Vršič is the highest road pass in Slovenia, at 1,611 metres, and it comes with fifty hairpins, each numbered with a little sign. Twenty-four of them are on the north side, from Kranjska Gora, and twenty-six on the south side toward Trenta, and some are still cobbled, which is memorable on a motorcycle in the wet. The road crosses the Julian Alps through a landscape of grey limestone towers, scree slopes and larch woods, and you feel the weight of the peaks pressing in from every side.
The road has a sombre history. It was built during the First World War, around 1915 and 1916, by Russian prisoners of war who were forced to work on it for the Austro-Hungarian army, which needed supply routes to the Isonzo front. In March 1916 an avalanche killed many of the prisoners, and the Russian Chapel, a small wooden church on the northern side, stands where they were buried. It is a beautiful, quiet place, and worth a stop for a moment of reflection. The road still carries the name Russian Road in some accounts.
The riding is intense rather than fast. The hairpins are tight and steep, the surface varies from smooth tarmac to rough patches and cobbles, and drainage grates and loose gravel add to the interest. Traffic can be heavy in summer, with campervans, cyclists and sightseers, and the narrow bends make overtaking difficult. Weekday mornings are best. The pass is closed in winter, usually from late autumn until spring, because of snow and avalanche risk, so check before you go. Weather in the mountains turns quickly, and a warm morning can end in cold rain.
At the top there is a small car park, a mountain hut and a few stalls, with views of the surrounding peaks such as Prisojnik and Mojstrovka. Hot soup and strudel are the correct reward. The high mountain air smells of pine and rock, and the cool breeze is welcome.
Kranjska Gora, about four kilometres below on the north side, has petrol stations, and Bovec in the Soča valley serves the south. Fill the tank at either before you climb, and take the descent slowly; the brakes will thank you.