Lake Bohinj, Slovenia
The lesser known Lake Bohinj
Many visitors to Slovenia have heard of Lake Bled, with the impressive castle perched on an island in the middle of the water. It does make for a great photo.
However, about 30 minutes down the road is Lake Bohinj, the largest lake in Slovenia that also offers some impressive views, plenty of activities and restaurants, and as a bonus, is less crowded.
That’s not to say it’s empty. Far from it. It is still packed with tourists and locals, but the size of the lake means that it’s more spread out and feels less hectic.
Getting there from Ljubljana by bus
Unless you’re renting a car, the bus is the best way to get to Lake Bohinj. The bus stops along the way, including at Lake Bled, so you could get off there to tour around and then continue to Lake Bohinj later in the day. The train does not stop right near Lake Bohinj and takes some walking to get the rest of the way.
The main bus terminal in Ljubljana is easy to find and right next to the central train station.
The cost to for a round trip travel to Lake Bohinj is about 16 euros. The return trip can happen on the same day or within 30 days of departure. There are ticket machines that accept cards or if you want to make sure you get the right one, the ticket agent will help, but you must pay in cash at the booth.
The front of the central train station in Ljubljana. From this angle, look left and you will find the bus ticket office.
The bus ticket office.
The inside of the bus ticket office.
The buses are quite nice and comfortable, but expect them to be full.
The journey to Lake Bohinj
The buses depart about every hour for Lake Bohinj. Because it’s the same bus for Lake Bled, it will likely be quite full, especially in the summer. Even if you have a seat to yourself, there will be stops along the way where more people get on, so don’t expect to be able to spread out!
About half of the bus got off at Lake Bled, but more people got on at the same time. Because of the stops at each bus station, it takes a while for the new passengers to load, make sure they’re on the right bus and then get on the road again. The trip to Lake Bohinj is supposed to take about two hours, but was about 25 minutes behind schedule by the time we arrived. The same thing happened on the way back to Ljubljana, with crazy traffic through Bled.
Views from the bus window.
Passing by Lake Bled on the bus.
Arriving in Bohinj
Once you arrive in at Lake Bohinj, the first stop is in the town of Ribcev Laz and many people will get off here. There are many recreation options when you get here from swimming, biking, kayaking, to renting a small boat.
This is the stop to get off for the Mostnice Gorge and Waterfall hike.
Once you arrive, head toward the bridge toward the town of Stara Fuzina. The hike starts here.
Getting to the Trailhead
As you walk toward Stara Fuzina, follow you will come to a small grocery store. This is a great place to pick up some snack or food for the hike. It is a 10km hike, so you will need to be prepared with enough food and water to keep you going.
You choose your ingredients and the nice lady at the deli counter will slice some bread, cheese and meat that you can assemble outside into a decent sandwich for a cheap price. And you can pick up some packaged snacks to take with you.
From this point, continue along the main road until you see the signs below. Turn left at each intersection and you will arrive at a parking lot where the main trail starts. There are other starting points, but this is the easiest to reach.
Follow the signs left.
Again, head left to the parking lot.
The toll booth before proceeding on the trail.
The Hike Along the Mostnice Gorge to the waterfall
First thing is that there is an entrance fee to the trail of 3 euros for each person. This definitely caught some people off guard as they only accept cash. It seemed strange to have to pay for a hike, but consider it an entrance fee to the national park and it’s not that bad.
Overall, the hike is about 10km round trip. The trail is relatively easy, with some flat sections and some short inclines. It has varied terrain with some flat parts, but also some roots, roots and stairs in some points.
It is kid-friendly, as there were many kids at the end point near the waterfall. Maybe some were carried part of the way, but otherwise it’s accessible to younger ones. Bikes are not allowed on the main trail.
There are a couple paths to get up the mountain. I would suggest taking one way on the way up and the other on the way down to see the views from both sides of the gorge. The trails are easily identified, unless you decide to stray away from the main path (more on that coming up…).
The route is beautiful with great views down the gorge to the river below. At some points the river is right next to the trail and you can stick your feet in or wade in the calmer pools.
Mostnice Gorge Gallery
A slight detour
You might see the photo with the arrow and assume that it makes sense to follow the trail to the right. You would be correct.
However, I decided to travel left and follow what looked like it was (or once was) a trail. The result was about an hour trekking through leaves and branches without seeing a single person. I was following the river and assumed it was the same one, but apparently it branches out and I was not heading the in the direction I thought I was. However, I got some great photos of the other side of the trail that many people probably don’t end up on.
Heading Off the Trail Gallery
Approaching the waterfall
There are a few landmarks as you get closer to the waterfall. The first is a small restaurant for hikers about 30 minutes before the end of the trail at the waterfall. Depending on which path you take, you might also pass by some farmhouses in the valley overshadowed by the mountains surrounding them.
Finally as you get to the waterfall, there is another cafe/restaurant as a reward for reaching the end. The falls are about 150m past the restaurant. The waterfall isn’t huge and you can’t get too close to it. But it provides a refreshing stop to rest and enjoy the cooler air and shade.
The restaurant 30 minutes away from the waterfall.
Small farms and homes are found throughout the valley.
The final landmark restaurant before you arrive at the waterfall.
The Mostnice Waterfall.
The verdict on Lake Bohinj
If you’re looking for a day trip that includes just about everything that Slovenia has to offer, Lake Bohinj is the way to go. Even if you’re not up for a 10km hike, there are pathways around the lake, secluded swimming spots to enjoy the sun and plenty of places to eat and enjoy the day.
If you’re feeling like one day is not enough, there are hotels all around the area for a longer stay with plenty to do to keep you busy.
By Vincent
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