Vršič Pass (Vršič, sometimes written Vrsic in English) is the highest road pass in Slovenia at 1,611 m (5,285 ft) and the highest in the Eastern Julian Alps. The road runs from Kranjska Gora in the Sava valley over the top and down into the Soča valley at Log v Trenti, and it has exactly 50 hairpin bends — 24 on the Kranjska Gora side and 26 on the Trenta side, each numbered and signed. It is asphalted, but several bends are surfaced with stone setts, which is the detail that catches riders out. The pass is closed by snow for part of the year, so a summer or early autumn crossing is the plan.
The Russian Road
The pass road has a name of its own — the Russian Road (Ruska cesta) — and a grim history behind it. It was built during the First World War by Russian prisoners of war, roughly ten to twelve thousand of them used as labourers in the 1915 construction, to supply the Isonzo front over the mountains. A wooden Russian Orthodox chapel stands on the Kranjska Gora side, built by those prisoners, and it is the most visited stop on the road.
That origin is why the road looks the way it does. It was built quickly by hand for military supply, so it takes the mountain in short tight switchbacks rather than long graded traverses, and the sett paving on many bends was the surface technology available. Those cobbled sections are still there. They are perfectly rideable, but wet setts on a tight uphill hairpin with a loaded touring bike demand a different approach than dry tarmac — steady throttle, no sudden inputs, and pick your line before you commit.
Route at a glance
| Summit | 1,611 m (5,285 ft), highest road pass in Slovenia |
| Hairpins | 50 total, 24 on the Kranjska Gora side and 26 on the Trenta side |
| Surface | Asphalt, with stone setts on many bends |
| Connects | Kranjska Gora in Gorenjska to Log v Trenti in the Soča valley |
| Built | 1915, by Russian prisoners of war |
| Setting | Inside Triglav National Park |
| Season | Closed by snow for part of the year, summer and early autumn are reliable |
Open the Kranjska Gora to Bovec crossing in Google Maps — over the pass and down the Trenta valley, ready to send to your navigation.
The north side, 24 bends out of Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora sits at about 810 m, so the climb to the pass is only 800 m of ascent — but it is compressed into a short distance, which is why the bends come so thick and fast. They are numbered, counting up as you climb, and the numbers become the way you measure your progress.
Three stops on this side are worth planning for. Lake Jasna sits at the bottom, an artificial lake with a startlingly green colour and a bronze ibex statue. The Russian Chapel is at bend 8. Higher up, mountain huts line the road: Mihov dom at 1,085 m, Koča na Gozdu at 1,226 m, and Erjavčeva koča at 1,515 m, all serving food. At the top, just before the descent, is Tičarjev dom at 1,620 m.
The road is narrow and steep in its higher sections, and in warm months there are cyclists and walkers on it constantly. This is the single most popular cycling and hiking destination in the area, and the top of the pass is busy in the mornings.
The summit and the 26 bends down to Trenta
The top of the pass gives a panorama across the Julian Alps peaks around Kranjska Gora, Trenta and the Upper Sava valley — it is the launch point for climbs onto Mala Mojstrovka (2,332 m), Velika Mojstrovka (2,366 m), Prisojnik (2,547 m) and Razor (2,601 m). Parking at the top is limited, which matters in July and August.
The Trenta descent is the better half to ride. Twenty-six bends drop you into the Soča valley, and the landscape changes completely: the road runs down beside the Soča river, which is a genuinely improbable turquoise colour, past the Soča source trail and on towards Bovec. Two natural landmarks are visible from the road — the window in Prisank mountain, a natural rock arch, and the Ajdovska deklica (Heathen Maiden), a face formation in the cliffs.
Building the Julian Alps loop around it
Vršič on its own is a couple of hours. What makes it a proper trip is the loop it sits on. The standard circuit runs Kranjska Gora over the pass to Bovec, down the Soča valley, then back north over the Predel Pass into Italy and around through Tarvisio to Kranjska Gora — a day of about 150 km that includes three countries' worth of scenery and never repeats a road.
