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Whitewater Rafting Guide To River Trips

Sava River

Location: Julian Alps, west of Triglav, Slovenia

Near the Italian border in northwestern Slovenia, the sections of this beautiful alpine river pour into and out of Lake Bohinj. The river forks and creates two sections that eventually converge once again. The Sava Dolinka flows through the cities of Kranjska Gora, Gozd Martuljek, Jesenice, near Bled and Lesce. The shorter, Sava Bohinjka originates under the Komara Ridge and then flows into Lake Bohinj, creating a small delta. Afterwards, as Sava Bohinjka, flows out of Lake Bled before it meets Sava Dolinka near Radovljica. The river valley also includes a beautiful and encanted gorge called “Blejski Vintgar”.


Level of Difficulty: Class II-IV / Beginner-Intermediate

The varying level of flows on this river are ideal for sightseeing and high adventure. The Class II sections create ample opportunity to lose yourself in the fairy-tale scenery that surrounds the verdant waters of the Sava while the Class IV whitewater twists and turns through steep Cretaceous limestone canyons making for a thrilling intermediate whitewater run.

Scenery: Endangered wildlife habitat, pristine glacial water

The river valley is dense with oak and beech while at higher elevations the forest consists of spruce, fir and pine groves. The canyon is a veritable cornucopia of endangered wildlife some no longer found in other parts of Europe. Catch a glimpse of marmots, alpine ibex, Eurasian lynx, red fox, jackal, various owl species and even a traditionally hunted edible doormouse common in the beech forests. There is also a limited population of wolves and brown bears.

Season: April – October

Rafting trips on the Sava River are offered during the spring and summer.