It is the largest lake in the country, located slightly deeper in the mountains than nearby Lake Bled, in the center of Triglav National Park (Slovenia’s highest peak). The environment is simply spectacular, and offers multiple routes, either on foot or by bicycle to enjoy a full experience in nature.
When I told her about my intention to visit the country, a former colleague from Slovenia told me: “Bled is fine but don’t miss Bohinj.” In fact, this place is the favorite of Slovenians to rest and enjoy nature. Once I visited it, I could understand why.
Date of the visit: October 2021
Fortunately, there is a direct bus line from Ljubljana station, and it takes about 2 hours to get there. Since it was going to be a long day, I decided to pack food in my backpack (in order not to stop for lunch and make the most of the time), get up very early in Ljubljana in order to be in Bohinj at 9 in the morning.
The lake is elongated in shape, and on its shores there are the villages of Ribčev Laz and Stara Fuzina in the eastern part, and the town of Ukanc in the western part. The northern part is covered by a narrow but spectacular 4 km path that borders the lake, communicating precisely Ukanc and Stara Fuzina.
Thanks to the fact of arriving early in the morning, I was able to take spectacular photos with the fog still invading the lake. The landscape is simply fairytale. Then, I went to the tourist office and checked the route for the day while having a hot coffee from the vending machine.
In principle, my intention was to rent a bicycle, but I gave up for two reasons: I wanted to visit the Savica waterfall, where the path is impractical for vehicles, and because I wanted to travel the northern part of the lake, also impractical for bicycles.
In addition, I also wanted to visit a viewpoint called Peč and an impressive rock formation divided by a river whose name is Mostnica Gorge where cycling is not recommended.
So, I grabbed my backpack and went to the pier that is right in front of the picturesque bridge, so that I could take a boat trip to the other end of the lake, west side, in Ukanc. There is also a bus, however I preferred to go by ship, as I had already had enough bus for the day. Here, unlike Lake Bled, the boats are powered by motor, since the size of the lake is larger.
During the journey, which takes about 25 minutes, you can contemplate the surroundings, which are simply breathtaking. There are mountains surrounding the entire area, and even the waterfall is visible from the water. Once the ship arrived, I took the path by walking straight to it. I still had about an hour to get there.
It is curious that, despite the fact that both towns are only 4 km apart, the environment is completely different. On the west side, where I was at that time, there was a landscape much more full of nature, with a purely alpine environment. Nothing to do with the town of Ribčev Laz where there are several hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and the bus stop.
Leaving the lake behind, I advanced in the direction of the waterfall, where, after leaving the village, I continued to find typical mountain houses, some of them converted into guest houses. After advancing through a thick forest, little by little the path became both narrower and steeper.
Just before reaching the waterfall, you have a small resort, where you can rest. It is called Planinski dom Savica and it consists of a hotel and a restaurant. It is also known as Savica Lodge. This is the closest vehicle-accessible place to the waterfall (in fact, there is a parking lot).
Without stopping, I decided to go up directly to the waterfall, for which you have to pay entrance. There is a cabin that acts as a ticket office and a souvenir shop at the same time. The entrance costs € 3 and from there, it takes only 5 minutes to go up. The path is stony, but then you have a concrete path. It is actually steep and immersed in a forest. Afterwards, you arrive at a wooden cabin that acts as a double viewpoint.
At times, the traveler comes across unexpected landscapes that are almost as beautiful as the goal in mind.
On one side is the Savica waterfall, whose waters fell imposingly, and on the other side is the impressive landscape of the Bohinj glacial valley that I had just traveled. It is hard to imagine that all this was gradually formed by a glacier (whose current reminiscences are precisely the lake).
The waterfall, in total, has an altitude of 78 meters. The environment is very beautiful. It is a perfect place to relax listening to the water crash against the rock, and at the same time the view of the valley. An unique place. Report that the area near the waterfall was fenced for security. Dear traveler, judge for yourself:
With the first visit of the day made, I set out to undo the path that I had traveled previously, until I reached the shore of the lake again. Instead of turning south, I went to the north slope where I made the route a beautiful path, very stony, but at the same time very beautiful, where there are extraordinary views of the lake and the mountain that is the background behind.
It is logical to think of stopping, on occasions, both to rest and to contemplate the landscape. The north path of the lake is 4 km long and there is no loss, since it runs between the foot of the mountain and the lake. I was, in fact, recommended to go this way at the Ribčev Laz tourist office.
The next house is at the west end of the lake, just as the north route begins. It can be read “Dobro dosli”, which means “Welcome” in Slovenian.
As you can see, the path is very narrow, and sometimes it has sections that are too stony to be able to go by bicycle.
From time to time, the traveler comes across an area of moraines, reminiscent of the area’s glacial past. In fact, it reminded me that the Vitosha mountain, in Sofia, where I live, there is a similar environment area, called “Golden Bridges“.
The next objective was to reach the other village on the east side of the lake, Stara Fuzina, from which he would take the route north to visit the peculiar rock formations of Mostnica Gorge. On the outskirts of the village, you will come across an old stone bridge, called the Devil’s Bridge. It must be crossed, since the path to the gorge is on the other side.
I must admit that it was difficult for me to find the place, but the visit, again, was more than worth it. In fact, I had to ask a local whom I ran into by chance.
