This is no ordinary hiking trail. The Pericnik Waterall invites you through its lush landscape to get up-close with the water, greets its goers with impressive drops, and demands admiration with the “ooh’s and ahh’s” that come along with being awestruck. The Pericnik Waterfall trail is a beast of true beauty carved out of the landscape. But don’t just take our word for it. Get exploring and plan your trip with this guide to know what to expect and how to make the most out of your hike.
What is the Pericnik Waterfall?
Slovenia is known for being green, both in its landscape and for its commitment to being sustainable. There is no doubt that on your travels through this beautiful country you’ll get to feast your eyes on some stunning landscapes, including waterfalls.
Pericnik Waterfall (Slap Peričnik in Slovenian) is arguably one of Slovenia’s most beautiful waterfalls. It is characterized by two main drops: the one on the lower level (spodnji slap) is 52 meters high, while the one on the upper level (zgornji slap) is 16 meters high. The hike is very short, making a visit to the waterfall of Pericnik ideal if you have just a short time slot in your day.
It’s no question that this is one of the highlights of the Vrata Valley and is part of the Triglav National Park. This valley is located almost halfway between Lake Bled and the alpine resort of Kranjska Gora, in north-western Slovenia, and it’s also not far from other stunning places like the Vršič Pass or Slap Virje in Bovec.
Did you know that this is one of Slovenia’s youngest waterfalls? You see, it was created after the last Ice Age when the glacier cut into the rocks of the valley. In fact, this is how the Vrata Valley was formed.
What makes Pericnik Waterfall special is that both levels have trails passing right behind the falls. The rock here has been eroded, creating such a stunning landscape. While walking behind the waterfalls you’ll truly appreciate first-hand the force and the power of nature.
How to get to Pericnik Waterfall
Let’s talk logistics! The Pericnik Waterfall is about 30km (35 minutes) by car from Lake Bled and 20km (25 minutes) from Kranjska Gora. To reach it, head to the town of Mojstrana and take the “Mojstrana-Triglav čez Prag” road, in the direction of the mountains, following the river Triglavska Bistrica in the Vrata Valley. More details further below.
Get to Pericnik Waterfall by car
The 908 road – which used to be a dirt road until recently – is now entirely paved and accessible for every type of car. This solved the problem of accessibility that characterized the route to this waterfall.
You can find the exact location of the parking below:
Pericnik Waterfall: Parking Info
There is a small parking lot in front of the beginning of the trail that leads to the falls, right after the Koca pri Pericniku mountain hut. However, there aren’t many parking places available so plan your visit accordingly and avoid the busiest hours of the day, which are usually the central ones. Please note that parking along the side of the road before the mountain hut is prohibited.
Parking supposedly costs €3 EUR ($2.98 USD) but as of August 2022 we weren’t asked to pay anything when we visited, nor did some of our friends who went to visit on different days.
Get to Pericnik Waterfall by public transport
If you’re travelling by public transport, you can visit Pericnik waterfalls from Mojstrana by shuttle bus, using the “Free Bus to Vrata Valley”. This is a great service because it allows visitors to visit the waterfall in an environmental-friendly way, without the hassle of parking, and on top of that, it’s free! However, this is a seasonal service and in 2022 only ran during peak season, from July 1 to August 21st. Check out the official website of Kranjska Gora to see the latest news.
Visit Pericnik Falls from Kranjska Gora: Take the Kranjska Gora Shuttle Bus (only operating from July 1st and September 4th 2022) until Mojstrana, then take the above-mentioned free bus to Vrata Valley.
Visit Pericnik Falls from Lake Bled: Take the regional train from Lake Bled to Jesenice (link here – insert Bled Jezero / Jesenice), then take the regional bus from Jesenice to Mojstrana (link here), and finally take the free bus to Vrata Valley.
Here is a more generic map about the bus rides across the Triglav National Park, to help you plan your trip!
