Wheels Around Europe . . . . . . . : Vršič Pass to Soča Valley

After yesterday`s adrenaline fuelled excursion up a mountain, I scratched my head for a way to top it, and I think I just came up trumps.

Camped on the banks of Lake Bohinj was a wonderful experience not to be forgotten. So peaceful and so serene, the morning sun glistened on the lake`s clear waters and the fish swimming so close to the shore.

We set off and our route took us back to Lake Bled and wow, that looked so good in the morning sun too. As we travelled out of Bled there were miles of traffic queuing to go into Bled. It must be a very popular destination on a Saturday. I`m just glad we were there without the crowds.

From there we travelled to Jesenice for an Aldi shop and onward to Kranjska Gora which is Slovenia`s largest and best equipped ski resort. But that was not our destination.

Our destination for today was the Soča Valley and to get there we needed to cross the Vršič Pass over the Julian Alps.

This road has a tragic past. It was constructed by 10,000 Russian Prisoners of War during World War 1 over 600 of whom perished in avalanches in the region during the construction. There is a little Russian Chapel in their memory.

On hearing of this tragedy, Sue`s response was “well they could have made it a bit wider” Ah emm.

The pass is truly butt clenching stuff. It is called the road of a hundred hairpins, but then they only count the tight ones !

The road rises sharply then goes up, up and up. Many first gear corners to get around with a 3.9 ton motorhome.

Just beneath the summit we stopped for some lunch, and some photographs at a layby. It also gave Ed`s engine a well deserved rest.

On one of the peaks there has a window through the rock, have a look at the photos below.

After that it was carry on up to the summit which was a bit tacky, tourist souvenier shop selling tat. I`m glad we stopped where we did.

Then the decent began, down, down and down, just as steeply.

I nearly collected a motorcyclist coming up on the wrong side of the road. I`ll see if I can find the dash cam footage of his near death experience.
(just for clarity, he was on the wrong side of the road, not me)

I`d heard of a Botanical garden called Alpinum Juliana on this road and when it came into view I decided to stop.

This also gave Ed`s brakes this time a chance to cool down.

It was ok, but to be honest there wasn`t a lot in flower in the alpine section so I didn`t stay long.

Then it was on to the Soča Valley. The river emerges from the deep in a cave at Izvir Soce and flows down the valley to Bovec.

It is the most remarkable river I think I have ever seen in my life. It is so clear and so aquamarine it just doesn`t seem real. It is just breathtaking.

In parts it`s quite wide, then it goes into a gorge close to the campsite were staying at where it is only a metre wide. Then it widens out again and all the way maintaining this marvellous clarity.

Needless to say it is very popular with kayakers and other water sports enthusiasts (although I didn`t see any today) and I would love to have got the inflatable out and kayaked down to Bovec. The problem would be how to get back, I wouldn`t fancy having to paddle up-stream. Also I don`t know the layout of the river, for all I know there could be a 40` drop just around the corner. Research could give me the answers I suppose but the prospect of getting back from Bovec with a wet dog and a kayak curtailed those fanciful ideas.

We are camped at Camp Soča (GPS 46.33489 13.64418) and it is a lovely clean and well looked after campsite right on the banks of the Soča River with direct access to the path that runs the length of the river.

Like Bohinj, it is very informal, just park where you like. The difference here is that there is plenty of lush green grass. A lot of sites seem to have trouble keeping the grass due to the heavy use. Not here, it is very green.

Sadly for such a beautiful river valley, it too has a bloody side to it. During WW1, the region was a key battle ground between the Austro/Hungarain and the German army`s who were then fighting the Italians in 1916.

It was called at the time the Isonzo Front. The sketches made by one Lieutenant Erwin Rommell who would later become known as the Desert Fox commanding Germany`s North African Division in WW2, were important to historians in understanding the battle here.

Like Flanders it was a war of attrition, thousands of deaths for the sake of a few yards of territory. Many of the dead were buried where they fell.

Eventually due to the stalemate the fighting shifted to another region in north Italy but the area was left severely scared.

The campsite has a number of shell cases and remains of large guns as a sombre reminder of events over a hundred years ago.

This campsite is so peaceful now the only sound is that of the birds. The air is so clear and fresh just breathing it is a joy. The day has been warm and sunny but at the same time, a coolness to the air, it is a lovely climate here.