Vrsic Pass

The Vršič road climbs from Kranjska Gora to 1611 metres and drops into the Trenta valley on the far side, and it was built in 1915 by Russian prisoners of war so that the Austro-Hungarian army could supply the Isonzo front. Many died doing it, and in March 1916 an avalanche killed a large number of them; the wooden Russian Chapel below hairpin eight was built by the survivors and is still the focus of an annual commemoration. Fifty numbered hairpins run over the pass, and those on the northern side are cobbled.

History

The pass was long crossed only by a rough trail used for carrying timber, which the Austro-Hungarian army turned into a road between 1915 and 1917. It is known as the Russian Road after the Russian prisoners of war who built it, and the wooden chapel they raised in 1916 commemorates comrades killed by an avalanche (Wikipedia, Vršič Pass; Wikipedia, Kranjska Gora).

What's there

• The cobbled hairpins - fifty numbered bends, many still surfaced in stone setts.
• The Russian Chapel - a wooden chapel built by the prisoners after the 1916 avalanche.
• The Ajdovska deklica - a face in the rock of Prisojnik seen from the road.
• The Trenta descent - the drop into the upper Soca valley on the southern side.

When to go

June to October; the road normally closes with snow from November until May and the opening date varies. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic and cyclists. Early morning is quietest.

Before you go

The road is narrow, cobbled in places and busy with cyclists, motorcycles and coaches in summer. Parking at the top is very limited. It closes for months in winter and the dates are not fixed.

Nearby

Kranjska Gora is north, and the Soca Valley runs south.

Key facts