Detailed Guide: Pericnik Waterfall
🥾 HIKE DETAILS
From the parking lot to the first level: 10-20 minutes, easy trail
From the first level to the second level: additional 15 minutes, easy to moderate
Hike from the parking lot to the first level of Pericnik Waterfall
There are 2 trails leading to the first level Pericnik waterfall:
- The main hike to the first level of the falls begins at the parking lot, from which you can already see the waterfall.
- Another option starts in front of the house, and it reaches Pericnik Waterfall from the right side.
Both trails grant access to the back of the waterfall and they are connected to each other, meaning you can do this trail as a loop if you wish.
The trail is secured for its entire length and even though it is described as difficult on the info board, it really isn’t. The elevation gain with respect to the first level of Pericnik waterfall is just 65m, and the path has been made safer and more accessible with stairs and wire fences.
Reaching the first level of the falls will take you no more than 10 to 20 minutes. This is the first viewpoint of Pericnik, and it’s also where most people stop their hike. However, we highly recommend to walk behind the waterfall as well as hiking to the upper level.
The trail that goes behind the waterfall gives you a true perception of how grand and powerful Pericnik waterfall is. At the same time, the trail is wet and therefore can be quite slippery. Unlike in the first part of the path, there are no fences here so take extra caution and continue only if you feel comfortable.
There is also a good chance you’ll get wet while walking there. This is not due to the waterfall itself, but to the numerous drops that fall constantly from the rocks above, along the entire path. Keep that in mind if you’re carrying a camera or if it’s particularly cold.
Reach the other side of the falls for a different point of view of Pericnik waterfall. This is also the way back to the parking lot if you want to do it as a loop, but keep in mind that if you do it as a loop this is NOT the way to the second waterfall.
Hike to the upper level of the Pericnik Waterfall
To reach the upper level of Pericnik you need to get back to the first viewpoint. From here, follow the sign indicating the upper level. According to the info board, this trail is officially closed in winter for safety reasons.
This trail is also marked as very difficult, but aside from being slightly steeper than the previous one, we can’t classify it other than “easy”. In fact, there are stairs wherever needed and a wire fence is present on all the most exposed parts. Moreover, the elevation gain is just 60m with the trail being just a few hundreds meter long.
The upper waterfall of Pericnik is smaller in size compared to the lower one, but it is just as astonishing, if not more. The waterfall forms a tiny, turquoise lake that is just too inviting not to jump in. The water is freezing cold (around 8°C) even in the hottest summer days, with the temperatures dropping significantly in winter.
Also on this level you’ll be able to walk behind the waterfall and reach the other side, and you really should! The passage leading to the other side is slightly more impervious than the lower one, as you can’t even stand in some parts.
Best time to visit
There is not such a thing as a best time to visit Pericnik waterfall. This is a place that should be visited year round, as it’s stunning across the 4 seasons. We visited Pericnik waterfall during summer and we loved it for its warmer temperatures, even though there were more people than usual.
During winter, the water drops freeze creating stunning icycles all around the waterfall. However, during this time only the first level of the waterfall is accessible for safety reasons.
As of the best time of the day, the sun reaches the waterfall in the morning and only stays around until lunch time. In the afternoon, the sun goes behind the waterfall and leaves it in the shade. This is not a reason not to visit Pericnik in the afternoon because as it’s also beautiful in more muted, shaded tones. We visited the fall in the late afternoon and it was just perfect.
What to bring
Pericnik waterfall can be visited in 1 to 2 hours so you won’t need to carry many things with you. If you’re visiting on a cold day, bring a raincoat so you don’t get wet and the right kind of walking shoes that are also water resistant.
There are no bars nor restaurants at the waterfall, so bring water and snacks if you need them. Also, the only toilets available are portable toilets that are located at the parking lot.
Entrance Fee
Visiting Pericnik waterfall is FREE! After travelling in Slovenia for a few days we were so surprised about this, since Slovenia really applies fees to anything. Even the parking was free when we visited, but that should cost you €3 EUR ($2.98 USD) as per the sign at the beginning of the road by the lot. However, since there are no ticket machines at the parking lot, we imagined there would be someone to collect the money, however, no one was there when we arrived.
Looking for more waterfalls in Slovenia? Make sure to also visit Slap Virje in Bovec!
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