Once there, the traveler can see how the river descends rapidly between the rocks and has formed an unusual but beautiful landscape. It reminded me a lot of Bourke’s Luck Potholes on the South African Panorama Route. Although the path is steep, it is not a difficult climb and does not require great efforts to get there. Although, in a way, the accumulated fatigue was already beginning to show.
Suddenly, deep in the forest, the traveler encounters this natural phenomenon, patiently carried out by water for millions of years. In some places, the gorge is so deep and narrow that you can hardly see the river flowing below.
Back in Stara Fuzina, I toured the village, which is, like Ukanc, full of typical mountain village houses, in a classic alpine setting. At that time I was going to visit the Peč viewpoint, a privileged place where I could contemplate all of Bohinj. The advantage of this place is that it is very close to the bus stop, therefore it was ideal for my interests.
With the sun setting, I followed the road that goes to Ribčev Laz until a concrete bridge, in which I detoured, and I entered the forest to begin what was to be the third ascent of the day. It may have been because of the little light that was already in the environment, but the signage in this place is not as good as at the Savica Waterfall or at the nearby Lake Bled. You can find the locations in the map below.
During the climb to the Peč viewpoint, there are no wooden signs, but trees painted in yellow and white. Care must be taken not to get lost.
As usually happens in viewpoints, there is a bench (a good way to know that you have arrived), and I was able to witness how the Sun said goodbye to the place until the next day, in a beautiful view of the entire lake, the town from Bohinj, always with the Julian Alps as witnesses. Unforgettable.
Since there was already little light, I could not linger too long at the lookout. In fact, I was already completely alone.
Afterwards, I went down the slope to the bridge again, and headed back to Ribčev Laz, where the day had started. I left town for one place, and came back for another. I stopped at the church “Cerkev Sv. Janeza Krstnika“, easily recognizable in the village, and took photos with hardly any light on the bridge, in the same place that I had been in the morning.
Then, I went back into the tourist office (which also included a souvenir shop) and took the opportunity to buy goat cheese produced there. Then, waiting for the bus, I sat on a terrace to drink a well-deserved Slovenian beer. Already at night, I got on the bus that would take me directly to the Mlino stop, in Lake Bled. It takes about half an hour to get there.
More Sites to See in Bohinj (or Rather, Reasons to Return)
Black Lake
Located 500 m above the Savica Waterfall, there is a small but beautiful lake at the top of the mountain in a spectacular setting. However, since it is a sloping road (it is at an altitude of 1,319 meters above sea level) the route takes several hours and requires a specific dedication of almost a day.
Vogar Viewpoint
Viewpoint located at 1054 meters above sea level. You can go both by road and on foot. From Stara Fuzina it is 2.5 km but it is a very steep road. Almost 3 km and it takes an hour to get there.
Ski Resort Vogel
It is a ski resort accessible both by road and by cable car. It is located in the southern part of the lake, on the top of the mountain from which there are privileged views. This was one of my main interests, however, unfortunately, it was closed for maintenance.
Ribnica Springs (Waterfall)
A little further north of Mostnica Gorge, there is another waterfall, less spectacular than Savica, but no less interesting for that. It is located 4 km from Stara Fuzina, about an hour and a half walking.
And If you dare… Triglav
It is the highest mountain and the symbol of the country. Located not so close to the lake, but in the same natural park. Triglav literally means “Three Heads” (“Tri” means “three” and “glav” means “head” in Slovenian), because it is a peak with three prominences. In fact, in the country’s own flag you can distinguish. Even if it not very technical climb, is still considered an intermediate level climb.
And much more! In fact, Bohinj has far more hiking options than Bled. That is why, if you visit Slovenia, and nature is your thing, do not hesitate to stay here for at least 2 days. As for me, if I ever go back to Slovenia, I will stay at least 2-3 days in Bohinj.
As you can see, Lake Bohinj has enough attractions (either routes, waterfalls, natural monuments or viewpoints, as well as activities such as parachuting, paragliding, rowing or rent a boat) to make it an unforgettable visit. I have rarely found such a perfect place for hiking, since there are many interesting options in a relatively small area and it is suitable for walking.
As for me, I had more than enough for just one day. However, the next day would be another unforgettable experience.
I can say that the visit to Lake Bohinj was the biggest surprise that I had on my visit to Slovenia. I left wanting more, and that is always a reason to come back one day.
Related Links
Tourism Official Sites
Bohinj Tourist Information
Savica Waterfall
https://www.bohinj.si/en/attractions/savica-waterfall
Mostnica Gorge
https://www.bohinj.si/en/attractions/mostnica-gorge
Vogel Ski Resort
Peč Viewpoint
https://www.bohinj.si/en/attractions/pec-viewpoint
Places to see in the area
https://www.slovenia.info/en/places-to-go/regions/alpine-slovenia/bohinj
https://www.bohinj.si/en/activities-in-the-julian-alps
Slovenia Travel Information
Slovenia Bus Information
https://www.ap-ljubljana.si/en
Useful Information
Be careful during the climbing to Pec Viewpoint. The marks are not so clear especially when the sun goes down.
The bus stop in Ribčev Laz on the bus website is: “Bohinjsko jezero / lake”.
Make sure to wear good shoes. If you want to visit many interesting places, you will need it.
Did you know that…
… Is there a legend related to a legendary chamois from Slovenian folklore, called Zlatorog, whose history is said to have happened in the area?
Map of Locations
Credits
All photos taken with Motorola One Vision.