This gorge is so secret, so stunning and so easy to find if you know where to look, we just had to include it as a Secret Place to Visit on it's own..

We have already mentioned it alongside an epic trek to the Organ waterfall, Kamnik Bistrica Springs and a sensational secretPartisan WW2 Forest Hospital, which can all be combined with this gorge, but this very special place could well be the highlight of your day, so we are gonna go into much more detail how to find it and explore it..

We have been here at least 4 times now and every time it just blows us away, so much so, that we think it should be an unmissabubble green treasure on your Green Slovenia hit list!

the water crashes out of the gorge..

There is lots of good news to tell you about visiting here..

It is really close to Kamnik, which is directly one hour from the Lodge.. You already know now it can be combined with some other amazing secret places really close by, that you probably have not heard of, but it can ALSO be combined with a visit to Velika Planina, which should be on your "Green Slovenia to do list" anyways..

The only thing you absolutely MUST do is at least hike down to see this gorge with your own eyes, it can be done in less than an hour, but of course you could spend so much longer in Green Paradise exploring the river further or just chilling out down here on the by the river bed..

OK, this is Slovenia, so now for the tricky things..

We like things monkey simple, so we call this place the Kamnik Gorge (Soteska).. Soteska is another Slovenian word for "gorge", you might have seen the other word "Korita" more on your travels.. but the actual Slovenian name for this secret place is.. wait for it.. Soteska Predaselj.. 

the small car park..

The other thing to note is you MUST be reasonably fit or determined and capable to go at a steady slow pace as it is a really short distance from car park to gorge, (almost straight down), but there are a lot of steep, slippery when wet forest steps.

The river that has cut this sensational gorge flows down into Kamnik old town and is called the Kamnik Bistrica.. just in case you were looking for it on a map. 

How to Find it..

So the stunning crystal clear Kamnik Bistrica river bursts out of the green rocks and creates an amazing natural swimming pool with tiny island a little more than 10 minutes from the main car park for the Velika Planina Cable Car parking.

the main gorge, rock carved by water..

The river flows on to Kamnik and you will actually drive up close to the river from Kamnik, one of Slovenia's most picturesque medieval towns to the Velika Planina car park takes around 15 mins.

Once you have reached the cable car paking, just continue up this road and in less than 10 minutes you will reach the end of the road and a bigger car park at Kamnik Bistica springs (Izvir in SLOcal lingo), BUT you will be parking just before here on the left in a little forest car park signposted with the scary name.. Soteska Predoselj.

The car park is small, but there is usually a space and you can see a replica of the "Prince's table", once used to serve an Austrian archduke on a hunting trip. 

You could also park up at the larger Izvir (Bistrica Springs) car park and either walk directly down the road to here OR find the river path and come via the river..

How to Do it..

Your mission is to get down to the river that flows far below the Soteska car park. We already mentioned the river path that comes down from the Izvir Springs and you can join this path by crossing a proper bridge at the end of this car park to get onto the other side of the river, then walk downstream..

But a better idea.. instead take the short cut track directly down from the middle of the car park to a little wonky looking wooden bridge that actually sits on top of the gorge!

this is the wooden bridge to cross and your first glimpse of the gorge far below..

This is where you get your first peak of the stunningly turquoise blue river and the tight slippery smooth rock walls that have been cut away like a precision laser by the water to create this fantastic mini canyon.

Go over the wooden bridge and the forest steps start down to Green paradise.. they are narrow and steep, but it doesn't take long and the anticipation grows as you near the bottom and realise that this deep rocky forest space that feels like the bottom of a giant cavern is hiding something very special indeed..

There are rocks scattered along a little beach and a small section of icy crystal clear water gushing past your feet, racing out from these sheer wiggly cliffs to your left and disappearing through more tightly enclosed cliffs to your right.

view down from the steps high up on the way to the gorge exit..

This is an absolutely stellar place for a picnic..

You will be fixated by the sound of the crashing water as it slides over the rocks like a silk parachute..

The rock walls look like statuesque fibreglass imitations you may have seen at a cheesy theme park, but these are much, much bigger and have been crafted by nature.. they are so perfect they look unreal..

But there is more.. your quest to follow the water flow through the gorge is made possible by some more steep forest steps up and down to where the water finally leaves this narrow gorge and continues it's journey towards Kamnik.

There will be more gasps of joy when you see even larger rocks, placed by Angels  guarding this gorgeous exit. The river gets wider and there are opportunities to clamber over some rocks to get a better view.

as if someone heavenly placed these rocks here deliberately..

The path continues downriver if you have more time, or maybe you will decide now to do a loop upriver to reach the Kamnik Bistrica Spring, where there is a forest restaurant.. You could see the amazing springs (we got deja vu for stuff we saw in Cambodia at these springs).. and then it takes maybe 10 mins to walk back down the road to your car.

Green Slovenia has lots of absolutely Stunning Gorges, but if you compare the solitude & ease of access for this Kamnik Gorge with the one gorge you will likely have heard about.. Vintgar Gorge, near Bled, with either a hike up the main road from the lake or trying to get into a cramped car park and then following a line full of people one way along the gorge.. there is no comparison!

Of course you should go to see both gorges and all the other Gorgeous Gorges in Green Slovenia too if you can, but do not miss this special Green experience at Kamnik Soteska..

maybe have a paddle on a hot summer's day..

IT IS POSSIBLE to go on the cable car up Velika Planina for a visit, followed by a hike to the Organ waterfall, including a forest visit to the Secret forest hospital, a look at the Kamnik Bistrica spring AND this mini hike down to the Kamnik Gorge in a ONE DAY trip from the Lodge.. we know cos we have done it and loved it.. we even had time to have a fantastic Italian meal in Kamnik old town before going home!!

From experience, the trickiest bit of the day will be trying to pronounce the Soteska Predaselj.. then finding it.. and therefore the easiest to miss off.. but we sincerely hope this article will help you find this amazing gorge AND go see it.. Only then will you truly know what we are talking about!