Bohinj: Slovenia’s Hidden Gem

With Slovenia becoming a more and more popular travel destination, I decided to take a visit myself. Now I’m going to share with you what I believe to be Slovenia’s best kept secret: Bohinj. Whilst Lake Bled is the more obvious destination of choice, Bohinj offers something more special. Bohinj, just a 30 minute bus journey from Bled, is arguably Bled’s less touristy and more beautiful twin. Bohinj boasts a beautiful lake with very few tourists and many small ‘beaches’ that you are able to relax on. If you prefer peace & quiet then Bohinj is complete perfection. I arrived at Bohinj at around 8am, mist still covered the lake which hid its vast size. It approximately 2 hours for me to  stroll just halfway around the lake, but the walk was wonderful. As there were very few people, the atmosphere was incredibly serene. I saw the occasional cyclist, but otherwise I was alone with my thoughts. There were a few muddy tracks along the way where some building work or foresting was underway. I was in a simple pair of trainers and suffer from dodgy ankles, so walking boots would have been ideal and I would certainly recommend them.

Chasing Waterfalls?

Whilst at Bohinj, I visited the nearby Slap Savica waterfall. Around Bohinj, there are very few restaurants, however there are plenty around the waterfall area. I took a bus from Ukanc, a village near the lake, costing less than €2 up to the top as I didn’t fancy the 2 hour walk. The entrance to the waterfall was fairly cheap, and involved a lot of climbing, but the waterfall was worth it. You can’t swim in the waterfall or get particularly near it, but the view is brilliant. I decided to walk back down to Ukanc and Bohinj lake, which certainly didn’t take 2 hours as it was mostly downhill. It was a fairly solemn walk, with a few houses appearing as I approached Ukanc again. Afterwards, I took a bus back to a local village where I was staying, called Polje. Bohinj is a wonderful area, filled with opportunities for hiking, climbing and watersports. You can easily take a day trip to Bohinj from Bled or stay in one of the surrounding villages. I stayed in a hostel in Polje, a village consisting of very few houses, the hostel and its restaurant being the centrepiece of the area. There was an incredibly beautiful river nearby, which I ventured to one evening. If you prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of tourism or busy areas, I would recommend staying in one of the local villages. If you prefer something more busy, I would recommend staying somewhere such as Bled and getting a bus to Bohinj.