Velika korita Soče: when is the Great Soča Gorge in the sun?

When does the sun reach Velika korita?

In Velika korita direct sun arrives 2 h 29 min after the official sunrise in midwinter and 1 h 1 min after it in midsummer, because the sun must first climb above the mountains. On 21 December 2027 the spot has sun 10:14–13:03 (2 h 50 min); on 21 June 2027 06:14–19:30 (13 h 16 min).

Times below are for a point in the gorge (46.3365° N, 13.6445° E, ground 458 m), in Central European Time (CET, UTC+1; CEST, UTC+2 in summer). The 21st of each month is shown; neighbouring days differ by a minute or two.

The shortest day of direct sun in 2027 is 17 December 2027 with 2 h 50 min (10:12–13:02); the longest is 16 June 2027 with 13 h 16 min (06:13–19:28). On 20 days of the year the sun disappears behind a peak and comes back, so the spot has two separate spells of sun.

How much sunlight do the mountains take from Velika korita?

The terrain takes 5 h 46 min of the 8 h 36 min between sunrise and sunset on 21 December and 2 h 32 min on 21 June. Over 2027 that is 1574 hours of direct sun, 4 h 19 min a day on average.

In the morning the sun reaches the spot 3 h 14 min after sunrise at the March equinox and 3 h 14 min after it in September; in the evening it leaves 2 h 13 min and 2 h 13 min before sunset.

The gorge runs along the Soča between steep forested slopes, so the loss is largest in spring and autumn, when the sun rises in the south-east behind the ridge. On 18 October 2026 the flat-horizon day was 07:27–18:14, but sun reached the spot only 10:29–14:52: 6 h 24 min lost. From mid-April to August the sun rises far enough north to look along the valley, and the gorge gets sun soon after sunrise.

Where does the sun appear over the ridge in Velika korita?

On 21 December the first sun reaches Velika korita from 154° (SSE), already 16° above the horizon; on 21 June it comes from 64° (ENE) at 8.2°. The flat-horizon sunrise is at 124° (SE) and 54° (NE).

The highest point of the skyline is 39.9° above the horizon. In the evening the last sun leaves from 195° (SSW) in December and 290° (WNW) in June.

Is there golden-hour light in Velika korita?

No: in 2027 the sun never reaches the spot while it is low and warm (below 6°), on any day. Golden hour still happens in the sky above, but on the spot the light is always high-sun daylight.

Golden hour by the sky (true solar altitude −4° to +6°) on 21 December is 07:24–08:36 and 15:30–16:43; on 21 June 04:50–06:00 and 20:15–21:25. That is when the light is warm on open ground and on high peaks. Whether it reaches you depends on the skyline: if the terrain in the sun's direction is higher than 6°, no low sun can reach the spot. Golden hour in the mountains explains this in detail.

This is the canonical case for the difference between golden hour in the sky and light on the spot: the sky over the gorge has golden hour every morning and evening, but the sun only reaches the water once it is well above 6°. Photographers who want soft, even light on the turquoise water shoot the gorge in shade, before the sun arrives or after it leaves; sunlit water gives the strongest colour and the hardest contrast.

How accurate are these times?

An estimated ±1 minute: the skyline near Velika korita comes from 2 m lidar, which resolves nearby ground (trees and buildings are not counted), and from 40 m terrain beyond 2 km. Refraction near the horizon can add ±2–4 minutes when the sun is very low.

Method: the sun's position is computed every 30 seconds with the NOAA/Meeus equations (about 0.01°) and Saemundsson refraction. The skyline is marched from 1.7 m above the ground in 720 directions (every 0.5°), with the Earth's curvature and terrain refraction. "Sun on the spot" means any part of the sun's disc is above the skyline. Terrain: 2 m lidar (Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO), Laser scanning of Slovenia 2011–2015, CC BY 4.0) within 2 km of the spot, nested in 40 m global terrain out to 25 km. Details in About the data.

The same spot with each terrain model, 18 October 2026:

At the exact pin the lidar surface stands 6.6 m above the ground, so the pin is under a tree crown: with trees counted it is shaded all day. This page therefore uses bare ground, which is what you get standing in the open a few metres away. The app does not count trees and buildings for now, so it gives the bare-ground answer too.

The 40 m global terrain alone gives 10:27–14:59 for 18 October 2026; 2 m lidar gives 10:29–14:52. The lidar sees the near slopes and the gorge rim that the 40 m grid smooths away. The gorge itself is in places only a few metres wide and about 15 m deep (Soča Valley tourist board); at the water in the narrowest parts the sun arrives later and leaves earlier than at the pin, and overhanging rock is not in any height model.