Lush vegetation and alpine plants (rhododendrons, spring snowflakes)

The Iška gorge, known as Iški Vintgar, is a cool, damp, shaded cleft in the hills south of Ljubljana, and the combination of moisture, shade and a limestone and dolomite base gives it a richer flora than the surrounding countryside. The walls of the canyon hold moisture long after rain, and the air close to the stream is noticeably cooler and more humid than on the open ground above. This microclimate allows plants to grow here that would normally be found at higher elevations, which is why walkers can meet species of the mountains at the edge of the Ljubljana plain.

The most noticeable of these is the hairy alpenrose, a small rhododendron with pink flowers that grows on the dolomite and limestone slopes and is more familiar in the Alps. Its presence in the gorge, at a lower altitude, is a reminder of the way the canyon preserves conditions from a colder past. It flowers in late spring and early summer, adding colour to the rock walls. In early spring, before the trees have leafed out, the forest floor is covered with spring snowflakes, whose white bell-shaped flowers with green tips nod over the dark leaf litter, along with other early bloomers such as hepatica, wood anemone and wild cyclamen. Later in the year, ferns, mosses and liverworts dominate the damp rocks, and the scent of wild garlic fills the air in places.

The woodland is mainly beech, with maple, ash and spruce, and the canopy is thick in summer, so the gorge stays shaded. Moss covers boulders and fallen logs, giving the whole canyon a green, soft look, and the sound of water adds to the effect. Birds such as the dipper, which walks along the bed of the stream searching for insects, and the grey wagtail, with its bobbing tail, are often seen, and in the evening, bats hunt over the water. These small details reward slow walkers who look closely.

The best time for plants is from April to June, when the flowers are at their peak, and late spring is a particularly attractive time. Visitors are asked to stay on the paths and to leave the plants alone, since many of them are protected and the vegetation is fragile. The Left Bank Trail and Votli kamen make convenient places to stop, and paths toward Rakitna, Krim and Bloke offer longer walks. The Dom v Iškem vintgarju offers refreshments, and the other entries on the gorge cover the rock formations and the main route in more detail.