On our second day we made our way towards Slap Virje Waterfall, pausing along the way in a wildflower field that was just too pretty not to stop at. Slap Virje is near Bovec, so it was about a 50 minute drive from where we were staying near Tolmin. You park quite close to the waterfall and walk about 15 minutes down a steep hill before you get there. The wildflower meadow distraction meant that we didn’t arrive at the waterfall until about 9:45, and there were already about ten people admiring the waterfall. But it didn’t really matter, the waterfall is stunning.
Virje is a gentle fall, it’s not very fast or tall. The water tumbles over ledges and drips down mossy growths, in front of flowers growing in nooks. It falls down into a bright green pool, so clear that it looks much shallower than it is. Nobody was swimming, and when we put our hands in the water we could see why – it was painfully cold. But the sun was shining and we had brought our gear, so we started to get changed as we sat on the rocks surrounding the waterfall. As we did, a group of young guys started jumping from an elevated rock, crashing into the green pool and rising up with hoots to express how cold the water was.
Joyful jumps
Suddenly the vibe changed from people just sitting and looking and taking photos, to people having a joyous experience as they submerged themselves into their surroundings. It was really nice. In between the jumping we coaxed ourselves into the water to knee height, and we swam in together for the briefest swim I think I have ever taken. This was certainly the coldest water I’ve ever swum in, and I had to ‘shake off’ the cold by wiggling my arms and legs around once we’d clambered out of the water. Thankfully, the sun was shining and helped to warm us up.
Fraser became too tempted by the joyous jumping and threw himself off the rock a few times too. I had visions of going into shock so I resisted temptation. You get 2 hours on the parking meter, no more or less, so when this time was almost up and we were sufficiently refreshed, we headed back up the steep hill.
Bovec
From Virje waterfall it was a short drive into Bovec. Bovec is supposed to be the ‘hub’ for outdoor adventure activities in Slovenia. You can paraglide, go canyoneering, white water rafting. But we were here for one thing: Frika. The Soča valley is home to this dish made from potatoes and Tolminc cheese. It’s like very cheesy, lumpy mashed potato, fried into a patty and served over a block of polenta. We got it from a food stall called Bovec Kitchen, and they served it with a chive yoghurt which freshened it up. We shared one for €7 but probably could have eaten more if we thought our hearts could take it. We sat in the square in Bovec and had a hibiscus iced tea and a beer while we ate.
Great Soča Gorge
Next it was time to head north up the Soča river towards the Great Soča Gorge. By the time we arrived, we had missed the best part of the day and rain clouds were rolling in. The weather can be changeable in this mountainous region. We sat in the car while it rained and ate our actual lunch – leftovers from the night before that we’d packed with us. Eventually the rain eased to a drizzle and we decided we needed to make the most of the afternoon.
We started walking amongst the trees that lined the banks of the river, occasionally emerging to look down on the water rushing through. In this area, the river crashes passed stone walls that it has carved into curves, caves and tunnels. The water flows fast through the narrow rocks and only occasionally can you see the bright blue nature of the river. The rest of the time the water is white from the vigorous flow. Further down towards Kamp Soca and Kamp Klin the river widens and depends into pools and you can swim, jumping from the boulders on the sides. But the weather wasn’t on our side for swimming again today.
After walking up and down the river for a few hours, we headed back to Bovec Kitchen’s neighbouring food stall and bought a waffle. It was the best waffle I’ve had since being in Belgium as a teenager. For some reason the ones in England are often dry as they try to make them very thick and American-style. So this was a fresh, warm and chocolate-y delight!
Tomorrow we head to Tolmin gorge, spend more time in Most na Soči, and move on to Lake Bled!
