Travellers as well as Slovenes love coming to the magnificent Julian Alps for hiking, cycling, kayaking or simply enjoying the nature. There is only 80 km from Ljubljana to Bled and another 25 km to Bohinjska Bistrica, the centre of Bohinj valley, on the edge of Triglav National Park. If you like the nature, you will love this 20 km long green valley, which main attraction is its glacial Bohinj Lake.
Bohinj Lake
Bohinj Lake is 4,1 km long, 1,2 km wide and up to 45 m deep. It’s temperature is about 8°, but in summer the water can warm up to 22°. You can find 65 different species of algae and 5 species of fish in the lake (the most known is the lake trout), which makes it interesting also for the fishermen.
There is a 12 km path around the lake, but the cyclists have to stay on its Southern side (where the road is), the other side is reserved only for hikers. You can also take a boat trip (with an electric boat, the motor boats are forbidden) to the other side of the lake to enjoy the beautiful view of the mountains around the lake.
Places to see in Bohinj Valley
Savica, a 78 m high waterfall is the main source of water for Bohinj lake and a source of Sava Bohinjka river. Slovene biggest poet, France Preseren dedicated one poem to this magnificant waterfall situated at the end of the valley. From the parking place, there is only 20 min walk to the waterfall.
Mostnica Gorge is a 2 km long and very narrow gorge of the Mostnica river. Very pleasant round walk from Stara Fuzina village to Cesenjski bridge and back on the other side of the Mostnica river takes about 1h30.
Pokljuka plateau 1200 – 1300 m high on the East side of Julian Alps. You can reach it also by car. Known for cross country skiing and wonderful thick pine forest.
Studor village is a typical Alpine village with famous Slovene hey racks and traditional old houses, many of them renovated. Alpine museum in Stara Fuzina village will teach you about the history of alpine dairy farming in Bohinj valley. You can taste some cheese in the inn accross the street.
St. John the Baptist church, a small medieval church, is situated by the lake, just across the main stone bridge. Try to have a look inside where you will find the most beautiful frescoes from the 15th and 16th century.
Hiking around Bohinj
Bohinj valley is a starting point to many Alpine peaks. You can climb Triglav (2864 m) starting at Bohinj lake and heading towards Komarca above Savica waterfall and further on to the Triglav Lakes Valley (1685 m).
You can also head towards Fuzinska planota (1817 m), Komna (1520 m), Vogel (1537) and further on to Crna prst (1844 m), Soriska planina (1306 m), Jelovica, Ratitovec. You will find more information and maps at the local tourist office.
Every year there is a Hiking Festival in Bohinj. This year it will happen between 13th September and 13th October. Numerous guided hiking tours, workshops and courses (nordic walking, skike), workshops for children and other activities are organised during the festival.
Fishing
There are three famous fishing grounds in Bohinj valley: Bohinj lake, Sava Bohinjka river, Mostnica river. But do not forget to buy your fishing licence.
If you are in Slovenia towards the end of September, you should not miss 4th Fishing Festival and International Fly Tying Meeting between 28th Sptember and 5th October in Bohinj.
Skiing
When in Bohinj you can ski at Vogel (1537 m), that offers skiing on natual snow and you can enjoy amazing views over the mountains. Eventhough you are very high in the mountain, the ski slopes are not very demanding. They offer also freestyle, off-piste skiing, sledging, cross country skiing. In summer the slopes are used for mountain biking.
To reach Vogel, you can take the fastest cable car in Slovenia. It takes only 4 mins to reach Vogel, nearly 1000 m higher than the starting point near the Bohinj lake!
Sustainable tourism in Bohinj
To preserve the nature around the Bohinj valley numerous measures have been taken. Visiters are encouraged to use the public transport available in the region (the timetable is still from 2012, but the new one should be published in a few days), not to pick the plants, to recycle their waste. The locals are also encouraged to follow the old traditional customs.
7th International Wild Flower Festival is happening in Bohinj at the moment (between 25th May and 8th June 2013). You can attend the workshops on wild flowers, you can go hiking and observing the wild flowers in nature, you can even eat the wild flowers with your meal.
Situated in the Triglav National Park, Bohinj guests need to follow certain rules. It is forbidden to camp, to light fires and to drive with motorised vehicles in the non-designated areas.
Accommodation
There is a big selection of apartments, cottages and rooms to rent in Bohinj. There are also a few hotels, tourist farms and campsites.
I would like to mention one, the Park Hotel Eco Resort & Spa 5* in Bohinjska Bistrica is the first fully sustainable hotel in Slovenia. It has one of the best Green Globe hotel ratings worldwide (international certification program for sustainable tourism) and has won numerous environmental and tourism awards. The hotel produces its own energy for heating and cooling, majority of lighting is led, it has clever energy saving controls, local staff, it uses tap standard water, water reuse system etc. It also has a big wellness centre, an aquapark, its own cinema hall and a bowling club. The owners are planning to build a new hotel and ski resort at Kobla (an old ski resort just behind Bohinjska Bistrica). It will be called 2864 (after the height of the highest Slovene mountain, Triglav). So, do not forget to check it again next season.
If you are looking for a hotel, check our selection and compare hundreds of websites to save up. If you prefer private accommodation around Bohinj, you can contact me directly and I will help you find the best suitable accommodation for your holiday.