Hiking the Pokljuka Gorge in Slovenia

Pokljuka Gorge, called Pokljuška soteska in Slovenian, is a beautiful small gorge located very close to Bled.

Even though it is small in total size, this gorge has some pretty unique features: a suspended wooden path and a cave that you can walk through!

Since it is located so close to Bled and Vintgar Gorge, Pokljuka is also a great alternative place to visit during your stay. We visited it again in April this year and decided to put this guide together to help you plan your visit.

Where is Pokljuka Gorge

Pokljuka Gorge is located only 8 km away from Bled and it is very easy to reach with a car or by bike. You can easily find it in Google Maps – here is the location tag for you.

How to get to Pokljuka Gorge

The best way to get to Pokljuka Gorge is by car. It is not possible to come here by public transport, the next best option would be to come by bike or on foot.

To drive to Pokjluka Gorge, you can simply follow the path via Google Maps because it is very well-tagged.

If you will be staying in Bled, it’s very easy to reach Pokljuka Gorge on your own as well. Since it is a natural attraction, it is very well-marked along the way, you can simply follow the signs.

Once you get to the end of the road, you will see a small parking lot. This is where the Pokljuka Gorge hike begins.

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The Pokljuka Gorge hike

Basic information about the hike

Type: Circular path
Difficulty: Easy
Total duration: 1.5 – 2h
Total length: almost 4 km

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The circular path

One of the fun things about the Pokljuka Gorge hike is that it is a circular trail, which means you get to see different things along the way.

I love loop hikes like this because you don’t have that feeling of going through a repetitive path.

After you leave the parking, you will need to follow a small stream for a few meters until you reach a fork in the road. To your right, you will see the large cave called Pokljuka Hole and to your left, you have the path that will lead to the suspended wooden path.

You can pick whichever side you want to start with.

I personally preferred to start with the Pokjluka Hole because it was just so close and it was impossible to resist going through it. But, you can also do it the other way around if you want.

The Pokljuka Hole

The Pokljuka Hole is quite a large cave and one of the main attractions of this hike.

The coolest thing about the Pokljuka Hole is that the hiking path goes through the middle of it. So you literally have to cross the cave to complete the hike.

The path here is fairly steep, so hiking poles can be quite helpful (especially if you visit right after rainfall).

The cave is well-illuminated because there are a few holes in its structure. I am always amazed by these natural formations, so this was one of my favorite spots.

The suspended wooden path in Pokljuka Gorge

The other main attraction of this hike is the suspended wooden path, which you can quickly reach if you turn left at the start of the trail.

This suspended path hangs over 24 meters above the ground and leads you to the narrowest part of the gorge.

In this section, only one person can fit at a time so if it is busy, you need to be respectful and take turns. Since we went there early in the season, it was not busy so we had the gorge to ourselves at this spot. It was amazing!

This part of the hike can be scary if you are afraid of heights. But if you have no issues with it, it is incredibly fun! This was definitely my favorite thing about the Pokljuka hike.

The rest of the hike

The remaining part of the circular hike that goes from the suspended path to the cave is quite plain. You will be walking through the forest and passing a meadow at the top.

It is just a regular but pleasant hiking path. There are no other attractions or spots worth mentioning.

The path is well marked so you can easily continue on the right path to walk the complete loop.

Hiking Gear recommendation

Check out our favorite hiking gear and essentials which we always bring with us.

Our Amazon Hiking list

Questions about the Pokljuka Gorge hike

When we did this hike for the last time, we posted it on Instagram and we received a lot of responses and questions.

We love that you were interested in this spot that is not so well known even among Slovenians, so to help you even more, we put together below the questions people asked us the most.

Can you take dogs?

Yes, the hike is very easy to follow and we saw a couple of dogs along the way. As long as your dog is used to going out in nature, you should be fine.

Should I wear any special gear?

This hike is of easy level so you don’t need any special hiking gear to follow it. That being said, the path can get steep and slippery in some parts. I do recommend wearing hiking boots or any shoe with a good grip to be safe. You can check out our recommendations for gear on Amazon.

Is this hike suitable for kids?

If your kids are used to walking or hiking outdoors, definitely yes. We saw two families along the way and we can’t even describe how excited the kids were when they saw the cave or the suspended path.

But as we always say – you know your kids better than anyone else, so take them only if you know they are comfortable in this type of environment.

What is the best time of the year to visit Pokljuka Gorge?

The best seasons to visit are spring and fall because they are the shoulder seasons. During the summer, the entire region of Bled and Vintgar gets very crowded.

I would avoid doing the Pokljuka Gorge hike in the winter because most of the path is through the forest, which means most of it probably gets frozen.

Read also: Best time to travel to Slovenia