Bohinj-Pokljuska Soteska

Pokljuška Soteska
The Pokljuška Soteska, May 2006
Pokljuška Soteska
The gallery with the crack at the end, May 2018
Pokljuška Luknja, the cave from the lower end, May 2010
Mikado, close to the natural bridge over the crack, May 2007

Pokljuška Soteska - Details

Description
Though there is no water involved in this walk, you will be surprised by the wonderful different natural sights along the way. A narrow part of the gorge with 20 meter high vertical walls, lovely little gardens surrounded by high rock walls, a gallery where you walk along and a large cave that you pass through.

How to get there
In Bled take the road to Spodnje Gorje. At the T-junction in Spodnje Gorje turn left to Zgornje Gorje and the Pokljuka plateau. After 2 kilometers (having driven through Zgornje Gorje) turn right down to the village Krnica.
At the end of this exit, before the road turns to the right, go straight ahead on a small road. There are signs there to Pokljuška Soteska. Follow that road through the hamlet till it ends after 1,5 kilometers. It goes along houses, through meadows, the last part is a trail with trees at the left side, it ends at the parking.

During the walk
This is a brief description in case you can’t use the GPS track. Walk into the gorge and stay on the path in the gorge. Pass the gardens. Don’t go up to the cave Pokljuška Luknja, you will go through the cave on your way back. If you arrive in the garden with the gallery along the rock wall, turn left uphill to the gallery. When you go through the crack at the end of the gallery and stairs inside the crack, realize that later on you will cross that natural bridge over your head on the way back.
After the gallery, after about 450 meters, there is a path to the left uphill with a sign to Zatrnik. Take that path. Do not follow the second sign a little uphill to Zatrnik to the right, but continue on the path more to the left, it will continue along the right rim of the gorge in the direction you came from. Follow the red-white dots through the beech forest.
Later on the path descends to the left to the gorge and you will cross the gorge at the point where the gallery entered the crack with natural bridge. If you can use GPS data, there is a waypoint of the gallery in the waypoints file for orientation. Now you continue along the left side of the gorge but further away from it. After a while you will descend to the gorge again and reach the upper hole of the cave Pokljuška Luknja. Go down through the cave, until you reach the gorge again, where you turn left to go back to the entrance of the gorge.

Winter 2006/2007
In the beginning of 2007 severe weather conditions (glazed frost, snow and storm) caused a lot of fallen trees in the gorge. Although the gorge was officially closed, we managed to walk the whole path climbing through clusters of fallen trees laying there as a mikado jumble. The gallery was still intact.
In 2008 the cleanup was started and the gallery destroyed. In 2009 the gorge was officially open again with the gallery and paths restorated, thanks to several organizations working together.

Trip information
Duration: 1,5 hours
Length: 3,5 kilometers
Height difference: 260 meters

Parking coordinates: 46.378951,14.041900
Send coordinates to maps app

Downloads
Waypoints of the parking and the gallery (Google KML): Download
Waypoints of the parking and the gallery (GPX): Download
Track of the walk (Google KML): Download
Track of the walk (GPX): Download

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