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Part of the reason our travels in Croatia and Slovenia seldom felt rushed was that we declined some of the optional daytrips offered. That gave us the freedom to do our own thing occasionally and made us feel more like independent travelers. Usually, on our days away from the group, we enjoyed long walks in lieu of sitting much of the day on a bus with 38 other passengers.
One such hike we took on our own was to Vintgar Gorge about 2.5 miles from Bled. It has been open to the public since 1893, just two years after its discovery. These days it is accessible by means of a continuous chain of wooden gantries and bridges, suspended from the precipitous rock face of the gorge. This impressive canyon is almost a mile long.
By the time of our arrival in Bled, Vintgar was officially closed for the season. Nevertheless, the local tourist office assured us we could traverse it ourselves --- at our own risk, naturally. Strolling along at a comfortable pace, we were gone from our hotel for four hours. While in the gorge itself, we encountered not one single soul; however, a man walking his dog who passed us on the downhill stretch into the gorge had obviously preceded us through the gorge. His dog left telltale paw marks on the trail after enjoying several dips in the river.
On the way to the gorge, we had a long uphill slog to reach the pilgrimage Church of St. Catherine:
After a respite there, we were surprised at how far downhill we now had to walk to reach the canyon floor but, eventually, we arrived and started up river. Almost immediately we passed under this striking arch over head, probably an old railroad trestle:
Into the gorge proper, the photos speak for themselves:
Not far beyond this waterfall, our venture through the gorge ended and we were back on country roads. It was an unusual but satisfying experience. From other photos we’ve seen, though, the gorge is more spectacular in spring and summer when the water level is high and there is more greenery and better lighting.
Walking back to Bled, we passed many rural buildings such as these:
On the wall of an attractive guest house, we paused to admire this painting:
From the caption below it, we deciphered the message, “Many thanks for 75 years of protection.” Later, with the help of our guide, we learned this was a depiction of a saint not well known in the USA, we’d guess, St. Florian. He was a 3rd century Roman officer stationed in what is now Austria and a martyr for his faith under Diocletian. He is said to have stopped a town from burning by throwing a single bucket of water on the blaze and, hence, is associated with fighting fires.