Today I bring you yet another gorge walk, this time close to Lake Bohinj. If you notice a theme to these last three posts, then that’s because there are so many delightful gorges in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, all with their own unique character and beauty. I think each one is worth a visit, and I hope you do too!
The Walk
From the village of Stara Fužina, 2km from Lake Bohinj, you can simply make a circuit of the gorge (signposted ‘Korita Mostnice’ from the centre of the village), which is an easy walk and around a 5km round trip. Alternatively, for more of a challenge, you can continue past the head of the gorge to the high mountain valley of Voje, and visit the Mostnica waterfall. This is a 10km round trip which takes about 5 hours, but it’s family-friendly and there are two mountain huts where you can stop for rest and refreshment along the way. Most of the walking is easy, with a couple of steep sections, and I highly recommend doing the full walk in order to appreciate some truly magnificent mountain scenery.
The Gorge
The Mostnica Gorge, or Korita Mostnice, could be seen as a combination of the best parts of both the Vintgar and Pokljuka gorges: it has the crystal clear blue waters of Vintgar confined within a steep-sided and mountainous gorge similar to Pokljuka.
The drama begins at the Hudičev Most, or Devil’s Bridge, the first of three bridges crossing the gorge. The drop down to the water is dizzyingly steep at this point, hence the name. Continue along the west side and see the gorge meandering through interesting rock formations, before crossing the next high bridge to follow the east bank. You will eventually reach the most interesting rock feature of all: the Slonček, or Elephant Rock, which appears to be dipping its trunk into the waters of the gorge (see Featured Image above).
Above this rock, cross the last bridge to either return via the west bank of the gorge, or continue to the Koča na Vojah mountain hut. The climbing in this section is much steeper, with some plunging drops on one side, so do take care with children. The hut serves fresh local food and drinks, and the kids can play on the small playground with nestled in a picturesque alpine meadow. The backdrop of high alps to the north is truly stunning.
The continuation to the waterfall passes through an open alpine meadow dotted here and there with mountain huts, the alps towering high above. This section is a little steep in some parts, and the field can be tough to cross in the heat of midday in high summer, so bring a hat and sun cream if you are visiting in June, July or August.
The Waterfall
The view of the spectacular Slap Mostnice (Mostnica waterfall) more than rewards the effort of extending the walk. Stop to snap a selfie, then take a break at the Okrepčevalnica Slap, famed for its strudels, which are great washed down with a cup of Planinski Caj (Alpine herbal tea).
From here you can retrace your steps to the head of the gorge or climb up and cross above the waterfall to return by the other side. Again you can make a full circuit by taking the right hand side of the gorge upon your descent.
After all that walking, now is the perfect time to dip your feet into the cool waters of Lake Bohinj where you may even be treated to a natural fish spa by the small fish which like to nibble tired walkers’ feet. There are also plenty of great gostilnas (pub-restaurants) in the area serving great-quality local cuisine. The perfect end to a memorable day!
Follow me on Instagram @Experimentsinfiction for more photos of Korita Mostnice and the Bohinj area. I hope you enjoyed this post!