Soča Valley | The green pearl of Slovenia

For many it is still an undiscovered gem, but those who have already been here know that I am right. The Soča Valley in northern Slovenia is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. This valley deserves a high place on your bucket list! Nature lovers, but also outdoor enthusiasts can indulge themselves here. The valley offers many opportunities to enjoy this.

Slovenia in winter 

Most will Slovenia (Location here) think in the summer, but we ended up here at the beginning of January. So in the middle of winter. There are a few disadvantages to this. Many activity providers are closed in winter or it is not possible due to the white water and cold temperatures. There are also only a few campsites open, so you have little choice.

The advantages, however, are that it is nice and quiet. We saw few or no other tourists, had almost all the places to ourselves and did not have to pay any entrance fees. Accommodation is also a lot cheaper in winter. We are happy that we were here in January, because we like to avoid mass tourism. We have become very curious about what it is like here in the summer. Now we have a good reason to go back again someday!

The best travel time 

The best time to travel depends on what your plans are for this beautiful country. Are you looking for peace and quiet and do you want to do a lot of walking and hiking? Then winter is very suitable to visit Slovenia. You are almost guaranteed to hardly encounter any other tourists and your holiday will be a lot cheaper.

Do you want to undertake many activities and fully enjoy what Slovenia has to offer? Then May to September is the best period to go here. The best time for rafting is the month of May, because of all the meltwater that flows down from the mountains. The river is then a lot wilder and there is more current, so you have a better chance of having the best experience! 

Although the clear blue river looks very inviting, the water from the mountains is ice cold. Even in summer.

outdoor activities

The mountains and the river are perfect for various outdoor activities. Think of rafting, canyoning, SUPing, kayaking, hiking and ziplining. These activities can be booked from March to October and are often very suitable for children. The village Bovec (Location here) is the place to be for the above activities. There are several companies located here that offer tours or where you can rent equipment such as a kayak.

Kobarid 

The cute village Kobarid (Location here) was the perfect base for us to explore the area. From here we made several trips and were able to reach several sights on foot.

Camp Koren

We stayed for a week and a half Camp Koren (click here), right on the clear blue river. We were the only ones camping here. During the weekends the chalets were available for rent (click here) is occupied. The location of the campsite was ideal for us. We had a view of the beautiful river and were a short distance from the places we wanted to visit.

You can reach the village on foot from the campsite Kobarid in and the supermarket is also within walking distance. There is a sauna, as well as a salt cabin and a fitness room. There is a climbing wall that you can use and you can rent kayaks here. In winter we paid €31,20 per night for a place including electricity. 

Unfortunately, the sanitary facilities left something to be desired. According to the cleaning list, the last time they had been was mid-December and this was reflected in the showers. But this will most likely be better maintained in high season when there are more visitors. 

Remnants of the First World War

We quickly learned that the area around Kobarid suffered a lot during the First World War. To learn more about this you can Kobarid Museum (click here) visits. You can also choose to use the Kobarid Historical Trail to walk. This tour is approximately 5 kilometers long and takes 3 to 5 hours. You will visit various locations that played a role in the war. You can also walk a shortened version. 

Napoleon bridge

The. is located between the center of Kobarid and Kamp Koren Napoleon bridge (Location here). This stone bridge was built over the Soča river and owes its name to the French troops who moved over the bridge during the time of Napoleon. The bridge played an important role in many battles and has been damaged and repaired several times. From the bridge you have a beautiful view of the river with high mountains in the background. 

Kozjak waterfall

It is about a 30-minute walk from the campsite Slap Kozjak, or the Kozjak waterfall (location here). It is an easy hike and quite flat. The entire walk you walk along the flowing stream that originates from the waterfall. We felt like we got there very quickly. We really enjoyed the last part of the walk. There were narrow paths, small stairs and bridges that you had to walk over. 

