The Sopot (Copot) waterfall and climbing crag
Location: Strana, BuzetLength: 0,6 kmElevation gain: 22 mDifficulty: EasyDifficulty rating: K1, T1, VR1
At the mention of the name Sopot, most people who have heard of it think of the waterfall that plunges from beneath a stone bridge down an imposing cliff into a pool of intense green. That waterfall is near Pićan in the municipality of Pazin, and we have already written about it.
The Sopot this article is about is above Buzet. It is rather less well known, but every bit as spectacular. Some locals call it Copot, but the official name is Sopot, so that is what we will call it. Sopot is in fact a common name for waterfalls, streams and springs in Croatia, and comes from the Proto-Slavic word for a spring – “sopotъ”.
Every time we pass Buzet we drop in at this waterfall in the hope of actually seeing it, but so far we have had no luck. It is clearly a waterfall that dries up very quickly and is only visible after heavier rain. When that does happen, though, it must make for a sight like no other! The water of the swollen stream pours through a hole in the rock at the top of the 30-metre cliff and crashes down into the depths of the canyon, scattering against the surrounding rocks as it goes!
The canyon with its scattered boulders is interesting in itself, and the channel carved into the rock testifies to the force of the torrent that made its own way through.
On the cliff below and around the waterfall there is a well-known climbing crag, one of the most striking we have seen! You reach the foot of the crag by via ferrata, and the base is very small, so it is not adequate for larger numbers of people.
As for visiting the waterfall as a day trip, the path to its foot and into the canyon is very easy and short. There is an upper and a lower path which merge into one after a while. It is also possible to approach the top of the cliff and the point where the waterfall forms from the eastern side, along a field track. From there you get a beautiful view of Buzet.
If you are in this part of the country, do combine a visit to Sopot with the Seven Waterfalls Trail!
Special
Although our focus is on Croatia, due to great interest in reviewing some international locations from our travels, we decided to launch the Special section. In it, we will not cover locations in the same detailed way we do with Croatian ones, but will instead provide a brief overview of multiple locations grouped into meaningful categories. The only criterion we still strictly follow is that they must be natural attractions.
