This is nothing short of an epic Croatian Istrijan Green Hiking adventure with thrills & spills, waterfalls, rivers, forest tracks, rocks and cute little villages.. 

All of this in a gorge you might not have heard of, but sits just over the Croatian border near the prettly little hill top village of Buzet and is incredibubbly, just a 55 mins drive from the Lodge!

We knew about this gorge cos we had been to briefly see the beautiful rock cliffs at it's edge several years ago and always vowed to return "to do the Gorge", but in truth, we had no idea what that really meant!

Our friend told us this is the most water she has seen here, so we were very lucky in April..

So we grabbed the opportunity with both hands when a friend invited us to go with her and packed our hiking boots, a few sandwiches and some water to travel into the unknown in the hope of Green adventure..

And boy, did we get an adventure.. If you like hiking, with a bit of scrabbling in stunning nature then this hike is a must do and now we are gonna tell you all about it!

All types of walking and scrambling on offer during the Buzet Gorge hike..

So Buzet is a stunning little Hill top village, now in Croatia, but on the upper side of the Mirna river, which flows from this enormous gorge in a line all the way to the sea and looks like a far more sensible border for Slovenia and Croatia then the ridiculously wiggly one that they came up with!

Anyway, ask the Croatians and Slovenes all about that, but the good news is, this IS AND always WAS ISTRIJA and it might be worth having a quick look on the map first to just see where you are going and how the Mirna really is a pretty important river, covering an otherwise quite dry Mediterranean area, so essential for the viniculture & agriculture there..

How about a nice truffle filled meal in Buzet after the hike..

Getting to Buzet..

If you do ALL of this hike.. and you should.. then you will need around 4-5 hours, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less, all said, this is a daytrip, rather than a half daytrip..

So it makes sense to leave after breakfast and take the motorway down towards the Slovenian coast, cutting across the Slovenian Coastal Hinterland, following the wiggly Mediterranean roads until the unmanned border and popping out into Croatia at Buzet..

Buzet is one of the lesser known Medieval Istrijan hill top villages, but one of our absolute favourites and later we will be recommending eating out there after your hike.

Exploring the hill top village of Buzet..

But first you have to navigate your way a bit through the small new town at the base of the big hill with the village on top, to find the waterworks, which is not surprisingly, right next to the river..

You are gonna be walking along (up) the Mirna River to the gorge and you cannot park on the river path, so this is the closest you can get and due to our relatively early start, we were the first car at this very handy parking spot..

But even though our trip was on a weekday in April, by the time we came back from our epic hike, it was filled with cars!

Perfect view of where to park, see the cars on the other side of the waterworks, then the path next to the river that goes left all the way to the gorge..

How to do the Buzet Gorge (Briefly)..

It is worth first briefly simplifying the mission ahead, cos you are gonna do just a big loop, but we will also fill in the gaps in much more detail below, so you fully know what to expect and what to look forward to!

So briefly, in simple terms, from Buzet, you are walking along the river to the enormous rock walls that form the Buzet Gorge and following a rock path into the gorge along the DRAGA river, visiting several waterfalls and then pretty much climbing up out of the gorge along a stone, staircase path.

the last mini Falls along the smaller Draga river..

Then you are hiking on a mix of stone tracks and forest paths deep into the Istrijan countryside to reach Napoleon's Bridge and the village of KUHARI, heading across country to rejoin the MIRNA river at the village of KOTLI.

Maybe have some lunch at Kotli and then you just follow the river ALL the way back to the gorge with maybe a swim or a paddle and a few stunning waterfalls along the way until you reach a series of rock river crossings and finally reach the "other" side of the gorge, where the Mirna river continues it's journey into Croatia..

Just hike back down the river from the gorge and cross the bridge back to your car and the rest of the day is all about relaxing and rewarding your efforts with some Istrijan cuisine.. Wow, what a day!

How to do the Buzet Gorge (Longly)..

