Tolmin Gorge Slovenia

The wild flowers of Slovenia in early Summer are in full bloom along the incredibly scenic drive to Tolmin Gorge. Here, in the heart the country lies Tolmin, an unassuming small town and our stop for the night.

So far on this journey, we’ve seen some of the most majestic scenery, following the The Soca River and climbing the Vrsic Pass. Both bringing endless ‘Wow’ moments which make this part of Slovenia ever more endearing.

Now we’re close to the Triglav National Park, an outdoor paradise of extreme beauty.

A Campsite Stay

Many of you may know that Slovenia is difficult for wild camping and has few Aires. Tonight, the only option is a campsite stay. Here at Tolmin, we choose Camp Siber due to its location, a few km walk from the entrance to Tolmin Gorge.

At first glance, Camp Siber doesn’t look too impressive, but, it’s more of a ‘lacking in atmosphere’ kind of vibe than anything. After all, this is quiet season.

Before long, we realise, we’re just wasting time even looking for an alternative. Especially seeing parking at the gorge costs €3 an hour, so we’ll save €6 by walking there from Camp Siber. All we have to do now is check in at the small reception and settle down in time for supper.

Tolmin Gorge Walk

We don’t really want to stay 2 nights on the campsite, so we’re up fairly sharpish. Luckily, the campsite owner is happy for us to leave the camper on site whilst we visit the gorge. This makes an ideal way to do the Tolmin Gorge Walk without worrying about parking the campervan.

Soon, we’re following the signs through Tolmin town towards the start of the gorge entrance. It’s an easy walk along pavements, country lanes and dirt tracks, before arriving at the parking area.

Just beyond is a cafe and toilets which are surprisingly closed, but getting ready to open for the day. Then further along is a small kiosk where we buy entrance tickets to the Tolmin Gorge walk.

Yes, that’s right, this isn’t free and costs €8 each on our visit in May.

Pay to Enter -Tolmin Gorge Slovenia

Thankfully, there’s some toilets at the entrance – phew – we’re both glad to see those! After paying our €16, we’re given a map of the walking routes and instructions on following the marked trails, which are a one-way type system. In other words, we won’t be coming out the gorge the way we enter.

We’re not too sure what to expect, but we soon realise it’s not only small, but quite regimented. However, we’re not being too critical, as it is beautiful, but we can’t help think of all the incredible places of similar appearance that we’ve been in the world, which are both free and less tourist-like.

A Natural Wonder

Entering through a barcode ticket gate, we follow the winding path downwards into the natural wonder of Tolmin Gorge.

Here, the milky blue waters of the river flow through a narrow chasm, where bridges cross between the cliffs and leafy fauna provide a shady ambience. There’s actually 2 rivers meeting, The Tolminka and Zadlascica merging in the lowest point of the Triglav National Park at an altitude of 180m. Remarkably, these waters are home to the unusual Marble Trout, but unfortunately they are rather elusive on our visit.

Thermal springs and a Bears Head

Following the first path and and after crossing the river, we find ourselves walking to the dead-end path beside a thermal section of the river. Here we admire the high cliffs, which fall into the narrow water channels where the water reaches temperatures of up to 20C.

A little further along is a rock formation of a Bear’s Head, with viewing platforms to try figure it out. For us, it takes a while! This rock wedge in the narrow canyon doesn’t look much like a Bear to me. Maybe it’s too early in the day for my brain to engage in games! Any excuse as I have high hopes.

Our walk through Tolmin Gorge is one of solitude, there’s barely another sole in sight. Soon, we realise there’s a bit of a workout to be done, with steep steps leading us up through the greenery on marked trails.

Despite the beauty of Tolmin Gorge and its swirling, blue waters, it’s not somewhere that takes hours to explore. In fact, it’s quite small. After an hour taking our time along the route, we surprisingly find ourselves at the exit.

Is that it?

By the time we reach another barcode ticket gate at the top of the Gorge, we’re beginning to think we’ve missed something. We were expecting to be here some time, but it’s only taken us about an hour. Needless to say, we feel as if it’s over too quick.

Then we emerge 60m above the river on The Devils Bridge. Fine views into the gorge make a good ending to this short walking trail.

This is where it gets a bit confusing, because we’re now on a public road. Basically, anyone can walk here from the car park and enjoy views of the river and gorge without paying for the walk. If we’d have known this before, we may have done just that!

So, in other words, the return leg of the walking trail is actually along the road above the river. But, if you want to get to the heart of Tolmin Gorge, along its walkways and chasms, you have no option but to pay.

Our verdict

To be honest the Tolmin Gorge walk left us a little disappointed, but then again, it’s worth doing when you’ve come all this way. Although it’s beautiful and quite dramatic, it’s not an adventure type walk or anything to get the adrenaline buzz.

As for parking, we think staying overnight at Camp Siber and walking to and from the gorge entrance is the best option. That’s because the roads are narrow and parking area relatively small. So, in peak times, it could be a bit awkward.

Finally, at €28 per night in early May, Camp Siber, is not cheap, but it’s a good option for visiting the gorge.

Next time: We reach the short, 47km coast of Slovenia where historic towns and beautiful coastal delights await.

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