The best running trails around Triglavski narodni park

The enchanting Lake Bohinj is Slovenia's largest natural lake and an absolute dream destination in the heart of the iconic Triglav National Park. While the nearby Lake Bled is often lively and touristy, Bohinj retains a wonderfully calm, pure, and untouched atmosphere where the rugged mountain nature fully plays the leading role. According to a well-known Slovenian legend, God, when distributing the Earth, forgot a small group of extremely modest people. Because they continued to wait patiently, He gifted them the most precious gem He had secretly kept for Himself: the Bohinj valley. The name of the lake therefore directly derives from the word 'Boh', meaning 'God'. The lake, with its length of over four kilometers and a depth of up to 45 meters, is a gigantic body of water. It contains so much crystal-clear mountain water that if the lake were to be emptied all at once, the water level in the surrounding area would immediately rise noticeably. On the east side of the lake, near the picturesque village of Ribčev Laz, you will find the famous stone bridge and the historic Church of St. John the Baptist. This is one of the most photographed spots in the entire country and houses centuries-old frescoes that give the scenery an almost fairytale-like appearance. The crystal-clear water is mainly fed by ice-cold mountain rivers and underground springs. From the shore, you can see fish swimming meters deep, although a dip in the summer requires some perseverance as the mountain water always remains refreshingly cold. Whether you choose a relaxing walk along the shore, a round trip by canoe on the mirror-smooth water, or take the cable car to the top of the Vogel mountain for a breathtaking view from above: Lake Bohinj is guaranteed to enchant you from the very first moment!

The enchanting Lake Bohinj is Slovenia's largest natural lake and an absolute dream destination in the heart of the iconic Triglav National Park. While the nearby Lake Bled is often lively and touristy, Bohinj retains a wonderfully calm, pure, and pristine atmosphere where the rugged mountain nature takes centre stage. According to a well-known Slovenian legend, God forgot a small group of extremely humble people when dividing the earth. Because they continued to wait patiently, he gifted them the ultimate gem he had secretly kept for himself: the Bohinj valley. The name of the lake therefore directly derives from the word 'Boh', meaning 'God'. The lake, over four kilometres long and up to 45 metres deep, is a gigantic body of water. It contains so much crystal-clear mountain water that if you were to drain the lake all at once, the water level in the surrounding area would immediately rise noticeably. On the eastern side of the lake, near the picturesque village of Ribčev Laz, you'll find the famous stone bridge and the historic Church of St. John the Baptist. This is one of the most photographed spots in the entire country and houses centuries-old frescoes that give the scenery an almost fairytale-like quality. The crystal-clear water is primarily fed by ice-cold mountain rivers and underground springs. From the shore, you can see fish swimming metres deep, although a dip in the summer requires a bit of perseverance as the mountain water always remains refreshingly cold. Whether you opt for a relaxing walk along the shore, a canoe trip across the mirror-smooth water, or take the cable car to the top of Vogel mountain for a breathtaking view from above: Lake Bohinj is guaranteed to enchant you from the very first moment!

The enchanting Lake Bohinj is Slovenia's largest natural lake and an absolute dream destination in the heart of the iconic Triglav National Park. Where the nearby Lake Bled is often lively and touristy, Bohinj retains a wonderfully quiet, pure, and untouched atmosphere in which the rugged mountain nature plays the leading role. According to a well-known Slovenian legend, God forgot a small group of extremely humble people when dividing the earth. Because they continued to wait patiently, he gave them the most precious gem he had secretly kept for himself: the valley of Bohinj. The name of the lake therefore directly derives from the word 'Boh', which means 'God'. With a length of over four kilometers and a depth of up to 45 meters, the lake is a gigantic body of water. It contains so much crystal-clear mountain water that if the lake were to be drained all at once, the water level in the surrounding area would immediately rise noticeably. On the east side of the lake, near the picturesque village of Ribčev Laz, you will find the famous stone bridge and the historic Church of St. John the Baptist. This is one of the most photographed spots in the entire country and houses centuries-old frescoes that give the scenery an almost fairytale-like appearance. The crystal-clear water is mainly fed by ice-cold mountain rivers and underground springs. From the shore, you can see fish swimming meters deep, although a dip in the summer requires a bit of perseverance as the mountain water always remains refreshingly cold. Whether you choose a relaxing walk along the shore, a canoe trip across the mirror-smooth water, or take the cable car to the top of Mount Vogel for a breathtaking view from above: Lake Bohinj is guaranteed to enchant you from the very first moment!

Very beautiful view of the Soca

The Church of the Holy Spirit was built as part of three vows that the peasants of Bohinj made after a three-year crop failure due to a worm, on the advice of a monk from Innichen. Thus, in 1743, they built a small Baroque church, although archival sources indicate that a church already stood on this site about 300 years earlier. On the south side of the church stood the bell tower with a Baroque roof, and in front of the church was an open shed. A sacristy was built under the bell tower, and later a granary, where grain and other produce and gifts from grateful pilgrims from Bohinj were stored. The outer wall is adorned with a fresco of St. Christopher, the protector of drivers and travelers. The camel hump roof is associated with a legend. After a long drought, the desperate people of Bohinj asked the church authorities what to do. On their advice, they built the church with a camel hump roof, which symbolizes a water reserve. Since then, it has rained so often in Bohinj that a saying has also been formed: "In Bohinj, the rain has offspring" (www.outdooractive.com)

In front of this chapel, which keeps alive the memory of the victims of the war, I would like to pass on a thought to the observer from the former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016). Because such monuments are not only memorials of a long-past past, but always current ambassadors with the eternal admonition for peace. In a speech in Zurich on September 20, 2006, he said: „For the founding generation, the European Community was the answer to centuries of European fratricidal wars, to the two World Wars of the 20th century, and by establishing the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, and self-determination, it was also Europe's answer to the crime of German fascism.“

Hiking boots are recommended for sure footing, as the paths are not consistently level.

A lovely circular walk around the lake. Not too crowded and nice and quiet 🙂