The Vrà ¡iàPass (; , , ) is a high mountain pass across the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia. It is the highest pass in Slovenia, with an elevation of , as well as the highest in the Eastern Julian Alps. It connects Upper Carniola with the Trenta Valley in the Slovene Littoral, and it is considered an excellent starting point for excursions to surrounding peaks.
The Slovene common noun literally means 'little peak', a diminutive form of the word 'peak'. The name originally referred to Mount Vrà ¡ià(), located about east of the Vrà ¡iàPass. The name was not applied to the pass until 1911. The name of the peak was first attested in written sources as Werschez in 1763âÂÂ87. Locally, the pass is known as (first attested in 1763âÂÂ87 as Muschizach or Mushizhach). The Italian name of the pass was Moistrocca.
In its upper section, the Vrà ¡iàPass mostly consists of Anisian dolomite. Underneath, there are grey limestones, sandstones, mica-rich sandstones, and brownish sandy marls in the lowest layer, covered by an extensive stack of Triassic rock from the Ladinian to the Carnian. In the western part of the Vrà ¡iàPass, there is evidence of a main dislocation. The relief has been significantly eroded.
The Vrà ¡iàpass has a width of 1 kilometer. The ridge is about 850 metres long. There are erosion shelfs and small sinkholes.
The predominant vegetation is beech forest mixing with larch. There are also creeping pines and rhododendron.
Vrà ¡iàhad formerly been traversed by a rough trail, used for logging and timber transportation. During WWI, the Austro-Hungarian military upgraded the trail into a modern road; it is now known as the Russian Road (), for the Russian prisoners of war forced to build it between 1915 and 1917.
From 1918 to World War II, the Vrà ¡iàPass marked the border between Italy and Yugoslavia. After 1945, together with the Upper Isonzo Valley north of Gorizia, both sides of the pass were incorporated into Yugoslavia, and later into Slovenia.
The Vrà ¡iàPass is considered an excellent starting point for excursions to surrounding peaks, including Mala Mojstrovka (), Velika Mojstrovka (), Planja (), Prisojnik (Prisank (), Razor (), à  itna Glava (), Slemenova à  pica (), Sovna Glava (), and Suhi Vrh (), or shorter hikes in the immediate area.
Several mountain lodges are located near the pass: the Erjavec Lodge (; ), the TiÃÂar Lodge (; ), Mike's Lodge (), the Forest Lodge (; ), and the Postman's Lodge (; ).
The road through the pass rises from Kranjska Gora, traverses the top of the Vrà ¡iàPass, and descends into the SoÃÂa Valley, via a series of 50 hairpin bends. The upper elevations of the road are rendered impassable by heavy snowfall during much of winter. The road was greatly improved in late 1915 to supply the Isonzo Front of World War I, and it was originally named after Archduke Eugen of Austria-Hungary. The current name, Russian Road (), refers to the approximately ten to twelve thousand Russian prisoners of war used as laborers in the 1915 construction.
Just off the main road, on the north side of the pass, at an elevation of around , there is a Russian Orthodox chapel, built by Russian prisoners of war during World War I.
On the south side of the pass there is a bronze monument in honor of the mountaineer and writer Julius Kugy, a work by the architect Boris Kobe and the sculptor Jakob Savinà ¡ek. It was erected in 1953.
<br /><br />