Vršič Pass
Route 206 · Kranjska Gora → Bovec · Slovenia
- Length
- 25 miles
- Drive time
- 1 h 15 min
- Type
- Technical road
- Region
- Europe
Before you go: ⚠ Closed in winter; 24 of the 50 hairpins are cobbled
Fifty numbered hairpins over the Julian Alps — half of them cobbled — built by WWI prisoners, then down the emerald Soča valley to Bovec. Slovenia's one unmissable drive.
Kranjska Gora to Bovec on route 206: fifty numbered hairpins over the Julian Alps, twenty-four of them cobbled, then the Soča valley. Built by First World War prisoners. The cobbles are slippery when wet and slow when dry; they are not a surface defect, they are the road. Ruska kapelica is the Russian chapel stop; Erjavčeva koča is food; the summit (Prelaz Vršič) is the photograph; Trenta is the drop into the emerald river. Fuel at Petrol Kranjska Gora. Closed in winter.
Cyclists and coaches in summer. Early. The cobbles want a smooth foot, not a demonstration of grip. Pair with Predil and Mangart if you have the Julian Alps trip, or continue to the coast if you are heading south.
Slovenia's unmissable drive is still a mountain road with a winter gate. Check the opening, and do not treat the numbered hairpins as a score. Kranjska Gora is the resort start with pumps and beds; Bovec is the adventure-town finish on the Soča. The cobbles are concentrated, not the whole pass — you will feel the change. In rain they are a different surface. The Russian chapel is a pull-in with history (prisoners of war); it is not a café. If the pass is closed, Predil is sometimes the way round, sometimes also shut. Check both. Fifty numbered hairpins sounds like Stelvio; it is slower, tighter, and shared with cyclists who have earned the cobbles. Start early from Kranjska Gora and take the Soča as the reward, not a sprint.
Highlights of the Vršič Pass
- 50 numbered serpentine
- Cobbled corners
- Emerald Soča valley
Where to stop on the Vršič Pass
- Petrol Kranjska Gora fuel — Last fuel before the 50 hairpins — nothing over Vršič until Bovec.
- Ruska kapelica viewpoint — Wooden Orthodox chapel on the Russian Road, built by First World War prisoners.
- Erjavčeva koča food — Year-round hut below the summit; the pass road itself typically closes in winter snow.
- Prelaz Vršič viewpoint — Highest Slovenian road pass at 1,611 m — cobbles start on the Trenta side of the crest.
- Trenta viewpoint — Emerald Soča valley floor after the cobbled descent — use the signed pull-offs.
Drive the Vršič Pass
Open Vršič Pass on the map → ⬇ Download GPX
GPX works with Garmin, TomTom, Beeline and most bike sat-navs. Free, no sign-up — these are indicative waypoints, so follow the road signs, not the arrow.
Plot it, add it to a club run with a meeting point and pit stops, then share the whole trip as one link. Free, no account, works offline.
Route research: Club road index
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