Despite being close to the famous Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj Slovenia has remained wilder and less touristy. It is a beautiful gem surrounded by the mountains of the Triglav National Park. It is such a peaceful place! If you love Nature, don't miss a detour to the Bohinj Lake. So here is my Guide with: lots of pictures, the best things to do at Lake Bohinj, suggestions of Lake Bohinj accommodations and practical information to plan your visit.
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Why visit Lake Bohinj Slovenia & Video
I think Lake Bohinj should be on every Slovenia Itinerary because:
- It is Slovenia's largest permanent lake
- It is a serene environnement where you can connect with nature
- It looks quite different from one end to the others
- You can easily admire it from above thanks to the cable car
- Like many locals will tell you, it is better than Lake Bled (although that can be discussed, see after the video)
Here is a short video that should inspire you to visit Bohinj, one of the best places to visit in Slovenia:
Lake Bled or Lake Bohinj
Wondering if you should go to Lake Bled or Lake Bohinj? Both have a lot to offer and are part of the wonders of Slovenia. So here are your options depending on what you are looking for.
- If you are doing a road trip around Slovenia - spend a couple of days at both location
- If you like Hiking ---> Lake Bohinj - definitively
- If you like peace and quiet away from Tourists ---> Lake Bohinj
- If you like choice of restaurants and animation ---> Lake Bled
- If your like historical monuments and locations ---> Lake Bled
- If you like views ---> Both are phenomenal
Lake Bohinj Panoramas & Facts
It is really difficult to capture the majestic and peaceful feeling of Lake Bohinj in photos. But here are 4 of panoramas from different location and with different weather to help you get an idea of what you can expect.
And in between I have listed a few fact to help you learn more about the Bohinj Lake.
- Lake Bohinj is Slovenia's largest permanent lake - it is 4.2 km long (2.6mi) and 1km width max (0.62mi) - If you are wondering why 'permanent' it is because there is the Cerknica lake that almost disappears by cycle (when I went there was almost no water)
- It is located in the heart of the Julian Alps protected as the Triglav National Park - it is between the Summits of Vogel (South) and Prsivec (North)
- It is a natural glacial lake that is relatively cold (Mean annual of 8.5°C and July water temperatures reaching 17°C
- The inflow comes from the West with the Savica stream and the outflow is at the East to Sava Bohinjka
- Its elevation is 526m (1726ft) and Maximum depth 45m (148ft)
- In the clear water you can find many many trouts, burbot, chub, molluscs and many other species
- In Slovene a lake is called Jezero - So its local name is Bohinjsko Jezero
The locations in this article, along with many other beautiful places, are included in my eBook: The Road Trip Guide-Slovenia.
It is a practical tool to plan your trip with maps, photos, planning tips, GPS coordinates...
How to get to Lake Bohinj
Where is Lake Bohinj?
Bohinj is sometimes refer to as the lake at the end of the world, because it is niched in the heart of the Julian Alps with only one way in or out by car.
- It is located on the West Part of the Country, just South West of Bled
- Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj East takes a 30 min drive
- Ljubljana to Bohinj East takes a 1h15 drive
Lake Bohinj Slovenia Map
To help you locate Lake Bohinj, below are 2 maps from my Lake Bled Guide. On the first one you can locate Bled in the country and compared to Lubljana. On the Second one , you can see how Bohinj is located compared to Bled and the main Road 209 that links both of them
How to get to Lake Bohinj
- The easiest way to visit Lake Bohinj is to rent a car. This way you can travel around easily. Get to Bled, drive along Led Bled and continue on 209 towards Bohinj. The road is large and in excellent condition. Easy driving. But know that parkings fill up fast in mid Summer. Check out my guide about driving in Slovenia
- In terms of public transportation you can find busses connecting with Lake Bohinj but that really limit your movements
- If you are limited in time and staying either in Ljubljana or in Bled you can book an organized tour that will take you to both the Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bohinj on the same day.
Road Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj
Arriving at Lake Bohinj
Where to stay - Lake Bohinj Accommodations
Where to stay at Lake Bohinj
You have 4 options in regards to choosing where to stay around Lake Bohinj:
- Stay at the East end of the Lake in the Towns of Ribcev Laz or Stara Fuzina. There is a large hotel and a great selection of guesthouses and apartments. The pros is that you have access to several restaurants and are very close to the lake.
- Stay at the West End of Lake Bohinj in Ukanc - This is for those you don't need all the facilities and just want peace and quiet
- Stay at the bigger town Bohinja Bistrica - a bit further east, this town has more facilities but you are not right by the lake
- Stay in Lake Bled and do day trips to Lake Bohinj - after all it is only 30 minutes away by car - Check out my suggested Bled accommodations in my Lake Bled Guide.
My selection of Accommodations at Lake Bohinj
My personal choice is to stay around Stara Fuzina so that you can enjoy the lake at sunrise and sunset. My second choice would have been Ukanc to be more isolated in nature.
Right by the shore is Hotel Jezero.
It has the best location with views of the lake and/or mountains from the balconies.
Modern rooms.
It also offers a nice swimming pools for the days when the lake is to cold for a swim.
Good choice at buffet-style breakfast.
