The Slizza Gorge
Walkways slung above a torrent, a tunnel cut by hand in the nineteenth century, and a two-kilometre loop that starts a quarter of an hour from the centre of Tarvisio.
- From the houseabout 2 km · you can also walk there
- When to goSpring to autumn.
- LengthA loop of about 2 km
- Time neededA little over an hour; an hour and a half at a gentle pace
It is the closest of them all, and the one visitors discover last. Over centuries the Slizza torrent has cut a narrow gorge into the rock, and the path goes through it: wooden and steel walkways slung above the water, staircases, small bridges, tunnels in the rock.
The part nobody expects is a tunnel cut by hand in the second half of the nineteenth century. Not a modern bore: a passage opened with chisels when this valley belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire. You walk through it in the cool, with the noise of the water booming around you.
Look at the name of the street you enter from: via Bamberga. In 1007 the emperor Henry II gave this whole forest to the Bishop of Bamberg, in Bavaria, who held it for seven hundred and fifty years until Maria Theresa of Austria. A thousand years of history are written on a side-street sign, and nobody tells you.
The route was rebuilt and made safe in 2024: the walkways are new and the railings solid. Before then some sections were closed, and information saying so is still circulating online.
After days of heavy rain the walkways are slippery and the torrent swells. Shoes with a proper tread, always.
The Slizza Gorge in pictures
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Slizza Gorge walk take?
The loop is about two kilometres and takes a little over an hour, with a height gain of roughly a hundred metres. Taking it gently and stopping for photographs, an hour and a half.
Do you have to pay to visit the Slizza Gorge?
No. Access to the path is free and the car park at the entrance costs nothing.
Is the Slizza Gorge suitable for children?
Yes. There are no particular difficulties, the walkways were rebuilt in 2024, and there are places along the way to stop for a snack by the water. Closed shoes with a proper tread are needed.
We run a holiday flat in Tarvisio, in a well-served, strategic spot in the heart of the village. We know these places because we go to them: the distances, the car parks and the opening times above were all checked at source, one by one.
See the flat