don’t drink coffee 
But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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Russian Chapel on Ruska Cesta (Russian Road)
Vrsic pass history
The VRSIC Road, which connects Krankja Gora to Bovec is also known as Ruska Cesta (the Russian Road) as it was built by Russian war prisoners during the 1st world war.
First stop on the Vršič pass drive: the Russian Chapel.

During the 1st WW Kranjska Gora was an important crossroad for the military. Italy and Austria were at war and the Soca river front line was very strategic. In 1915 and 1916, the Austrian used over 10,000 Russian prisoners to build this road. In March 1916, an avalanche killed more than 100 of them.
In 1917, the surviving prisoners built this Russian chapel in memory of their fellow soldiers.


Near Bend 8, a parking is clearly indicated on the side of the road after the access point. Climb the few stairs to discover the wooden structure.
Prisank View
There are many stops to enjoy along the drive. Small carparks are set up at various points when the road stops turning.
Then you arrive at a viewpoint with many explanations about the region.
It is facing a large block of mountain rock Prisank which reaches 2547m. It is a colossal mountain front oriented towards the North East.

The signs provide information about the region. They help you find features in the mountain. For example, in the photo above, can you see to the top right, there is a small hole. It is called front window (Prednje okno) and is 80m high and 40m wide. It is the largest natural window in the Julian Alps.
And in the photo below, can you find the “Pagan girl” (ajdovska deklica). Rocks have fallen and people are seeing a face. Can you see it below the snow?

Here it is:

Another beautiful stop
One of my favorite stops was just a little further on. There is a large carpark and a path going up to a small cafe.

I really enjoyed this stop because of the different shades of green and the perspective with the mountains. Plus, we were almost alone to enjoy it compared to the top at the Vrsic pass itself.

We did not have to walk for long to get that amazing view. What do you think? Feels almost like we can touch them!
And this is the view on the way back to the parking area.

The VRSIC Pass
And after 24 turns and some fantastic views, we finally reach the mountain pass of Vrsic itself.
Elevated at 1611m, it is the highest mountain pass in Slovenia (small league compared to some of the 3000m passes I enjoyed in Kyrgyzstan…).
There is a large caraprk at the pass.

And you can walk past the souvenir hut /café to enjoy the view

As you can see, we were not alone at the view (this is not me on the picture), but it was not overcrowded LOL

There is also a restaurant a little higher above the parking area with a great view.


I must admit that I preferred the views on the way up and the next view on the way down rather that this one at the top… But it is an easy break in the middle of the road for the driver!
Drive Down the Russian Road
Supca Viewpoint
On the way down towards the magnificent Soca river and the town of Bovec, there is one more stop: the Supca viewpoint. A platform has been set up to enjoy the magnificent view.

This stop also has some historical artifacts and set ups from the First World war especially a supply telpher line. The concrete blocks are remains of the telpher. It played a very important role in the delivery of military supplies.
But if like me, you are not a history buff, move forward and enjoy the spectacular view over the deeply cut glacial valley.

Turn around and see the restaurant? This is where the Vršič pass is.

Last bends
And then you can finish driving down an enchanting scenery. Too bad for the driver who has to focus on the road and can’t enjoy those views!

And here comes bends 48…

And the Road trip continues to the Soca Valley
Of course, the Julian Alps drive does not stop there. Now you enter the world of the Soca Valley and its emerald river. So many places to stop to enjoy the narrow valley on the way to Bovec. Here is a tease of what there is to come! And you can check out my article about the Soca Valley Slovenia for many more pictures.
Some of the best places to see in Slovenia.



Want to see other highlights in Western Slovenia?
- Enjoy the beautiful drive in the Soca Valley with the emerald river – read article
- Visit the Tolmin Gorges – read article
- Enjoy a walk to a waterfall hidden in a cave (Kozjak) – read article
- Want to discover the Bled Region? – check out my 20 favorite places to see in that area
Planning a trip to Slovenia?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
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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Magnificent, isn’t it?