Lake Bled’s laidback cousin next door
Lake Bled gets all the attention for its fairy tale charm, but just an extra half hour away is Lake Bohinj, a stunning and pristine alpine lake without the touristic hustle and bustle of Bled.
Getting there
To get there, there are hourly buses from Ljubljana that pass through Bled, so you can either take the bus directly from Ljubljana or visit Bled first and then take the bus from there. I ended up visiting both Bohinj and Bled on the same day by going to Bohinj first and then catching the bus to Bled, which worked out well because Bled has quite a nice evening atmosphere with markets and light decorations. You’ll probably need to plan it well though so you don’t miss your bus. Of course it’d be much easier if you’re driving.
If you’re arriving by bus one of the first things you’ll see are a church and bridge. There is also a big deer statue nearby which is a popular photo spot.
Things to do
Normally there are lake activities you can do such as rowing, kayaking, rock climbing, and paragliding, but I was there in the winter so most of that was closed. Of course you can still enjoy the scenery and take a walk like I did, which was brilliant. Depending on your pace it can take 2-3 hours to walk around the entire lake, or if you’re catching the bus then you can just walk one side of it and catch the bus on the other side (i.e. start from the east end bus stop and walk to the west end bus stop). I came across people horseback riding as well, so there are other things you can do during the winter.
Food and drink
For food options there is a restaurant on the east end with a cozy atmosphere and breathtaking lake views. Outside the restaurant is a good place for photos and just to hang out. There was a beach volleyball court as well although there wasn’t a net up during the wintertime – would’ve been brilliant to play beach volleyball against an alpine mountain backdrop!
There were also a bunch of other restaurants and cafes by the bus stop at the east end (near the church and bridge) however they were all closed during the winter when I was there.
Overall Lake Bohinj is a great destination if you’re looking for a bit more peace and solitutde than what Bled has to offer. Both Bled and Bohinj are brilliant, but different and interesting in their own way.