Lake Bohinj

Triglav National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Europe and accounts for about 4% of the territory of Slovenia. Part of the former Yugoslavia, this little nation is tucked away between Italy to the west, Austria and Hungary to the north and Croatia to the south. Almost 60% of Slovenia is covered with woods, making it the third most afforested country in the European Union, after Nordic countries Sweden and Finland.

In the heart of the park and a little way down the road from its strikingly beautiful, but ritzy cousin Lake Bled lies the gracious Lake Bohinj. It sits in the u-shaped valley carved by a glacier eons ago and is fed by the ice-water that rushes off the Julian Alps at the Slap Savica (Savica Waterfalls).

When eventually the crystal-clear waters leave the lake, they become the Sava River and flow through much of Slovenia, Croatia and finally through Serbia where, at Belgrade, they meet the mighty Danube. Before the water heads off on that long journey eastwards, you can swim and canoe at the eastern end of the lake below the spire of the Church of Sveti Janez Krstnik (St John the Baptist) where, after your swim, you can see a lifelike wooden effigy of St John’s severed head on a platter. You can also enjoy things that you might more readily expect to see served on platters in the various restaurants and inns at that end of the lake. You might even see Zlatorog, the mythical golden chamois who hails from this part of the world. If not, you can see a statue of him standing majestically above the lake.

We preferred our swims at the western end of Lake Bohinj where winding paths wander through the small settlement of Ukanc and its Alpine cottages, take you over a wooden bridge and then bring you to white pebbly beaches hidden from view.

We also walked the 12-kilometre trail around the lake where, along its northern edge, there are even more secluded beaches where you can really wildlyswim.  We didn’t get to do that last time, but hope to return one day soon. Lake Bohinj is, after all, only a day-trip from Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. We hope to ensure that we time our next visit with the annual Kravji Bal:  the ball held to celebrate of the triumphal return to Ukanc of the cattle and their shepherds, after a summer spent on the high mountain plateaus.

The Slovenian tourist office likes to use a few strategically placed capital letters to emphasis the LOVE in Slovenia. After a visit to Lake Bohinj, it is easy see why.