Vršič Pass and the Soča Valley by Motorcycle: A Julian Alps Loop from Kranjska Gora

The Vršič pass is the road that puts Slovenia on a rider's map. It crosses the Julian Alps between Kranjska Gora in the north and the Soča valley in the south, climbing to 1,611 metres in a series of numbered hairpins, around fifty of them, with the limestone walls of the Triglav national park on every side. The southern descent drops into the Soča valley, where an emerald river runs between steep green mountains. Ride over Vršič, down the Soča to Bovec, and back over the Predil pass through a corner of Italy, and you have one of the best short loops in the Alps.

Planning a Julian Alps trip

Kranjska Gora, a ski resort close to both the Austrian and Italian borders, is the obvious base: Vršič starts at the edge of town. Bovec, on the southern side, is a good second base for exploring the Soča valley and Kobarid. Two or three nights in the area lets you ride the loop, explore the valley and add Lake Bled and Bohinj on a rest day.

Riders from the north arrive over the Wurzen pass from Villach in Austria, a steep, short climb that drops straight into Kranjska Gora, or through the Karawanks tunnel on the motorway. Slovenia's motorways and expressways need an electronic vignette, with a motorcycle category; buy it from the official DARS e-vignette site before you use them. The minor roads in this guide, including Vršič and Predil, do not need it.

The loop (about 110km)

Kranjska Gora over Vršič to Trenta (about 25km). Leave Kranjska Gora south past Lake Jasna and start climbing. The hairpins are numbered on signs and also show the altitude, so you always know how far you have to go. Several of the hairpins on the northern side are still cobbled, laid when the road was built during the First World War by Russian prisoners of war. The cobbles are rough and slippery when wet: hold a steady line and stay off the front brake on them. Around the middle of the climb, a short walk from the road, stands the Russian Chapel, a small wooden Orthodox church built in memory of the prisoners who died in an avalanche during the work.

At the top, at 1,611 metres, there are mountain huts, a car park and views of Prisojnik and the surrounding peaks. The southern side drops in long bends and hairpins into the Trenta valley, with the source of the Soča a short walk from one of the bends.

The Soča valley to Bovec (about 25km). From Trenta, follow the Soča downstream. The river is a startling blue-green, and the road crosses it several times, with pull-ins where you can walk down to the water or to the narrow gorges of the Velika korita. The road is quiet and flowing, the kind you settle into after the hairpins. Bovec is a small outdoor sports town at a widening of the valley, with plenty of cafés and fuel.

Bovec to Predil and into Italy (about 25km). From Bovec, climb north past the Kluže fortress, which guards a narrow gorge, and on up to the Predil pass at 1,156 metres on the border with Italy. On the Italian side the road drops past the Lago del Predil, a mountain lake below the peaks, toward Tarvisio.

Back to Kranjska Gora via the Fusine lakes (about 35km). From near Tarvisio, ride east toward the border and the Fusine lakes, two small lakes beneath the Mangart wall, then cross back into Slovenia at Rateče and ride the few kilometres to Kranjska Gora.

Extensions

• Kobarid and Tolmin. South of Bovec, the Soča valley continues to Kobarid, whose museum tells the story of the Isonzo front of the First World War, and on to Tolmin and its gorges. The valley road is gentle and very scenic.
• The Mangart road. Between Predil and Bovec, a narrow toll road climbs toward the Mangart saddle, the highest road in Slovenia, through tunnels and along exposed ledges. Rockfalls have closed its upper section in recent seasons, with only the lower part open, so check the Soča valley tourist office before you ride up. There is a fee per vehicle, motorcycles included.
• Bled and Bohinj. East of Kranjska Gora, Lake Bled with its island church and the quieter Lake Bohinj make an easy half-day ride.

The roads

Vršič is narrow, steep and busy in summer, with cars, camper vans, cyclists and walkers all sharing it. The hairpins are tight, and on the cobbled ones the surface is uneven. Coming down the southern side, take care with your brakes on the long descent. Expect to meet camper vans on the hairpins. The Soča valley road is easier, though popular with rafters' minibuses. Predil is a broad, well-surfaced road on both sides.

Slovenia requires dipped headlights at all times. Speed limits are generally 50km/h in towns and 90km/h on open roads, with lower limits on the passes. Check current rules with the Slovenian road agency and the official traffic information site, promet.si.

When to go

Vršič closes in winter for snow and avalanche risk and usually opens in spring once the road is cleared; it is reliably open from early summer to autumn. June and September are the best months: open roads, fewer cars and good weather. July and August are busy, especially at weekends. Check promet.si for closures before you set off, as snow and rockfalls can close the pass outside the main season.

A suggested day

Ride Vršič early, ideally before nine in the morning, when the hairpins are quiet and the light is good on the north faces. Stop at the Russian Chapel and the summit, then take your time down the Soča valley with stops at the gorges. Lunch in Bovec, ride over Predil in the afternoon and finish with a swim or a walk at the Fusine lakes before the short ride back to Kranjska Gora.

Where to stay

Kranjska Gora suits riders arriving from Austria and anyone wanting the pass on the doorstep; Bovec suits the Soča valley and Kobarid. See our Julian Alps biker hotels. From the Julian Alps, the Austrian passes are an hour north (see the Nockalmstrasse guide), and the Dolomites are a good day's ride west (see the Sella Ronda guide).