Driving · Our pick
Vršič pass & the Russian Chapel
Fifty hairpins
A high mountain road of 50 hairpins over the 1,611-metre Vršič pass, usually shut in winter.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Frerk Meyer from Buchholz in der Nordheide, Niedersachsen · CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons1 / 3
About Vršič pass & the Russian Chapel
At 1,611 metres, Vršič is Slovenia’s highest road pass, linking Kranjska Gora with Trenta and the Soča valley in 50 hairpins, 24 on the northern side and 26 on the southern. The slopes change from beech and spruce to larch, grey scree and sheer rock faces. On the way up, pause at the little wooden Russian Chapel, built in 1917 in memory of the prisoners who built the road, and look for the Heathen Maiden face in the Prisank wall. Huts such as Mihov dom serve hearty food. The road closes in winter, and a summer bus runs to Bovec.
Our take
- 50 numbered hairpins
- 1,611 metres
- Wooden Russian Chapel
- Address
- Kranjska Gora, the Balkans
- Our city guide
- On our Ljubljana guide
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Vršič pass & the Russian Chapel before you go.
Last checked: October 2026 How we choose
Location
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