Slap Krampež (The Krampež Waterfall) is situated in the town of Drežnica, in the western part of Slovenia.
How to get there?
To get to Drežnica, the only way there is from the town of Kobarid. You have to drive across the Napoleon bridge, with a beautiful view of river Soča below, and then keep driving for about five kilometers. When you reach the main square of Drežnica (it is not marked, but you will know when you do – for example, there is a big information table with the map of Drežnica and the surrounding villages there), you have to turn right ( in the direction of Koseč ). Then, you just have to follow the main road. There will be a steep hill right after you turn, and eventually, you will reach a palyground, and after it, you will see some parking spaces.
It is a good idea to leave your car there. You can find some parking spaces at the beginning of the walking trail to the waterfall, but they are almost always full. So, after you park your car there, you have to turn right. After about one hundred meters, you will pass two houses, and you will pass another one shortly after. Then, you will see a bridge with a river 'Ročica' flowing below it.
Before the bridge, you will see a narrow road and a big table with a waterfall drawn on it. There will also be a sign, saying 'Slap Krampež – 15 min', pointing to the left, and this is the direction you have to follow. Right after you start walking, you will see a natural, but very shallow pool. When I was younger, the water was deep enough to swim in it, but it was very cold too. This pool is meant to power the water mill nearby, which is not actually working, but it is there just for tourists. It is the most beautiful in winter, when it is trapped in ice.
After about five minutes of walking, you will reach a junction. If you head straight, you will come to a little house, which is actually a water power plant and is used to power some of the nearby houses with electricy. There are also two benches and a table, if you fancy sitting and resting a little bit, while listening to the sounds of nature.
If you turn left at the junction, you will eventually reach another one in a few minutes. There, you have to keep walking straight. If you turn left, you will join another trail, that leads above the Drežnica village. There are signs at both of the junctions, so you will definitely not get lost. After this junction, you will see a bridge, and a first waterfall on the left, which usually forms a big rainbow when the sun is shining. After the bridge, you only have about a few minutes of walking left, before you reach the waterfall. Again, there is a picnic table there. There is a bigger pool below this waterfall, and in the past, the water was deep enough to swim, but there was a big flood about a decade ago, and it brought a lot of sand with it.
When you go closer to the water, you will most likely see some frogs, swimming in the water.
On the right side of the pool, you will see steep stairs, dug into the rock. If you are not afraid of heights, you can climb up, where you will reach another pool at the top of the waterfall, and the water here is deep enough to swim. Although, it is very cold even in the hottest summer, but it is very refreshing too.
If you go to Slap Krampež in autumn, you will find lots of blueberries and strawberries, which you can eat. But beware of snakes and lizzards, because they can sometimes hide in the grass.
TIP: Make sure that you bring good shoes with you, because the bridges and rocks you will walk on, can be slippery in autumn because of the rain.
TIP 2: Bring your camera. If you are there in winter, the trail might be a bit more difficult because of the snow, but you will be rewarded with an awesome view of a waterfall, trapped in ice.
