Soca Valley
3
Day Itinerary •
Slovenia
Three days in the Soca Valley gives you the full extraordinary sweep of Slovenia's most dramatic landscape, from the impossibly turquoise river that carved the deepest gorges in the Julian Alps to the extraordinary WWI battlefields of the Isonzo Front, the emerald pools of Triglavska Bistre and the wild Triglav National Park beyond. This route follows the Soca from its source near Vrsic Pass to the Adriatic plain. The finest white-water river in Europe, the extraordinary Kozjak waterfall hidden behind a curtain of rock, the great ossuary at Kobarid, the most beautiful river beaches in the Alps and the finest local Tolmin cheese and trout you will eat anywhere.
Best Time To Visit
May to September
Getting There
Fly into Ljubljana (LJU), drive 2.5 hours to Bovec
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 130 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, walking and driving
DAY 1
VRSIC PASS AND BOVEC
MORNING
VRSIC PASS, THE HIGHEST ROAD IN SLOVENIA
The Vrsic Pass at 1,611 metres is the highest mountain pass in Slovenia and the most extraordinary drive in the Julian Alps. Fifty hairpin bends carved by Russian prisoners of war during WWI wind above the treeline to views over the Triglav massif. The Russian Chapel halfway up, built in memory of the prisoners who died in an avalanche in 1916, is extraordinarily moving. The descent into the Soca Valley reveals the river for the first time, an impossible shade of turquoise. Drive: 45 min drive to Bovec
MIDDAY
THE GREAT SOCA GORGE AND BOVEC
The Great Soca Gorge just outside Bovec is the finest introduction to the river. The turquoise water forces through a narrow limestone canyon carved over millennia, accessible on a short signed trail from the road. Bovec itself is the adventure capital of the Soca Valley, a small town ringed by the Julian Alps with the finest selection of river operators, mountain guides and local restaurants in the valley. Drive: 20 min drive along valley
AFTERNOON
RAFTING OR KAYAKING THE SOCA RIVER
The Soca is the finest white-water river in Europe for beginners and intermediates. Rafting trips depart from Bovec throughout the day in summer, running extraordinary rapids through pine-forested gorges with the Julian Alps above. The water temperature is cold even in August. Several operators offer guided kayaking for those who prefer a slower experience of the extraordinary turquoise water.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Izvir Soce, the source of the Soca river, is a two-hour hike from the Vrsic Pass road into Triglav National Park. The river emerges from a cave in a wall of rock in an extraordinary shade of electric blue that no photograph captures accurately. Free to enter the national park on foot.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Bovec Coffee and pastry before the Vrsic drive. The town square is the finest spot. | Lunch: Okrepcevalnica pri Socarici Grilled trout pulled from the Soca that morning. On the river road outside Bovec. | Dinner: Letni Vrt, Bovec Local venison, mushroom risotto and the finest Primorska white wine.
DAY 2
KOBARID AND KOZJAK
MORNING
KOZJAK WATERFALL, THE HIDDEN WONDER OF THE SOCA
The Kozjak waterfall near Kobarid is the most extraordinary waterfall in Slovenia. A signed trail follows the Kozjak stream through a narrow limestone canyon for 20 minutes before the path passes behind a curtain of rock into an extraordinary amphitheatre where the waterfall drops into a vivid green pool. The light inside the cave is extraordinary. Go early to have the pool entirely to yourself. Entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 15 min drive to Kobarid
MIDDAY
KOBARID AND THE WWI OSSUARY
Kobarid was the site of one of the most decisive battles of WWI, the Battle of Caporetto in 1917, where Austro-German forces broke through the Italian lines. The extraordinary Italian Ossuary on the hill above the town contains the remains of 7,000 Italian soldiers. The Kobarid Museum below is considered the finest WWI museum in Europe and won the Council of Europe Museum Prize. Entry approx 7 euros. Drive: 20 min walk along river
AFTERNOON
NAPOLEONIC BRIDGE AND SOCA RIVER BEACHES
The Napoleonic Bridge outside Kobarid is a reconstructed stone bridge over the Soca at one of its finest points, where the river widens into extraordinary emerald pools perfect for swimming. The surrounding meadows are the finest river picnic spots in the valley. The walk along the Soca from Kobarid to the bridge and back takes 90 minutes and passes through the most beautiful section of the valley.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Drežnica viewpoint above Kobarid gives the finest aerial view of the Soca Valley from anywhere along its length. A 40-minute drive up a narrow road above the town reaches an extraordinary panorama over the river bends below and the Triglav massif beyond. Free, accessible by car to the top.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Kobarid bakery Fresh bread and coffee before the Kozjak trail. The town square opens early. | Lunch: Hisa Franko, Kobarid One Michelin star. Book weeks ahead. The finest lunch in Slovenia. | Dinner: Kotlar, Kobarid Traditional Slovenian dishes, local trout and exceptional Rebula wine.
