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Ninety seconds on Great Soča Gorge
By car, take the Bovec to Trenta road toward the Vršič pass and leave it at the turn-off for the village of Vas na Skali, toward the Lepena valley. Two car parks serve the gorge, and the western one is paid by the hour.
Yes. The Soča Trail passes the gorge, so a longer walk along the river can take it in. Without a car, the summer bus makes a one-way walk on the trail possible.
Only expert kayakers run the gorge itself, and it is never part of a commercial trip. Boating on the river is regulated by municipal decree, with Velika korita as an official entry point and a season from 15 March to 31 October when the flow allows.
Only with permission. Canyoning anywhere in Triglav National Park, which takes in the gorge, needs prior consent from the park's public institute. A group is capped at nine people, including the guide.
Come for the view straight down from the footbridge into water held between close rock walls, then follow the path beside it as far as the gorge goes.
The Great Soča Gorge is a slot 750 metres long that the river has cut up to 15 metres deep into the rock. In places the two banks stand only about two metres apart. Its Slovene name, Velika korita, means the great troughs.
The water level changes what you see from the bridges. In a dry period the rock shows its full depth, and in a flood the Soča can fill the gorge completely.
Footbridges span the gorge, and from the swinging one the view runs down its whole length. Even in summer the water below rarely rises above 10°C. The gorge ends where Lepena, a side valley of Trenta, begins.
The walk starts at the western car park, which sits beside a bridge over the river. From there, head for the swinging footbridge first and look down into the gorge.
Then follow the path just above the rim, stopping at the other footbridges as you go, as far as the end of the gorge.
This path is a stretch of the Soča Trail, which is not a loop. Walk back the same way to the car, so the day ends where it started.
The rock around the gorge is slippery, so wear shoes with a good grip and keep back from the edge when you lean over for a photo. Hold small children firmly by the hand at the overlooks, where the drop is sheer.
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