The alternative continuation is south from Bovec down the Soča towards Kobarid and Tolmin, then over the Vršno or Kolovrat roads, which are narrower and much quieter than anything on the pass itself. Kobarid is also where the First World War history that produced the Russian Road becomes explicit — the Isonzo front museum there is the context for the whole area.
If you have three days rather than one, Bovec makes a better base than Kranjska Gora. It is at the quiet end, it puts the Soča valley roads on your doorstep, and it means you ride the 26-bend side as your morning climb rather than as a busy afternoon descent.
Season, park rules and practical detail
Season. Vršič may be closed for part of the year because of winter conditions and snow; when it is shut, car access on the north side reaches only as far as the hut Koča na Gozdu at 1,226 m. There is no fixed published opening date the way there is for the Romanian roads — it depends on clearance each spring. As of August 2026 the practical guidance remains that summer and early autumn are reliable and the shoulder months are not. Check current road conditions with the Slovenian road authority or the Kranjska Gora tourist information before you set out, particularly in May, October and November.
Vignette. Slovenia requires a vignette (now an electronic e-vignette) for motorways and expressways, with a specific motorcycle category. The pass road itself is a regional road and not a motorway, but you will almost certainly use the motorway network to reach it. Buy the correct category before you enter the motorway and check the current rules on the official Slovenian e-vignette site — categories and validity periods are revised periodically.
National park. The pass is inside Triglav National Park, Slovenia's only national park. Park rules apply: stay on the road, use marked parking, and do not ride off the surfaced route.
Traffic. A summer bus service runs from Kranjska Gora over the pass to Bovec, and buses on 50 numbered hairpins occupy the whole road at the apex. Cyclists are constant in warm weather. Riders report that early morning and late afternoon are the only times the pass is genuinely quiet in high season.
Fuel and services. Kranjska Gora on the north side, Bovec on the south. There is no fuel on the pass. The mountain huts serve food but not petrol.
Weather. The Julian Alps get a lot of rain, and the Soča side in particular. The combination that matters here is rain plus setts — the cobbled bends lose grip noticeably when wet, and the descent is where you meet them at the least convenient moment.
Gear notes for 50 numbered hairpins
Vršič is a short pass with a lot of information in it. Fifty numbered bends, several huts, a chapel, two national park landmarks and a summit car park all inside 24 km means you will be looking for turnings, not just following a line. Having the whole crossing loaded for offline handlebar navigation before you leave Kranjska Gora keeps the route on a screen you can glance at, and running it on a JADO S6 means the phone stays out of the rain the Julian Alps deliver regularly.
The setts are the specific technical reason to care about tyres here. Stone paving on a steep hairpin punishes underinflation, because a soft carcass squirms exactly where you want a stable contact patch, and the difference between a set of pressures checked cold in Kranjska Gora and the same set after a hot climb is real. Our tire pressure guide covers the mechanism, a TPMS sensor gives you the live number at the top, and a short pre-ride check before a day of 50 tight bends is time you will not regret.
If you are working east across the Alps, the pass pairs well with Austria's Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the Timmelsjoch on the Italian border, and Germany's Black Forest High Road is the obvious warm-up if you are riding out from the west.
FAQ
How many hairpin bends does Vršič Pass have?
Fifty in total — 24 on the Kranjska Gora side and 26 on the Trenta side. They are numbered and signed, so you can count your way up and down.
Is the road cobbled?
It is asphalted, but many of the bends are paved with stone setts, a legacy of its 1915 construction. They are rideable but noticeably less grippy when wet, especially on the steep sections.
When is Vršič Pass open?
It closes for part of the year due to snow, with no fixed annual date — clearance decides it. Summer and early autumn are reliable. When the pass is shut, north-side access reaches only Koča na Gozdu at 1,226 m. Check current conditions before travelling in the shoulder months.
Do you need a vignette in Slovenia?
You need an e-vignette in the correct motorcycle category for Slovenian motorways and expressways. The pass road itself is not a motorway, but the roads you use to reach it usually are. Check the official e-vignette site for current rules.
How long does the crossing take?
Kranjska Gora to Bovec is short in distance but slow in practice. Allow two to three hours with the chapel, the summit and a hut stop, more in high season when buses and cyclists set the pace.
