Bled Gorge

The Radovna River flowing through the Vintgar Gorge

The Bled Gorge (Slovene: Blejski Vintgar) or Vintgar Gorge (Soteska Vintgar) is a 1.6-kilometer (0.99 mi) gorge located in Slovenia in the Municipality of Gorje near the settlement of Zgornje Gorje, four kilometers northwest of Bled. Carved by the Radovna River, the sheer canyon walls are 50 to 100 meters (160 to 330 ft) high, with a total slope measuring about 250 m (820 ft). The stream has created many erosive features such as pools and rapids, and terminates in the picturesque 13 m (43 ft) Šum Falls (literally, 'noisy falls').

History

Discovered in 1891 by Jakob Žumer and Benedikt Lergetporer, the gorge was soon after equipped with wooden observation walkways and bridges, and was opened to the public on August 26, 1893. The walkways have been renovated several times since; a hydroelectric dam has also been built below the gorge and a railway bridge for the line between Jesenice and Most na Soči across it, but natural beauty of the Bled Gorge remains and continues to draw visitors.

Rapids in the upper Bled Gorge

As the first mountain gorge in the area to be made accessible to tourists, the word vintgar has been generalized in Slovene to refer to other scenic, protected gorges. Etymologically, the word is derived from German Windegg(er) 'place exposed to the wind' via the hamlet of Vintgar at the head of the gorge in the village of Podhom.^[1]

Geology

Before the last ice age, the Radovna River flowed eastward. After being dammed by the ice and detritus of the Bohinj Glacier, the resulting lake cut a new path northeast through a soft layer of triassic limestone between the peaks Boršt (931 m or 3,054 ft) and Hom (844 m or 2,769 ft), towards the Upper Sava Valley.

Sources

• Official Gazette of Upper Carniola, #6, 1989
• Official Gazette of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, #17, 1981
• Inventory of Important Natural Heritage of Slovenia, 1991
• The Wild Romance of Vintgar Canyon, Marjan Zupan, Bled 2006

References

External links

• Media related to Bled Gorge at Wikimedia Commons
• Bled Gorge at the Bled municipal website

v t e Municipality of Bled Settlements Administrative centre: Bled Current Bodešče Bohinjska Bela Koritno Kupljenik Obrne Ribno Selo pri Bledu Slamniki Zasip Former Bled–Grad Bled–Mlino Bled–Rečica Bled–Zagorica Bled–Želeče Sebenje Soteska Landmarks Babji Zob Cave Bled Castle Bled Gorge Bled Parish Church Grimšice Manor Lake Bled Pokljuka Plateau Sava Bohinjka

v t e Municipality of Gorje Settlements Administrative centre: Zgornje Gorje Current Grabče Krnica Mevkuž Perniki Podhom Poljšica pri Gorjah Radovna Spodnje Gorje Spodnje Laze Višelnica Zgornje Laze Former Pokljuka Spodnji Graben Vintgar Zatrnik Zgornji Graben Landmarks Bled Gorge Mežakla Plateau Pocar Farm Pokljuka Gorge Pokljuka Plateau

v t e Hydrography of Slovenia Rivers Bača Big Krka Bolska Čabranka Dragonja Drava Dravinja Dreta Fram Creek Gradaščica Hudinja Idrijca Iška Ledava Ložnica Kamnik Bistrica Kokra Krka Kolpa Krupa Lahinja Ljubljanica Meža Mirna Mislinja Mura Nadiža Nevljica Oplotniščica Paka Pesnica Pivka Polskava Pšata Radulja Reka Rinža Sava Sava Bohinjka Sava Dolinka Savinja Ščavnica Soča Sora Sotla Temenica Tržič Bistrica Vipava Voglajna Streams Big Božna Davščica Glinščica Kobilje Creek Nadiža Rak Waterfalls Javornik Falls Rinka Falls Lakes Black Lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley Lake Bled Lake Bohinj Lake Cerknica Lake Gradišče Lake Kreda Lake Palčje Lake Ptuj Lake Trboje Lake Žovnek Wild Lake Wetlands Ljubljana Marshes Sečovlje Saltworks Škocjan Caves Sea Adriatic Sea River valleys Logar Valley Radovna Valley Rakov Škocjan Trenta Valley Triglav Lakes Valley Tuhinj Valley Upper Sava Valley Vipava Valley Canyons and gorges Bled Gorge Hell Gorge Iška Gorge

Coordinates: 46°23′24″N 14°04′59″E / 46.390°N 14.083°E / 46.390; 14.083