Things to do in Bohinj
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Church of St John the Baptist
The Church of St John the Baptist, on the northern side of the Sava Bohinjka just across the stone bridge, is what every medieval church should be: small, on a reflective lake and full of exquisite frescoes. It is the most beautiful and evocative church in all of Slovenia, with the possible exception of the Church of the Holy Trinity at Hrastovlje in Primorska. Unfortunately it was under renovation at the time of research.
The nave of the church is Romanesque, but the Gothic presbytery dates from about 1440. A large portion of the latter's walls, ceilings and arches are covered with 15th- and 16th-century frescoes. As you face the arch from the nave, look for the frescoes…
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hiking
There are plenty of hiking options to choose from. A circular walk around the lake (12km) from Ribčev Laz should take between three and four hours. Or you could just do parts of the walk around the lake by following the hunters' trail in the forest above the south shore of the lake to the Hotel Zlatorog and taking the bus back, or walking along the more tranquil northern shore under the cliffs of Pršivec (1761m).
Much more strenuous is the hike up to Vogel (1922m) from the cable car's upper station. Take a map and compass, and don't set out if it looks stormy; Vogel is prone to lightning strikes. The whole trip should take about four hours. The 1:25,000 Bohinjsko Jezero…
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Planšar
If you want something light and incredibly tasty, head for the 'Herder', just opposite the Alpine Dairy Museum in Stara Fužina - appropriately enough. It specialises in home-made dairy products: hard Bohinj cheese, a soft, strong-tasting cheese called mohant (not to everyone's taste), cottage cheese, curd pie, sour milk and so on.
You and a friend can taste a variety of them for around €6.50 or make a meal of cheese and different types of grain dishes such as žganci (buckwheat) and ješprenj (barley). Other dishes available include štruklji (cheese dumplings) and jota (a thick soup of beans and salt pork).
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Alpine Dairy Museum
The Alpine Dairy Museum in Stara Fužina, about 1.5km north of Ribčev Laz, has a small collection related to alpine dairy farming in the Bohinj Valley, once the most important such centre in Slovenia. Until the late 1950s large quantities of cheese were still being made on 28 highland pastures, but a modern dairy in nearby Srednja Vas does it all now.
The four rooms of the museum - a cheese dairy itself once upon a time - contain a mock-up of a mid-19th-century herder's cottage, fascinating old photographs, cheese presses, wooden butter moulds, copper rennet vats, enormous snowshoes and sledges, and wonderful hand-carved crooks.
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Savica Waterfall
One of the reasons people come to Bohinj is to hike to the magnificent Savica Waterfall , which cuts deep into a gorge 60m below.
The waterfall, the source of Slovenia's longest and mightiest river, is 4km from the Hotel Zlatorog in Ukanc and can be reached by footpath from there. Cars (and the bus in summer) continue via a paved road to a car park beside the Savica restaurant, from which it's a 20-minute walk up 510 steps and over rapids and streams to the falls.
The falls are among the most impressive sights in the Julian Alps, especially after a heavy rain, but bring something waterproof or you may be soaked by the spray.
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Gostišče Rupa
Two country-style restaurants make a trip to Srednja Vas, the next village over from Studor and about 5km from Ribčev Laz, worthwhile. The first restaurant is Gostišče Rupa, which serves excellent home-cooked food, including spectacular Bohinj trout and ajdova krapi, crescent-shaped dumplings made from buckwheat and cheese. The second is Pri Hrvatu meals from around €15, an equally popular place that can trace its pedigree back eight decades.
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Mostnica Falls
An excellent hike is the two-hour one north from Stara Fužina through the Motnica Gorge to the Mostnica Falls, which rival Savica Waterfall after a heavy rain. The 1:25,000 Bohinjsko Jezero z Okolico (Lake Bohinj & Surrounds; around €7.30) map available at the tourist office lists a dozen excellent walks. Also useful is the 1:15,000 Bohinj (around €5) map with as many walks outlined.
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Oplen House
Oplen House, is a typical old peasant's cottage with a chimneyless 'smoke kitchen' that has been turned into a museum focusing on the domestic life of peasants in the Bohinj area at the turn of the 20th century. But Studor's real claim to fame is its many toplarji, the double-linked hayracks with barns or storage areas at the top. Look for the ones at the entrance to the village; they date from the 18th and 19th centuries.
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indoor swimming pool
Some of the beaches on Lake Bohinj's northern shore are reserved for naturists in summer. Nonguests can use the indoor swimming pool at the Hotel Zlatorog (572 33 81; Ukanc 65; pool/pool & sauna Mon-Fri around €6/around €7, Sat & Sun around €8/around €9; ;16:00-22:00) should Bohinj's infamous early morning fog drive you inside.
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Vogel ski centre
The main station at Bohinj is Vogel ski centre, 1535m above the lake's southwestern corner and accessible by cable car. With skiing up to 1800m, the season can be long, sometimes from late November to early May. Vogel has 18km of ski slopes and 8km of cross-country runs served by four chairlifts and four T-bar tows.
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Pri Hrvatu
Two country-style restaurants make a trip to Srednja Vas, the next village over from Studor and about 5km from Ribčev Laz, worthwhile. The first restaurant is Gostišče Rupa. The second is Pri Hrvatu, an equally popular place that can trace its pedigree back eight decades.
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adventure sports
Alpinsport and PAC Sports in Ribčev Laz both offer a wide range of adventure sports , including canyoning (around €37 to around €55), rafting (around €23 to around €30) on the lake and Sava Bohinjka River.
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Gostilna Mihovc
This place in Stara Fužina is a popular place - not least for its home-made brandy. Try the pasulj (bean soup) with sausage (around €5) or the beef golač (goulash).
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Aqua Park Bohinj
Aqua Park Bohinj, a new water park in Bohinjska Bistrica, has 380 sq metres of pools with slides as well as saunas and fitness and wellness centres. Entry fees vary according to the season.
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Old Timer Train
The Old Timer Train passes through Bohinjska Bistrica on its way to and from Jesenice and Most na Soči several times in summer. Ask the tourist office for its current schedule.
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Kobla ski centre
The lower (up to 1480m) Kobla ski centre is about 1km east of Bohinjska Bistrica. It has 23km of slopes and 13km of cross-country runs served by three chairlifts and three T-bars.
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Bohinj Adrenalin Park
PAC Sports can arrange visits to Bohinj Adrenalin Park, featuring high rope courses and walkways, giant swings and so on behind the Hotel Pod Voglom (under renovation).
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Center Bohinj Pizzerija
This jack-of-all-trades just down from the tourist office is the only eatery in the centre of Ribčev Laz. It can satisfy all tastes (except very demanding ones).
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Tourist Boat
In season, the cunningly named Tourist Boat sails between Ribčev Laz and Kamp Zlatorog at Ukanc. You can buy tickets at the tourist office in Ribčev Laz.
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cable car
The lower station of the cable car is about 250m up the hill south of the Hotel Zlatorog in Ukanc, about 5km west of Ribčev Laz.
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Mrcina Ranč
The Mrcina Ranč in Studor offers a range of guided horse riding tours lasting one hour to three days on sturdy Icelandic ponies.
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Mercator
There's a Mercator supermarket next to the tourist office in Ribčev Laz.
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