So now we will tell you a lot more about how we recommend you do this particular Buzet Gorge adventure and as usual we make no apologies for the ridiculous amount of photos here, but it was just so,so,so beautiful and these are the piccies we just could not leave out, either to help you plan your own Green adventure or just cos they are so pretty!

Hopefully our little story will also help you decide which day is the best one for you to choose to take on this adventure and maybe even influence which time of year you rock up in Green Slovenia, if this is in your power..

This sign is handy as you might not know to go explore by the river here to find the stunning waterfall that awaits you..

Our advice is ALWAYS that the best possible time to visit Green Slovenia and Istrija is in April, May, September or October.. if you can.. You will read here about some of the advantages of doing just that.

Finally, the hike is NOT dangerous and you can always be reassured when reading our articles, that one of the Lodge team is scared of heights, so we are never gonna recommend ANYWHERE that we cannot manage ourselves or might scare you..

BUT you should know there are a few scrambles involved here, so we will tell you all about them too!

Closest place you can park near the river, just past the waterworks..

It is not necessary to park right next to the river, but you cannot park on the river path, where your hike starts, walking upriver towards the huge green rocks ahead.

You will see from our photos that we arrived in the misty morning, but by the afternoon this had been burned away by the hot Istrijan sunshine and so you always need to be prepared for hot weather in this part of the world..

The hike roundtrip will take around 4 to 5 hours for most people, but this depends on so many things, like how many photos you will take, whether you will stop for a picnic or lunch or have a swim or even a nap along the river on a carefully selected rock..

We sat on a rock in the river and dipped our feet in the cool water..

(Just wait till the second half of the hike when you see how beautiful the river Mirna is between Kotli and the gorge, with lots of places where you might take a rest)!

But this is not a hike to rush and we should also advise you that our friend has been on this hike several times at other times of the year and she explained that she had never seen the waterfalls and river so full as now in April..

How lucky we were, so please bear in mind our photos show everything full of water in April..

Close up view of the first waterfall..

Do NOT be disappointed or surprised if you rock up here in the middle of summer and the waterfalls are dry, as this is a hot part of the world..

We mentioned above that maybe you can control the day in the week when you come to do this hike, so a really good tip is if you are here in the middle of summer and there is some heavy rain or a thunderstorm one day, then there might be more chance of some water flowing through the system a day or a few days after that..

So then would be your day to choose to do this hike..

Big rocks and little rocks along the river..

Green Slovenian gorges and waterfalls have a better overall chance of being fuller with water in summer, simply as Slovenia is a bit higher up on the map, with 4 different Alps, but this is not a guarantee, just common sense!

So march along the river track to the gorge, staying on the Buzet side of the river and you will soon reach what looks like an entry hut for the gorge, but this is just a base for the local gorge society..

This hut marks the start of the gorge path..

NOW you are walking along the Draga river and will face a collection of forest and rock tracks that will whisk you up & down alongside and above the river to the first two waterfalls.. 

There is nothing tricky here and the enormous sheer rock face of the gorge juts up on your right side, with the water flowing down the river on your left..

Imagine arriving at this waterfall for the first time..

Sometimes you are high above the water and others you are next to it..

These first few waterfalls sure do set the scene for the whole walk and if you think of them alone, forgetting the accompanying scenery, then they are probably the two most impresssive waterfall structures of the hike.. possibly not the most beautiful, but most impressive..

Past the first waterfall..

Now you are warmed up and the business end of the walk literally smacks you in the face, cos you are gonna effectively walk, scramble and climb a bit up the side of the gorge!

This is without doubt the most demanding bit, but it is NEVER dangerous or really scary and there are plenty of steel cables, ropes and even a very small section with metal stairs hammered into the rock for you to step on and haul yourself up, BUT this is only a small section of it all..

However we should warn you that if it is wet, this section could be really slippery, so not a sensible day to come..

This is probably the scariest bit, where you have to pull yourself up the rock face, using the metal footholds, but it is a very short section..