DAY 3
TOLMIN GORGES AND DEPARTURE
MORNING
TOLMIN GORGES, THE DEEPEST CANYON IN SLOVENIA
The Tolmin Gorges at the southern end of the Soca Valley are the deepest river gorges in Slovenia, where the Tolminka and Zadlascica rivers cut through extraordinary vertical limestone walls. A signed trail descends into the canyon past the extraordinary Bear's Head rock formation and the Dante's Cave thermal spring. The confluence of the two rivers at the bottom is extraordinary. Entry approx 7 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Tolmin
MIDDAY
TOLMIN AND THE CHEESE TRAIL
Tolmin is the largest town in the upper Soca Valley and the home of Tolminc, one of the finest hard cheeses in the Alps, produced from the milk of cows that graze the extraordinary high pastures of the Julian Alps above. Several farms and shops around the town sell the aged version directly. The town church and the medieval castle ruins on the hill above give extraordinary views over the valley. Drive: 30 min drive south
AFTERNOON
MOST NA SOCI AND LAKE RESERVOIR
Most na Soci at the southern end of the valley is where the Soca meets the Idrijca river and the extraordinary turquoise water of the upper valley finally widens into a reservoir. The medieval church of St Lucia above the town contains extraordinary Romanesque frescoes. The drive south from here to the coast or back to Ljubljana passes through the extraordinary Vipava Valley wine country.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Boka Waterfall above Bovec is the highest waterfall in Slovenia at 106 metres, visible from the main valley road as a white thread dropping from the limestone cliff. A 40-minute hike from the road reaches the base of the falls where the spray and sound are extraordinary. Free to access.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gostilna v Tolminu Local breakfast in Tolmin before the gorges open. Excellent coffee and local pastries. | Lunch: Pri Mostu, Most na Soci Freshwater fish and local Tolmin cheese on the river terrace. | Dinner: Gostilna Pesjakova Traditional farmhouse cooking, local lamb and the finest Primorska red.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Bovec, Nights 1 to 2 Hotel Mangart or Dobra Vila. Approx 80 to 150 euros per night. Kobarid, optional Night 2 Hisa Franko area or Kobarid guesthouses. Approx 70 to 120 euros. Tolmin area, Night 3 Guesthouses and agritourism farmstays. Approx 60 to 100 euros.
Top Tips
1. Arrive at the Kozjak waterfall before 9am. The hidden canyon behind the falls is extraordinary with nobody else there.
2. The Soca is cold even in summer. A wetsuit is essential for rafting and strongly recommended for swimming.
3. Hisa Franko restaurant in Kobarid holds a Michelin star. Book weeks ahead for dinner, it is one of the finest in Slovenia.
4. Vrsic Pass has 50 hairpin bends. Drive it slowly and stop at the Russian Chapel, built by WWI prisoners, halfway up.
5. Buy Tolmin cheese directly from farms around Tolmin. The aged version is the finest sheep cheese in the Alps.
6. The Great Soca Gorge near Bovec is accessible on foot in 20 minutes. Go at dawn when the light turns the river extraordinary.
Total Budget
80 to 130 euros/day