The Soča, the emerald river of the Julian Alps

Where it rises

The source lies in the upper Trenta valley, inside Triglav National Park. The water wells up from a grotto holding a tiny lake, runs through a narrow gorge that soon opens out and begins a 138 km journey of waterfalls, rapids and torrents. In the eyes of the Soča Valley Tourist Board this is one of the purest springs in the range, and also a tricky spot, because the last section of the path is secured with pegs and steel cables and calls for good footwear and some fitness.

The local legend is a good one. Three gods lived in Trenta, Triglav, Jalovec and Mangart, and when a water-spitting monster arrived and flooded the villages, they tied him up inside a cave and let him open his mouth only slightly to water the valley. When he has served his sentence he will go free and the Soča will dry up. Near the source are the monument to Julius Kugy and the Alpinum Juliana botanical garden.

The Small and the Great Soča Gorge

Before it meets the Vrsnica stream, the river has carved the Small Soča Gorge, about 100 m long, up to 6 m deep and barely a metre wide at its narrowest. You see it well from the stone bridge, and sporting activities aren’t allowed on that stretch.

Further down, close to Bovec, comes the Great Soča Gorge, which the Soča Valley Tourist Board considers one of the most beautiful natural sights on the river and an important natural asset of the national park. It’s 750 m of linked pools in a polished cleft only a few metres wide and 15 m deep. You walk it on the Soča Trail from the wooden suspension bridge at the start, and at the far end, where the rapids calm down, people sit on the bank watching those who dive into the icy water on hot days. Boating through it is prohibited for safety reasons.

Rafting, kayaking and swimming

The Soča’s rapids are used for rafting, kayaking and canyoning, while the pools and quieter stretches are for resting and fishing. The Slovenian Tourist Board puts the number of sports agencies with qualified guides in the valley at more than 60, and notes that the river has hosted several international kayaking competitions. You need no experience to raft, just the ability to swim. The guide to Soča rafting covers stretches and agencies.

Swimming in the Soča is possible where it’s permitted, though the water is very cold. In the waterfalls of its tributaries, such as Kozjak, bathing isn’t allowed.

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Fly fishing

The Soča and its tributaries are a fly fishing destination, the only method permitted in the valley. Marble trout, grayling and rainbow trout are the favourites. The marble trout is the star, the largest trout in the world according to the Slovenian Tourist Board. The valley has two fishing districts, managed by the national fisheries institute and by the Tolmin anglers’ society, and outside those waters fishing is banned. The guide to fly fishing explains how to get a permit.

Following the Soča on foot

The Soča Trail follows the river from the source through Trenta, with pools and suspension bridges, and partly overlaps with the Alpe Adria Trail. By road, the Vršič road comes down into the valley through Trenta and has a car park at the turn-off for Vrsnik, by the Small Soča Gorge. Lower down, the river passes Kobarid, under Napoleon’s Bridge, and Tolmin, where it meets the Tolminka, and in Italy it takes the name Isonzo, the name of the First World War front.

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