At a certain point you hear the violence of the waterfall, but only at the very last moment do you see it. You can admire the 15-meter-high waterfall from a distance from a kind of wooden deck with railing. Beautiful to see how the white colored waterfall ends up in a pool with an incredibly beautiful turquoise color.

From April to October you pay an entrance fee of €5 per person. In winter you can visit this place for free. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to swim here due to the preservation of the waterfall.

On the way back we walked a different route, namely along the trenches from the First World War. This was very impressive to see. There was even a wooden bunk bed in one of these places. Be careful, because the stairs along this route are very steep and there are many loose stones. That is why this route is less suitable for children. 

Also read: Bled, Slovenia | A breathtaking destination for drone photographers

Channel 

The village Channel (Location here) is fun to visit if you are in the area. The colored houses in combination with the bridge and the clear river are a sight to see. There is not much to do or see here, so I wouldn't necessarily make a detour here. There is a small beach at the foot of the bridge and I think it would be very nice to go there in the summer. Enjoy the sun, by the river with an occasional refreshing dip. I can totally see myself sitting there!

Soča Trail 

Hike 

The entire trail is 25 kilometers long and runs from Kranjska Gora to Bovec. We walked part of this route. We started at Kal-Koritnica and were planning to Velika korita Soče to walk, or the Great Soča Gorge (Location here). We parked our car in a spacious parking lot near the river (location here). It was an adventurous walking route of about 11 kilometers return along the beautiful clear blue river. Fairly flat with some elevation gain every now and then, but mainly lots of loose stones and fallen trees. 

It was very cold when we walked here, because the sun was behind the mountains all the time and did not shine in the valley. As a result, everything on our route was frozen. Even the suspension bridges were white and very smooth. Luckily we had several layers of clothing on and were well prepared. It wasn't until the last 10 minutes on the way back, around 14:30 PM, that the sun finally showed itself. 

In spring and summer, buses run along this route, so you can choose to walk along the river the way there and take the bus the way back. This way you don't have to walk the same part twice. Unfortunately we did not have this luck.

Memorial site of the First World War

During our hike we ended up at a kind of Church, but we didn't immediately know what it was. There were some kind of monuments outside in all shapes and sizes. Then we saw the sign '1914 – 1918' and we knew that it is some kind of memorial of the First World War.

This small Church had no door and had room for about 10 people inside. You could light a candle if you wanted. Outside the monuments there were various texts in Slovenian. It was a very special stop on our route. 

Practical Information

Residence 

There are many campsites in the Soča valley. If you are really going to this area for outdoor activities, it is best to spend the night in the town Bovec. This is the central point for the activities. Here you have several options. 

BovecEnter (look at here) has nice studios available with a private bathroom and kitchen. Also fun Guest house Vila Korosec (look at here).

If you prefer something quieter and the travel time is less important, then you can, like us, choose to spend the night at Camp Koren (look at here). You can camp here, but also rent cozy chalets. You pay quite a lot for a glamping hut, but then you have a cute house for yourself, including a sauna and an amazing view from your bed. A cheaper option is camping.

How do you get there?

We drove out with our car and caravan Austria, via Italy, to Slovenia to. Our choice was to avoid highways and toll routes. It was a beautiful route. We were taken via the SS54 (location here) sent from Tarvisio direction Cave of the Predil, where we crossed the border a little later.

You can of course also choose to fly and then rent a car. The nearest airport is Aeroporto di Trieste in Italy (location here). The flight takes approximately 3 hours and prices are approximately from €181 for a single journey.

The journey by car from Utrecht to Bovec takes about 13 hours. You drive through Germany, Austria and a small part of Italy. Find out in advance which vignettes and/or environmental stickers you need for your trip!

Vignette

To drive on the highways in Slovenia you must purchase a digital vignette. You can do this via this website and here you can also enter the exact date and time. However, we chose not to do this. The routes we drove were not much faster if we went on the highway so we saved a lot of money. Therefore, consider in advance which route you want to drive and calculate whether you will benefit from purchasing a vignette and driving via the highway.