Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Nestled in the hills near Lake Bled and Triglav National Park, Vintgar Kloof or Vintgar Gorge is a beautiful river that passes through a narrow gorge. Follow a series of boardwalks to see the gorge up close and finish your hike with a walk over the hills back the the start. This is a lovely loop with beautiful views both in the gorge and of the surrounding region.
It is just a short drive from Bled to Vintgar Gorge and it’s also possible to visit Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge in one day. We spent a few days staying in Lake Bled and did the Vintgar Gorge walk on our first day in the area. Despite the entrance fee and the crowds, this is a beautiful hike and worth exploring.
You will see the Vintgar Gorge also referred to as Vintgar Kloof, Bled Gorge and Gorges De Vintgar.
We visited Vintgar Gorge as part of our 7 Day Slovenia Itinerary.
Overview of the Vintgar Kloof/Vintgar Gorge Hike
Distance: 3.4 miles Elevation Gain: 700 feet Difficulty: Easy Vintgar Gorge Hike Duration (St. Catherine Loop): 2 hours
The Vintgar Gorge trail is a 3.4 mile loop near Lake Bled Slovenia. This is really a stunning hike. The start of the trail goes directly into the Gorge after passing through the ticket booth. This section of the hike is mostly on boardwalks that are built into the side of the gorge. The river runs beneath the walkway making this a great walk.
The first part of the trail ends at a small building with some facilities, snacks and water. From here you have several options to hike back to the start. There is a small walk that takes you down below the gorge to see the Vintgar Gorge waterfall. We did this walk, and enjoyed the waterfall, but it was not the complete highlight of the hike.
We chose to make this hike a loop by hiking to the right past St Catherine Church. This trail ascends through a forest and open up with views across the valley once reaching the church. We loved this part of the hike as it passed through several fields with animals grazing and was an easy walk back down to our car.
The entire trail was well marked and easy to walk.
Things to Know to Visit Vintgar Gorge
Below you can find some important things about visiting the Vintgar Bled Gorge.
How to Get to Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is about 6.5 km from the town of Lake Bled and about a 12 minutes drive. It is possible to take a bus from Lake Bled to get to Vintgar Gorge, but getting to Vintgar Gorge from Bled iseasiest in a car. Biking is also possible in the area and there are many trails in the region.
When we visited Vintgar Gorge in the summer of 2022, some of the roads getting to the area were closed and there was limited parking at the starting point of the hike. There are several large parking lots for visiting the Gorge and there were people helping direct traffic. This adds a little distance to the overall hike and we ended up hiking almost 5 miles total (instead of 3.4 miles).
The parking lots are in Podhom and this is also where the bus will drop you. From here follow the signs (and other people) to walk to the start of the Vintgar Gorge. You can enter the address: Soteska Vintgar, Turisticno drustvo Gorje, Podhom 80, 4247 Zgornje Gorje, Slovenia.
Below are some common driving times to get to Vintgar Kloof/Gorge:
- Lake Bled to Vintgar Gorge: 14 minutes
- Ljubljana to Vintgar Gorge: 1 hour
- Bovec to Vintgar Gorge: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Bohinj to Vintgar Gorge: 40 minutes
What is the Vintgar Gorge Entrance Fee?
There is an entrance fee to walk through Vintgar Gorge. When we visited during the summer of 2022, Vintgar Kloof tickets cost 10 EUR for adults and 2 EUR for kids. Note that the Vintgar Gorge price may change in the future, so it’s best to check on the official site before visiting. If you are visiting during the busy summer months it’s best to purchase your tickets online in advance since tickets do sell out for certain time slots.
There may also be a fee to park between 5-15 EUR.
What are the Vintgar Gorge Opening Times?
The Vintgar Gorge is open April-Nov from 0700-1900 each day. There are slightly reduced hours during the spring and fall months. This hike gets crowded, so the best time to visit is first thing in the morning or late in the day. Tickets often sell out during the middle of the day and you will have the best experience if you visit when it’s less crowded.
When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Vintgar Kloof/Gorge?
The best time of year to visit Vintgar Kloof/Gorge is during the warm months. The gorge is closed Dec-March. Temperatures in the Gorge tend to be slightly cooler than Lake Bled, so dress appropriately.
Can you Swim in Vintgar Gorge?
Vintgar Gorge swimming is not allowed – you can enjoy the hike, gorge and waterfall from above!
Vintgar Gorge Map
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Details of our Hike of the Vintgar Kloof/Gorge and St. Catherine’s Loop
We visited Vintgar Gorge in July of 2022. We were staying in Bled for several days and spent our first day hiking this loop. We parked our car just before 0900 and walked to the start of the hike – even this walk from the parking lot to the ticket booth was enjoyable.
Since we purchased our tickets online in advance, we simply scanned our tickets before entering. Use the bathroom and other facilities here as there are no other facilities during this section of the walk. The trail starts off with the walk through the gorge on a series of boardwalks and bridges. This walk is so pretty and we took our time to snap some photos and enjoy the amazing color of the river against the rock walls.
At the end of the Gorge there is another small building with some facilities. If you want to see the waterfall, you will walk below this building and cross the river. To get back to your car, there are several walking loops – although it is possible that not all the trails will be open during your visit. We chose to hike back past St Catherines. The trail from here passes up through a beautiful forest on a wide trail. After climbing steadily for about 1 mile, the trail opens up with views of the church and out across the valley.
There is a small playground and restaurant here (see the sign below about beer 🙂
To get back to the start of the hike, turn to the right and follow the well marked path. This part of the hike is surprisingly beautiful as it traverses a hillside through several pastures complete with grazing animals. You can see views out to Lake Bled and Triglav National Park. The trail leads directly back to the start of the hike and from here you can walk back to you parked car.
The entire hike took us about 2.5 miles but could be done more quickly if you are able to park at the start of the hike.
Other Things to do in the Region Around Vintgar Kloof/Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is located near some of the best things to see and do in Slovenia. We absolutely loved spending time in Lake Bled and Bovec and enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and visiting waterfalls. If you are looking for more things to do in the area, consider:
