Vintgar Gorge

Our second day in Slovenia was mostly spent at Vintgar Gorge. It is approximately 4 kilometers away from Bled and can be easily accessed by bus or taxi. My friends and I opted to take a taxi for about €3,50 each one way. It is of course the fastest and most convenient way to get there. If I was with my husband, we would have walked there and back since we are used to walking this much. Walking is also a nice option as you get to admire the countryside, with lots of meadows that deserve more than a quick glance from the taxi window.

The word to best describe Vintgar Gorge? Gorgeous!

The first part of the gorge reminded me and Floe of Kawasan in Cebu. The sound of the gushing water and the sight of clear pools took us back to this place in the Philippines, but that’s where the similarities ended. Vintgar gorge is in a category of its own. It is 1.6 km long and it carves its way through rocks with trails that lead you to wooden bridges. I felt so small standing in the middle of a wooden bridge sandwiched between two massive vertical rocks.

Entrance is for €4. There are two small refreshment shops, one at the entrance and the other towards the end. I’ve seen one small corner in the middle of the 1.6 km stretch with a table for your packed snack, though you can sit on any rock you fancy to eat. There seemed to be no garbage bins in between the two refreshments shops so you are expected to carry your trash with you. WC (water closets aka toilets) are also by these shops.

When friends and family asked me how Slovenia was when we returned to Prague, my first answer was always “It was so clean!” It’s generally clean in most parts of Europe but I found Slovenia extra clean and the air extra fresh. When we were walking here at the gorge, we saw a couple of park workers patrolling around, picking microscopic garbage thrown by useless tourists. The Slovenians have my extra respect for taking good care of their piece of nature. Too bad a huge accumulated piece is left at the mercy of screwed up individuals.

It’s not just the cleanliness that makes me admire Slovenia, it’s also the people. Everyone seemed to be very friendly and helpful. The taxi driver who took and picked us up from the gorge self-appointed himself as our tourist guide, telling us what to do, where to eat, where to get the best in this part of Slovenia and how. I can tell there was no hidden agenda there, no product placements in his talk, just pure wish for us to maximize and enjoy our stay. Nowhere in Europe I felt so much warmth from the locals. Or maybe they were just extra nice to us because they found us interesting? I mean, they don’t get to see four Asian ladies travelling together in this part of the continent everyday. 🙂