Vintgar Gorge Slovenia: Travel Guide to a scenic walk

Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia was a last-minute decision on our part, before leaving for Zagreb. And what a fabulous day trip it turned out to be from Lake Bled to Vintgar Gorge. The Vintgar Gorge hike would feature in one of the top easy hikes that can be done in Slovenia with kids.

Slovenia itself was a last-minute addition to our two-week itinerary in Croatia. The first thing that hits you about crossing the border from Croatia to Slovenia is how green and gorgeous the country is. We had spent a few hours doing a food walk in Ljubljana a day earlier and then spent the night in the scenic Lake Bled area. The next morning was spent doing the picturesque Vintgar Gorge walk before we headed back to Zagreb.

Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia

Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6 km long gorge located in Triglav National Park. The gorge has been carved out by the Radovna river.

The 1.6 km long Vintgar Gorge carves its way through the vertical rocks of the Hom and Borst hills and is graced by the Radovna with its waterfalls, pools and rapids.

The Vintgar Gorge walk turned out to be an easy and satisfying half-day trip from Bled. It is easy to imagine why this is one of the most popular natural features of Slovenia and on many itineraries for a day trip from Ljubljana as well. Another popular day trip to do from Lake Bled or Ljubljana is to visit Postojna Cave.

The trail goes over wooden bridges and ends with a bridge overlooking the impressive 13 m high Šum waterfall.

How to reach Vintgar Gorge from Bled

We had a car and drove towards Podham which is located 4 km north of Bled. You have to follow the signboards from Podham, but I admit we took a couple of wrong turns and got lost even with the signs. We went early so got parking right at the P1 car park. Another option is to park at the P3 LIP Central Parking Park + take the free shuttle to the gorge entrance. 

If you don’t have a rental car, there are bus options from Bled Main Bus Station to Podhom bus stop or the Spodnje Gorje bus stop. From both bus stops, it’s about a 20-minute walk to the Vintgar Gorge entrance. 

Vintgar Gorge photos

After you pay your entrance fee at the ticket booth, you immediately come upon boardwalk trails, small waterfalls, and scenic views of Vintgar Gorge. Here are some photos from our Vintgar Gorge hike in Slovenia to give you an idea of its natural beauty.

The Vintgar Gorge walk is suitable for everyone, although putting on sensible shoes would be my recommendation. My daughter could do the hike easily, she did a get bit tired while coming back.

You can imagine why Vintgar Gorge is such a popular natural destination. And makes for an easy day trip from Ljubljana or Lake Bled for a family.

Its steep depths, vertical walls, rapid river beneath, vegetation and waterfall are so picturesque. You feel one with nature at Vintgar Gorge.

The easy walking trail leads you over wooden bridges, from where you can enjoy the natural beauty in all its glory.

There are several places where you can actually go down to the river bank to take a snap. My daughter enjoyed putting her hands in the deliciously cold water.

The single-arch stone bridge of the Bohinj railway, constructed in 1906, which crosses the gorge 33.5 m above the trail. There is a dam from which the water is routed to the small Vintgar hydroelectric power plant under the Šum waterfall.

Vintgar Gorge route

The route runs only in one direction through the gorge. At the end of the gorge, you have to choose between different circular marked and signposted routes to get back to the entry point. At the gorge exit (Šum Waterfall), you can choose to hike the red route back to the P1 car park, or the green route back to the P1 car park. 

The green route (path of King Triglav), which leads through the Vintgar Gorge and along the slope of the Hom hill, is 5.7 km long. It is longer, more picturesque but also exposed to the sun. The red route (River of Trees path), which leads through the Vintgar Gorge and along the forest path near the settlement of Blejska Dobrava, is 4.3 km long. It is shorter, it leads through a shade forest, but is more demanding due to higher number of stairs.

FAQs on Vintgar Gorge Slovenia

For more information on opening time, entrance fees, check out Vintgar.

Stay and Food around Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bled

We only stopped at Lake Bled for a night. Lake Bled is the most famous one in this beautiful country, but there are other stunning lakes in Slovenia.

Lake Bled is situated in the Julian Alps, and has crystal clear water. The viewpoint of the fairytale island with the church in the centre of the lake is postcard-worthy. If you are stopping for longer, you could take in some of the best view points on Lake Bled, especially when the crowds have cleared out.

We spent the night in Lake Bled at Villa Istra. Our charming 2-bedroom apartment in this villa-converted-to-design-hotel had direct access to the lake with stellar views. I can only imagine how charming Lake Bled must be in winter.

The breakfast spread at Villa Istra was very good, we didn’t try any other meal there. We had a delicious dinner at Sova, a stone’s throw from Villa Istra in Lake Bled. The mushroom soup in a sourdough bowl at the Restaurant Vintgar, right outside the park, is just the thing after a long walk.

For more ideas on what to do in and around Lake Bled, check these posts:

12 Things to Do In Lake Bled, Slovenia

Things to do in winter at Lake Bled

[This post was originally published in 2017, and last updated in Feb 2024.]

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