Ninety seconds on Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge puts you on a wooden walkway bolted to the cliff, hung out over a turquoise river so clear you can count the stones on the bottom.
The gorge is a limestone canyon up to 250 m deep between the Hom and Boršt hills, and the walkway is fixed to its cliff faces over the river for most of the route. Look up as well as down: the high walls show their rock layers plainly, because glaciers shaped the gorge and the river, the Radovna, has cut into it ever since.
Watch the colour of the water as you go. The pools shift from turquoise to emerald green, and the deep, still ones are the clearest.
More than 600 plant species grow here, in Slovenia's largest natural monument and its first protected natural attraction to limit visitor numbers. The walkway has been here since 1893, and its best-known stretch is the Žumer Galleries.
The walk ends at Šum Falls, the largest river waterfall in Slovenia. Its name means the noisy falls.
Essential to the visit is a timed slot, which you book online before you set out, since the Visitor Centre does not sell the pass. Popular morning slots can sell out several days ahead in the busy months.
Arrive at the Visitor Centre on time and collect the helmet that is compulsory in the gorge. The audio guide plays on your own phone at marked points along the path, so come with it charged.
The route runs one way. You walk the 1.6 km gorge trail on the boards to Šum Falls, then return to the Visitor Centre on the 4.1 km King of Triglav Trail, with no going back through the gorge.
A kiosk by the exit near the falls usually sells drinks and snacks. To see the falls from below, step out through the barrier and scramble down, and keep your ticket, which lets you back through.
A guide is optional. The official guided visit runs daily in English for groups of up to 18, starting at 4 pm from June to 20 September and at 3 pm otherwise, so book a place ahead. It suits you if you want the geology, the water and the walkway's story explained as you go.
The boardwalk narrows in places, so a pushchair or a large backpack is hard work down there. Bring a small daypack with water, a snack and a light fleece or windbreaker even on a warm day. Shoes with a good grip matter more than anything else you pack.
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