Gorenjska – Upper Carniola visit

I was at Gorenjska, visiting three locations in the Triglav National Park. I took a look at the gorge and the waterfall and refresh myself in the lake before regaining strength at the inn. A full day of adventures that takes place a little differently than I planned. I would definitely suggest this end of Slovenia to all nature lovers.

Blejski vintgar/gorge

Zbudim se ob 6h, sledi kopalnica in zajtrk ter hitro pakiranje. Odpeljem se proti Gorenjski. Z avtoceste grem na izvozu Lesce. Ter po lokalnih cestah do vstopne točke v Blejski vintgar. Ob 7:30 sem prvi na blagajni. Parking stane 5 €, vstopnina je 10 €. Ker sem prvi je soteska samo moja. Sprehod pelje po lesenih podestih, kjer se premikamo iz desnega na levi breg. Čudoviti pogleda na lepo obarvano vodo, ki se preliva v številnih brzicah skozi sotesko. V zgornjem delu je soteska bolj ozka in je lepše, v spodnjem delu se razširi in je voda počasnejša. Po dobrih 20 minutah pridem ven na drugem koncu kjer si ogledam še slap Šum. Ker je bilo v zadnjem času malo dežja, je nivo vode dokaj nizek. V gostinskem lokalu spijem tonik 2,5 €, tam predlagajo za obisk mesec maj.

I woke up at 6am, followed by the bathroom and breakfast and a quick packing. I drove towards Upper Carniola. From the highway, I went out at the Lesce exit. And along local roads to the entry point to Bled Vintgar. At 7:30 I was first at the box office. Parking costs 5 €, the entrance fee is 10 €. Being the first, the gorge was just mine. The walk leads along wooden platforms, where you move from the right to the left bank. Wonderful views of the beautifully colored water that overflows in many rapids through the gorge. In the upper part, the gorge is narrower and more beautiful, in the lower part it widens and the water is slower. After a good 20 minutes, I came out at the other end where I see the Šum waterfall. As there has been little rain lately, the water level is quite low. I drink € 2.5 tonic in a restaurant, and they suggest visiting this place in May.

Return

Now was the time to return to the parking lot. It is possible to return by van € 7, along a steep path, or via st. Catherine. I choose the path through St. Catherine because it is easier and more beautiful. In the beginning, the path leads up through the forest and after a good kilometer, I approach the top. At the top of the plateau, I reached the church of St. Catherine. From there along the edge of Hum over pastures you have a beautiful view of the Bled basin. There I stopped at one of the benches and enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Gorenjska region by the lake. I was back in the parking lot at 9 o’clock.

Summary

Nice trip, not too demanding. With a price of € 15 per person, as it cost me because I was alone, it is not the cheapest attraction in Slovenia. I suggest you are the first because you will not have a queue of people that will spoil your experience. To return, choose the path across St. Catherine. Visit this gorge on a sunny spring day where there will be plenty of water but still not too slippery.

Waterfall Peričnik

From there I headed towards the Peričnik waterfall. I choose the local road across Radovna. The road is narrower but mostly OK. Otherwise, the route is 15 minutes longer than the highway. But here you can enjoy nature; the forest, meadows, water. But you have to be careful because there are a lot of cyclists and pedestrians on the road. The last few kilometers is a gravel road. After about 45 minutes I got all dusty to the place and got a parking lot right along the path that leads to the waterfall.

Here the path is quite steep and you have to bite your knees. Luckily the route is so short that I was able to do it in 10 minutes. At the top, there is a view of the waterfall. The waterfall is beautiful, but there are already a lot of people there. As a special feature, they point out that this is one of the few waterfalls where you can walk behind the waterfall. I saw this at Mishol Waterfall in Mexico and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in Iceland. If you decide to go behind a waterfall, be careful because it is slippery, and be aware that it will also spray you. In addition to the large 52-meter waterfall, there is a 16-meter smaller waterfall a little further on.

Lake Jasna

I moved on towards Lake Jasna. In the meantime, I stop at the gas station (30 €). I parked in a larger parking lot towards Vršič. I pay 2 € for 3 h (first hour free then 1h / €. I went to the lake where I meet friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I stayed in the shade and drunk a beer. The company is growing and more and more children are in the group. The brave ones went for a swim in a cold lake (14 degrees). In the end, I swam because I was hot and sweaty. But the time I was inside can be measured in seconds. In the meantime, the rain sprinklea a little but it passes us by.

Kranjska gora – Lačni Kekec

The idea was to go across Vršič and back home along the Soča. But I choose to stay because I missed hanging out with these people. We moved to Kranjska gora, to the Lačni Kekec inn at the foot of the ski slope. They have a lot of space and as a closed company they put us in the background in the garden where they set our tables and bring us food and drink. The food was an octopus, beef shank, čevapčiči and breaded steaks. We drink white wine and beer. In the end, a birthday cake was served that kids attack with their hands. Slowly, participants said goodbye. The strongest left around midnight. I went to the car to sleep before heading home, but obviously, I haven’t gotten enough sleep.