I personally stayed in a nice apartment (Apartments Kovačič) with 1 bedroom and a sofa bed. It is not the most modern but it was clean, spacious and with an amazing view from the Balcony (as you can see on my photo).
Easy Parking on property
5min walk to the Lake shore.
Other suggestions of Lake Bohinj Hotels and Accommodations:
- GOOD VALUE FOR LOCATION - Not far from the hotel are the TD Bohinj Apartments that enjoy a fantastic location. No views but good value for price - Check out photos and book
- HOSTEL - In the middle of the South Shore is Hostel Pod Voglom (near a bus stop, and very close to the lake) - check out photos and book
- UKANC BOUTIQUE - Enjoy the comfort and elegance of Vila Park B&B in a beautiful garden, all you need to relax - check out photos and book
- UKANC BUDGET - rooms and apartment 750m from the Lake's west shore - check out photos and book
Top things to do in Bohinj Lake Slovenia - Enjoying the Shores
I think the best thing to do in Lake Bohinj is simply to walk around and enjoy the views from the shore.
You can walk all around the lake. It is 12km and tales 3 to 4 hours depending on how much you stop.
On the North shore, you are walking right by the lake as there are no construction, the mountain start climbing.
However the hike on the South shore is less enjoyable. You walk on the other side of the road. They created an elevated pathway, which is better than just walking by the road but it is not the best for the views.
Don't forget to cross the road at the parking to enjoy views from the mid-beaches.
You can do the South shore by car and stop at different views (listed with GPS coordinates in my eBook)
As you can see in those pictures in the beautiful from every angle.
Even if the weather is not good, you should go out. The white views from Ukanc were splendid and it stopped raining right when we walked there!
I could stay hour admiring the magnificence of the scenery of Lake Bohinj.
I also recommend getting up to admire sunrise. You won't see the very first light but when it gets over the tree line, it is serene. Plus at this time there is nobody around 🙂
BIKING
or you can rent a bike but the North shore will not be accessible to you 🙂
What to do at Lake Bohinj - other ideas
Meet Goldhorn / Zlatorog
By the side of the lake you can see a status of the famous Zlatorog a.k.a Goldhorn. It is a legendary creature and icon of the Triglav National Park.
The creature, a white chamois with golden horns, is part of a fairy-tale passed down from generations. You can read the original story as written by Karel Dezman here.
The statue is located on the South East shore, not far from the bridge. But I must admit that the statue at Lake Jasna has more impressive horns!
Swim, Kayak or Fish at Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is really great for water sport. However as I said before, the water is quite cold except in summer peak.
So people enjoy it more kayaking or on boats.
I really recommend kayaking to enjoy the serenity of the area and appreciate the mountains in every direction.
And as I told you in the facts, there are lots of fishes, especially trouts, so you can rent a boat and go fishing! You can obtain permits from the tourist office.
Visit St John the Baptist Church
Near the bridge at the East end of the lake, in Ribčev Laz, you can't miss the very photogenic little church. It is really charming.
It is called St John the Baptist.
Take the time to enter to admire the frescoes.
It dates back to before the 15th century.
Vogel Cable Car (Lake Bohinj Cable Car)
One of my favorite activities at Lake Bohinj was riding the Vogel cable car. The ride is very steep and impressive but you get wonderful views of the whole lake and the Julian Alps. On a clear day you the Triangular-shaped Triglav summit stands out above the others.
It was built in 2001 and enables you to get from 579m to 1535m elevation in just over 4 minutes minutes. The average incline is 70%
From there you can go hiking on the trails replacing the ski slopes in summer or you can pay extra to take the chairlift and get even higher.
However I wish they had done a better platform with the views at the top of the Bohinj cable car ride.
Savica Waterfall
Another famous location around Lake Bohinj is the Savica Waterfall. It is located at the Western end, above Ukanc.
You have to pay for parking and for entrance and then climb 550 steps to reach the viewing platform.
One one side you see the mountains and a little bit of the lake, and on the other the surprising slap Savica. It is an A-shaped waterfall that starts in the middle of the rock wall (from underground river) and falls into an emerald pool.
It is worth the climb.
For many more photos, check out my article dedicated to the Savica Waterfall
Lake Bohinj Hiking
Lake Bohinj is a fantastic place for hiking. There is a large choice of trails. Some easy and short or long treks to the summits of the National Park (including Triglav).
I recommend heading to the tourist office to learn more about the different trail and get a Lake Bohinj walking map.
An easy one is the Mostnica Gorge, above Stara Fuzina. It is not as fascinating as the Vintgar gorge in Lake Bled but it offers some interesting features along the way and, contrary to Vintgar, you are not stuck against other tourists on a small trail LOL.
The locations in this article, along with many other beautiful places, are included in my eBook: The Road Trip Guide-Slovenia.
It is a practical tool to plan your trip with maps, photos, planning tips, GPS coordinates...
Lake Bohinj in Winter
Lake Bohinj is also a great destination in winter for those who love skiing.
Mount Vogel is a ski resort with 26km of slopes. Most accommodations in the area have facilities to handle your skiing equipment.
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Inspiring, isn't it?
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