Video: Breath-taking acrobat show on Solkan Bridge

A Slovenian acrobat group called the Dunking Devils has prepared a special celebration of two important anniversaries

The Bohinj railway line is renowned for its many sites with cultural or technical heritage. The most well-known is Solkan Bridge. Taking a ride on the railway with a vintage steam train is particularly popular among the tourists. Foto: Žiga Živulovič jr./BoBo

110 years ago the opening of the Bohinj railway line connected today's north-western part of Slovenia with the port of Trieste, both at the time still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

It is still possible to take a ride on this railroad with a vintage steam-powered train. On Saturday the train hosted a breath-taking acrobat show while crossing the world's largest stone arch.

A Slovenian acrobat group called the Dunking Devils has prepared a special celebration of two important anniversaries for the so-called "iron road". Saturday's passengers on the Bohinj railway line were able to admire the group's new feat: they had already performed dunks high above the Sava River and in the Julian Alps, but for this occasion the Devils decided to show off their slam dunks on a museum train while crossing Solkan Bridge, the world's largest stone arch on railway bridges with its 85 metres.

Main ceremony in Solkan
To celebrate the 110th anniversary of the Solkan Bridge and the Bohinj railroad, which is renowned as one of the most picturesque in this part of Europe, the main ceremony later took place in Solkan and was attended by President Borut Pahor, who also took part in Saturday's special steam train ride on the Bohinj railway. The celebrations set off at Most na Soči, from where the ride took about an hour before reaching the Solkan Bridge, where the daring Dunking Devils' show took the passengers' breath away. The president also praised other natural and cultural sights of the region: "This is one of the most beautiful places of our land, and I think it charms everyone who visits. It's a shame that more people, from Slovenia and abroad, haven't had a chance to experience this."

A special experience
A ride on the Bohinj railway is a unique experience on its own – in addition to its plethora of natural attractions, plenty of technical and cultural heritage sites are located along the route, such as the tallest Slovenian railway bridge at Bača near Modrej and Slovenia's longest tunnel, connecting Podbrdo and Bohinjska Bistrica. Solkan Bridge is the biggest stone railway bridge in the world. What is more, the railroad crosses five galleries and as many as 65 bridges. All these sights have already been put on UNESCO's trial list of world heritage.

D. S., Ksenija Černuta, TV Slovenija; translated by K. Z.