So you will be going up for around 15 to 30 minutes, mainly on a zig zag, winding path up through the forest, next to the gorge cliff walls, but the final bit is like going up a rock staircase to reach a most spectacular view on top of the gorge, where you can see across to Buzet hill top village..Scooby Dooby Doo, what a view!

This last bit is a physical and mental challenge, but to complete it is absolutely awesome, real Rambo stuff and shouldn't every good holiday involve a bit of a scramble?!

Stunning view from the top of the Gorge back to the hill top village of Buzet..

A big slap on your back for completing this and then it is all downhill from the top of the gorge back down to the river Draga to continue the hike..

Following the river now is easy along a dirt path and you need to know that it is totally worth walking a bit further to the end of the river to see Mala Pec, (Little Oven) waterfall, which is only little, but another absolute stunner!

Stunning rock formation at the Mala Pec, (Little Oven) waterfall..

The rock face on the side of this waterfall looks like a giant's skateboard park and the cliff face curves all round to the waterfall, shaped over millions of years by the waterflow.

We did mention that water levels may be low in the summer here, but we would certainly still do this extra 10 mins to the end of this part of the river even to see this waterfall dry, as that curved rock face here is very special indeed.

uberbeautiful Mala Pec waterfall at the end of the Draga river..

This is the end of the line for this part of the hike along the Draga river, so you now walk back down river the same way you came for a few minutes to reach a forest crossroads and hike uphill from the river to the 509 hiking route, clearly marked for the first few clicks!

The hike takes on a more gravel road, forest & field vibe now for a while and your next destination will be the pretty Napoloeon's bridge, where you will meet the river once more!

Napoleon bridge, built by his armies as they swept across Europe..

The bridge is an absolute stunner, with big rocks forming the pathway and make sure you also go down to river side get a view of the big arch from below..

There are lots and lots of Napoleon bridges all over Green Slovenia and Croatia, built by Napoloeon's armies to progress East and generally, whenever you see a sign for "Napoleon MOST"(bridge), then make sure you go explore!

On top of the Napoleon bridge, the path ahead is clear..

Once over the bridge, the route becomes forest track and the next stop willl be the tiny hamlet or village of Kuhari.., which feels a little like walking into a forest oasis!

Be careful if you blindly look for this village on google as there are others around Croatia with the same name and we could not even find this one on google.. but we can find it on Komoot!

Regardless, you will be following the tracks, route 509 signs and arrows painted on rocks where you can see them and this section of the walk is thick with forest..

Follow the flowers this way..

If it is still standing then you will also pass the wreck of a house, which looks like it has completely merged with the forest now! Careful if you explore inside, but it will be quite inevitable that you do!

This part of the walk is probably the thickest area of forest you will encouter so enjoy the shade if you need it and we are around halfway through the hike now, so it might be time to find a rock to sit on and eat your sarnies, watching the birds tweet around in the branches!

Leaky roof..

Progessing along the path, the trees will start to thin a little, look out for what could also be mistaken for something like a rubbish dump, but is a lot more special that that!

You will see small pyramids of sand and you can walk on top of them as they have a hard layer of crusty sand on top!

These are apparently quite a special geological formation in this part of the world.. (we know about some more near the Hrastovlje Fortress Church in Slovenia, not so far from here too)..

Look out for these unique sand hills covered in crusty hard sand, so you can stand on them..

But these ones are imaginatively called the "Dunes of Kuhari" on google, which is a great name and the only reference we could find for the village of Kuhari, so quite handy if you are just stuck with google, (for some reason this village shows up as Blatna Vas)..

It comes as a bit of a shock to leave the embrace of the forest and feels a bit wierd to pop out into this very quiet village of Kuhari..

You pop out from the forest in this village, but we couldn't even find it on Googlemaps..

It has the feel of some backwater deserted American village in a movie, with residents sitting relaxing on their shady terraces and some very well kept gardens indeed..

The marked path takes a turn in this village out into some fields and then onto a stone track road direction Kotli..

Beautiful flowers in a village garden in Kuhari, already just in April..

