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The nature of Vintgar

Dragon’s Head

By the Dragon’s Head, an eight-metre-high rock, the sun’s rays are once again creeping into Vintgar Gorge. 

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Interesting facts

What you can see at this point

And breathe. The most dramatic parts of Vintgar are behind you and the gorge has widened again. 

The river is quieter here, as it prepares to lead you to the magnificent conclusion. If you look across to the other side, you can see how the sun’s rays are once again creeping into Vintgar Gorge by the Dragon’s Head, an eight-metre-high rock.  

As you walk, you’ll see layers of rock in the cliffs above the Radovna. They tilt and bend in different ways – a result of how the gorge was formed, and of tectonic shifts that are still happening today.  

Now it is hard to imagine that the present-day Vintgar Gorge was once covered by a thick layer of glaciers. As the atmosphere warmed, the thick layers of ice began to melt and retreat. Land appeared and the glacial water slowly drained away. As it did so, it began to create a magical cut in the rock.  

Vintgar Gorge is never the same, but is constantly changing, though invisibly to our eyes. Its sheer limestone walls are slowly dissolving due to their exposure to the elements. Because of the steep incline, the dissolved particles are carried to the river. As the river gains speed and power, the water containing particles of dissolved limestone continues to widen and deepen the gorge.  

Look around you and see if you can spot a bird following you. It could be a white-throated dipper, the only songbird that swims and dives. It builds its nests amid tree roots on the riverbank, behind waterfalls or even under bridges. The dipper is a self-sufficient architect, using materials it finds in the gorge to build its home, just like the river that hollows out Vintgar.