Destination Guides > Slovenia > Gorenjska

Gorenjska

This province in northern Slovenia is one of the most visited regions in the country. Tourists come from around Europe for the ski resorts in the Julian Alps and also to visit the picturesque towns of Bled and Bohinj while Triglav National Park is a popular spot for Slovenes who come to climb Mt Triglav.

Bled

If you want a break from European culture, why not spend a few nights in the lakeside resort of Bled. Not only do you get a bit of peace and quiet, but there's a great castle and a cute little church on the island in the middle of the lake. It's less than an hour from Ljubljana and is home to a couple of great hostels.

Practical Information

Bled Tourist Board

Cesta svobode 11, SI-4260 Bled

Tel (04) 5741 122

Website www.bled.si

Open Jan-Feb Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-2pm; Mar-May Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-5pm; Jun Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm; Jul-Aug Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 10am-10pm; Sep Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm; Oct Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-5pm; Nov-Dec Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-2pm.

Coming & Going

If you're coming from Ljubljana, take the bus. Buses run frequently and stop in the centre of town, if you take the train you'll end up at Lesce-Bled, about 6km outside town. It's a bitch of a walk!

Accommodation

Bled Backpackers Rooms

Grajska cesta 21, Bled
Tel 051 678 008

Bledec Hostel

Grajska cesta 17, Bled 4260
Tel (04) 5 745 250

Hostel 1004

Grajska Cesta 22, Bled
Tel (04) 156 7512

Jakelj Backpackers House (Int'l Backpackers House)

Selo 11/a, Zirovnica, Bled
Tel 070 616 889

Sights

Bled Castle (Blejski grad)

Bled's castle occupies a hilltop overlooking the lake. The castle is home to a museum with exhibits on the surrounding region.

Grajska cesta, Bled

Tel (04) 574 12 30

Admission €2.50, students €2.10

Open Jan-Apr 9am-5pm daily; May-Sep 9am-8pm daily; Oct-Dec 9am-5pm daily

Bled Island (Blejski Otok)

This tiny island on Lake Bled is Slovenia's only island and is home to a pretty church dating from the 8th century. Although it is close enough to the shore to swim to, the most popular way to get to the island is by a small boat, known as a Pletna.

Vintgar Gorge (Blejski Vintgar)

Located 4km northwest of Bled, this scenic area is home to a popular short hiking trail that takes in the 1.6km long ravine and the Šum waterfall. It is quite touristy with a cluster of cafés and shops at each end of the trail.

Bohinj

Most travellers think of Bohinj as a quieter version of Bled. Sure there isn't a castle or a pretty little church on an island in the lake, however this also means that the place isn't crawling with tourists.

Bohinj generally refers to the area around Lake Bohinj and most people stay in one of the three towns located on the lake: Ribcev Laz, Stara Fužina and Ukanc or in Bohinjska Bistrica, 6km east of the lake.

Lake Bohinj is larger than Lake Bled and despite the lack of a castle it has a more scenic location. The main attraction here is Triglav National Park on the north shore of the lake and the towering Mount Triglav, which is the region's most prominent feature.

There are also two nearby ski resorts: Vogel, near Ukanc at the southwestern corner of the lake and Kobla near Bohinjska Bistrica.

Practical Information

Tourist Office Bohinj

Ribcev Laz 48, 4265 Bohinjsko Jezero

Tel (04) 5723 370

Website www.bohinj.si/tdbohinj/

Open Jan-Jun Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 8am-3pm; Jul to mid-Sep 7am-8pm daily; mid-Sep to Dec Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 8am-3pm

Coming & Going

Like Bled, Bohinj is most easily accessible by bus and there are frequent buses to Ribcev Laz from Bled and Ljubljana.

There is a train station in Bohinjska Bistrica. It is on the scenic line that runs along the Soca Valley, however it is inconvenient if you're coming from Ljubljana. Also there is the problem of getting to the lake from the station in Bohinjska Bistrica.

Activities

Bohinj is a good base for adventure sports and several companies offer activities such as canyonging and whitewater rafting.

Pac Sports (tel (041) 698 523; website www.pac-sports.com) offers canyoning (€35-55), hydrospeed (€25) and white water rafting (€20-25).

Alpinsport (website www.alpinsport.si) also run canyoning trips (€36.70-51.70) and also offer the opportunity to abseil 105 metres into the Govic cave on Mount Pršivec (€42).

If you're looking for this sort of adventure, you'll find Slovenia a much cheaper alternative than either Austria or Switzerland.

Sights

Savica Waterfall

This is one of Bohinj's main attractions, the 78 metre-high falls are reached by a 4km hike from Ukanc.

Tel (04) 572 3370

Admission 300 SIT, students 150 SIT

Open Apr-Oct 9am-5pm

Church of St John the Baptist

Although this church's location isn't quite as pretty as the island setting of Bled's church, there are many people who prefer this church to the more visited one in Bled. This medieval church dates from 1440 and is home to some elegant frescos.

Ribcev Laz

Open mid-Jun to mid-Sep 9am-noon & 3pm-6pm

Triglav National Park

Mount Triglav is the main attraction in the park and climbing it is one of the most popular activities in Triglav National Park. The mountain is considered a national symbol and it appears on the Slovenian flag.

Although some people can hike to the summit within a day, most people take two days to complete the hike. There are several routes that you can take:

The shortest route leaves from Rudno Polje on the Pokljuka plateau, about 18km southwest of Bled. Some people complete this hike within a day, although most people stop overnight at one of the two huts en route.

Bohinj is a much more popular base for climbing Mt Triglav and there are several routes that you can take. A popular route starts near the Savica waterfall and ends at Stara Fužina at the northeastern edge of the lake. This hiking trail has the advantage of combining the waterfall with spectacular views of the lake as you ascend the mountain and it should take three days to complete.

Tradition says that first-time climbers get a whack on the buttocks with a birch branch upon reaching the summit!

Accommodation

Accommodation en route is provided by mountain huts, which are a lot like hostels that cater exclusively to hikers.

Dom na Komni

4265 Bohinjsko jezero
Tel (050) 611221

Dom Planika pod Triglavom

4265 Bohinjsko jezero
Tel (050) 614773

Koca pri Triglavskih jezerih

4265 Bohinjsko jezero
Tel (050) 615235

Traka koca na Dolicu

5232 Soca
Tel (050) 614780

Vodnikov dom na Velem polju

4265 Bohinjsko jezero
Tel (050) 615621