Remember our day had started misty, damp and a bit chilly, but now the Istrijan sun was beaming down and the jackets were packed into rucksacks or tied around the waist!

This next section is quite an open dusty stretch as you walk along the stone track road towards the river side village of Kotli and we assumed this was just a hiking track, but looking at the map it must also be the "main road" between Kotli and Kuhari..

Hiking down to the riverside village of Kotli to rejoin the Mirna river..

The Eye candy hits a new level once you rock into Kotli, which sits quite high above the crystal clear blueish waters of the Mirna river..

This river will be your companion for the rest of the hike back, but leave a little time first to enjoy the stunning river side views here!

There is a little mill perched down river you can see from the bridge that crosses into Kotli and this will be your first real taste of one of the major features of this river.. which are the hard sandy white boulders and dips in the rock river bed, which appear like large puddles or even golf bunkers as the water trickles, dances and gushes over them like a rollercoaster.

Stunning view down the Mirna river to the old mill at Kotli village..

It really is very special indeed and your mission later will be to find your own little rock or bunker to have a sit on by the river for a bit of a rest!

If we were gonna do this same hike, but from a different starting point, then Kotli would be our choice to drive to, as there is a little car park over the river and a restaurant in the village, but check ahead first it is open and book a table for sure..

Maybe explore the village, then cross back over the bridge and now it is time to follow the long straight river side path that starts high above the Mirna river, (water is now on your left)..

Follow the 509 wherever you can..

The trees are thick here and quite different again to the rest of the walk.. Do not worry about seeing the river soon, cos you will hear it and get glimpses of it through the trees and plently of opportunity to get down to it a bit later along this tree lined avenue..

But the real interest to start with along this green rocky road are the beautiful spindly trees, the tiny dirt pyramids by the side of the track left by worms and if you are lucky enough to be here in April and May, a large collection of stunning flowers, including several types of orchid..

April to May are fab times to see so many different species of Orchid in Green Slovenia and here in Irstrija..

This avenue appears to go on for ever, but if you think about it, you are walking back now, covering most of the legth of your walk out to here in the first place..

You will probaly be grateful for the shade along here and look out for the little openings or tracks that lead, not far down to the river to maybe find your private spot to enjoy the river..

Several spots to walk down to the Mirna river as you head along it after Kotli..

There are also two more waterfalls along here, more towards the end of this stretch and you will see signs for them.

These waterfalls are smaller in size and run through the middle of the river bed, like giant steps, so depending on the water levels, you will be able to hop and skip out to them along the rocky river bed and enjoy the view..

Good enough to swim..

The river is just so beautiful here as the water ebbs and flows over these little bunkers we mentioned and it will be easy to find a smooth rock to sit on, maybe take your shoes off and dip your aching feet into the freezing cool, but refreshing water..

This little tootsie paddle and resting our heavy eyelids for a while was enough for us, but we also found a few spots that would have made for an epic swim too.. Just explore..

Take your boots off and refresh your tootsies in the crystal clear water..

This is NOT a hike to race around, you will be hugely rewarded if you are curious and explore a bit into the forest, just off the path or over the rock boulder here & there, so if you wanna do a race, go to an athletics track and run around there a few times instead!!

It really does feel like you have come to the end of a long avenue and soon after the second waterfall on this stretch, (but 7th and last waterfall of this particular loop hike), the forest thickens around you again and you will now have to face several little river crossings..

One of several rock bridges across the river on the way home, bring a spare pair of socks..

Each one has a series of boulders in a line acting as a makeshift bridge and as there are no real bridges, we assume the water level never gets too high.

Each crossing was a different challenge, one quite dry, the next doable and the last impossible not to get across without dunking one foot in the drink!

So bring some extra socks for this hike!

One of the easier rock bridges to conquer..

All this was great fun and for April, the mid afternoon sun was burning hot by now, so having water swill around one boot was not too much of a hardship..

It will not be long from here now that the huge rock wall, which is actually the other side of the gorge appears to your view, on the right..

