Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia: practical tips

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If you’re planning a trip to discover Slovenia’s treasures, you’ll certainly have heard of Lake Bled and the surrounding area. Among the must-sees is the Vintgar Gorge. This is undoubtedly one of the most fantastic places to be found in this part of Slovenia, and its scenery is simply breathtaking.

The perfectly landscaped site, with its wooden footbridges, takes us to discover the emerald waters of the Radovna River. We wind our way through rapids, waterfalls and lush green vegetation to the beautiful Sum waterfall, which cascades 16m into crystal-clear waters.

Practical information

• Access: Vintgar Gorge is a 10-minute drive from the town of Bled and its famous lake.

• Opening hours:
  April-May: 8am to 6pm
  June to August: 7am to 7pm
  September: 8am to 6pm
  October-November: 9am to 4pm

• Price: adults €10 / children aged 6 to 15 €3 / children under 6 €1 / students €6
  Parking: free

• Visit to Vintgar Gorge: the walk is easy and accessible to all. In fact, the first part of the walk starts at the hut where you buy your entrance tickets and continues on the footbridges. At the end of the gorge, there are two options for returning:
  1) turn around and head back to the parking lot.
  2) take another path back through the woods (Blejska Dobrava). It probably takes a little longer on this side (approx. 1 h walk), but the big advantage is that you can make the return journey without having to pass anyone on the Vintgar footbridges.

• When should you go? Avoid the summer months to discover the area, and prefer May, June or September to avoid the crowds of tourists. Please note that the gorge is closed to the public in winter.
  
  We didn’t have any problems with crowds, as we went there in September 2020 when we were in the middle of the Covid crisis. We were lucky enough to discover this place without too many people. Nevertheless, I’ve read several articles that advise visiting the Gorge as soon as it opens in the morning (especially in summer!). It’s a place that gets visited a lot and quickly becomes overcrowded. The crowds can quickly become oppressive, as it’s not easy to pass each other on these footbridges.

Here are a few photos of our visit to the heart of the Vintgar Gorge:

Thanks for reading!

Mylène