Not a lot of signs, but always nice to get the reassurance..

Remember the Mirna river does NOT flow through the gorge, it flows past it and then joins with the gorge river to continue its journey.

So now you have a last epic hike down to the edge of the gorge as the rocks tower above you and you might remember that not so long ago, you were quasi climbing up the other side of that huge rock wall!

Arriving back on the other side of the huge Gorge..

The river is wider and very beautiful here at the start of the gorge and a perfect turnaround spot for those people just walking along the river path from Buzet.

So this last stretch is like walking along a long beach when you have a target in sight, in this case it is the pretty hiil top village ahead in the distance, that never seems to get any closer, but finally comes into your grasp!

Cross the bridge and it will be a miracle if you have any water left, so very handy that the waterworks has a beautiful old water well for you to fill your bottles from and start the rewarding reenergising process.

Reaching the other side of the gorge and the path back to Buzet..

What to do after completing this Epic Hike..

We could go through a whole list of other amazing places you could go after here on the way home to eat, but frankly, you would be nuts not to go enjoy the delights of Buzet Hill Top Village.

Drive half way up the hill to park at a little car park next to a church and then there are some steps up into the old town.

If you like truffles, you are in the right place.. We wrote a whole other article all about Buzet, which you can check out if you want more details, but this is also a place you can just go explore for yourself.

Almost back at the parking spot with Buzet hill top village now appearing enticingly closer..

But one thing you MUST do if you go up top to the village is check out the stunning opposite view from the town walls out across to the rock wall of the gorge, then look down and you can see the riverside walk back to the waterworks and even see exactly where you parked..

Surely you deserve this incredible view alongside a cold beer and a lovely Istrijan meal to reward your aching limbs and complete a most unexpected, but spectacular day out hiking..

Vists from Buzet hill top village across to the huge gorge.. You can go walking there..

Any Other Questions?

We hope to have helped you make your decision to go do this fantastic hike, but we can anticipate some other questions..

For example, you might be thinking to just do the walk upriver to see the edge of the gorge from the outside and you would need almost an hour to just walk there and back from the parking along the river to the mouth of the gorge..

If you do this think about immediately crossing the river and walk on the other side of the Mirna to the gorge mouth where the Mirna river leaves the rocks as it is very pretty there.

Leaving the gorge and following the Mirna river..

Now that would be a lovely walk, but you wouldn't see any of the waterfalls or the main gorge at all, so we would be thinking there are better things to do with your time.

Another thought might be just to go enter the gorge and walk the first 2 waterfalls until the really steep bit, then turn round and come back.. This would be possible, but again, you would only see a fraction of this adventure and coming back you would be walking against the general flow of people coming the other way, so possible, but not recommended.

And what about doing this whole hike backwards.. why not? So cross the river immediately after parking and hike the Mirna to Kotli, come back through the forest to the Draga river and climb DOWN into the gorge!

Starting the Gorge hike, this is now the Draga river..

The climb would be much more difficult, but your choice..

And the last curveball might be to drive out to one of those quiet Istrijan villages along the way, or even another village somewhere near the route and do some or all of the route from there.. 

We already mentioned that if we did the hike this way, then we would go for parking at Kotli..

Straightforward forest hiking to the first few waterfalls..

Even having asked these extra questions and permutations, we would ALWAYS come back to doing this hike exactly the way we did it and have described here..

This original route is just so amazing and flows so nicely.. so if you can do it, then go for it.. the route has a little bit of everything that makes a great hike..

In April you don't just get a lot of water, you also get more cool glimpses through the trees..

Every gorge in Green Slovenia and here in Istrija has a completely different way to explore what is basically a river cutting a path through rock over millions of years.

The stunning scenery and hiking challenges will amaze you and the fond green memories will stay in your head for a lifetime, so if you like hiking and green paradise, then you need to ask yourself this question..

How on earth could I come to this beautiful part of the world and not hike the Buzet Gorge path? Enjoy!