Tag Archives: Bohinjsko jezero

The New Triglav National Park Centre and a Froggy Tale!

Posted in Bohinj, Festivals in Slovenia, Food, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Theme paths, Triglav National Park by

Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s only national park, covers an area of 880 square kilometres and has 3 information centres including the newly-built and recently opened centre in the village of Stara Fužina, near Bohinj lake, which I visited for the first time last week.

Downstairs the centre, which is open 10am-3pm on weekdays and 10am-5pm at weekends, has a permanent exhibition, information and exhibits about the park, and a small area selling local products.

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However, its the upstairs viewing room that makes this place so special. The saying ‘a room with a view’ is certainly apt for this, and no photo-shopping is required. They have managed to capture the views and the essence of Bohinj lake and the surrounding mountains perfectly with the full-depth windows, relaxing hanging chairs and selection of magazines.

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The only thing missing was a nice cup of tea with which to be able to sit and marvel at the views!

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Whilst in the area I paid a visit to another of my favourite haunts, Čokohram, in the tiny village of Česnjica, near Bohinj lake. I wrote extensively about this in a previous blog – http://bit.ly/1iq7MR4 – however, this time there was an added reason for my visit, apart from the obvious reason of gorging myself with chocolate and cake.

Inside the tiny building the walls have been hand-painted with several pictures of frogs and, on a previous visit, the owner, Alenka, had begun to tell me about the reason for this and her plans for the future. So, I wanted to find out more, as I’m always one for listening to an interesting local story.

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Though, in fact, I won’t give too much away yet as Alenka has plans to create a ‘frog-based’ theme path that will lead from Bohinj lake to Čokohram in Česnjica – and you can be sure I’ll be writing about that as soon as the plan is realised.

In the meantime I’ll share some photos I took of the delicious things on offer, as each time I visit there is something new. This time I noticed new chocolate liqueur, home-baked chocolate cookies, and cake pops. Nothing escapes me!

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I also worked on persuading Alenka to be a part of next year’s Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which has become THE unmissable chocolate event in Slovenia and the date of next year’s festival has already been announced – 15-17th April 2016.

More Rainy Days Ideas – Radovljica and Studor

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Most of July was blissfully hot and dry, and indeed records were being broken left, right and centre, until, that is, last week when a new, less than remarkable, record was set of just 20 minutes sunshine over a 5 day period. Let’s hope that record is consigned to the history books and not repeated any time soon! Fortunately, by Friday the sun had worked its way back and it was immediately hot again. The consequence, however, is that there wasn’t much in the way of hiking and cycling for me for the whole of last week, instead just endless trudges with my umbrella.

Once such ‘trudge’ – though in fairness the remarkable scenery means it can’t be described as a ‘trudge’ – was around the quaint village of Studor. The moody skies and the mountains of the Julian Alps rising up from Bohinj Lake only served to somehow make it even more scenic.

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Though only tiny, Studor it is known for its double height ‘toplar’ hayracks.

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The Mrcina ranch with its Icelandic horses.

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and also the Oplen House Museum (Oplenova hiša) which represents a typical 19th century home where various crafts were carried out and includes a black kitchen – http://www.slovenia.info/en/muzej/Studor-in-Bohinj,-Oplen-House-.htm?muzej=914&lng=2

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Meanwhile, in Radovljica, it is noticeable how rain actually attracts visitors to the area. On rainy summer days, the old town centre is often at its liveliest as people flood here from Bled, and the surrounding areas, seeking things to do on a rainy day. Popular attractions include:

The Museum of Apiculture, housed in the Radovljica Mansion, where you can learn all about the history and importance of beekeeping in Slovenia and see the collection of painted beehive panels, each one tells its own story, including the oldest one in the world.

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The Gingerbread Workshop at Lectar Inn, where you can see gingerbread hearts being made and decorated, pick up some souvenirs and/or enjoy a delicious meal in the restaurant.

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There’s also the Šivec House Gallery, St. Peter’s Church and, a little further afield, the iron-forging village of Kropa, the village of Kamna Gorica with its many bridges and streams, the ruins of Kamen Castle and the home of Avsenik music in Begunje, and the Vila Rustica archeological site and Village Museum in Mošnje.

All of the above mentioned are also accessible on the Hop-On Hop Off Tourist Bus which runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer – http://www.radolca.si/en/hop-on-hop-off-radolca/

Of course, on rainy days food and drink is usually top of most people’s list and Radovljica doesn’t disappoint on this score either with a plethora of cafes, and tasty homemade food at the Taste Radol’ca restaurants including Kunstelj Inn, Lectar Inn, Joštov hram, Vila Podvin. More information can be found here or click on the Taste Radol’ca heading at the top of this page – http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/

© AdeleinSlovenia 2015

Highland Hiking and Lakeside Chillin’ in Bohinj

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Another fantastic week of high temperatures is behind us, though the rain on Saturday has now cooled things down quite significantly. Needless to say, I’ve been making the most of the fine weather with plenty of hiking and cycling trips.

The highlight of my week was a day spent in the Bohinj area, which never fails to impress. Here I will share the details to hopefully provide some ideas and inspiration and, just a reminder, that at weekends you can also travel to Bohinj on the Hop-On Hop-Off Tourist bus which costs just 5 euros per person for the whole day. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/hop-on-hop-off-radolca/

My day began with a 7am departure from Radovljica – in order to beat the traffic, the heat, and find a parking space – arriving in the village of Stara Fužina at 7.45 from where I began my hike. From there, less than an hour’s hike leads to a wonderful viewpoint overlooking the lake, the Julian Alps and the Vogel ski centre. This can be a destination in itself, as the views are more than just reward for the effort. For an added reward, just a further 5 minutes from the viewpoint, you can enjoy some mountain refreshment at the Vogar mountain hut (Koča na Vogarju) – 1054m.

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I resisted the temptation and continued to Planina pri jezeru – 1453m (literally – highland by the lake), from where there are paths branching off in various directions. From here, it is just a further 2.5 hours (approx.) on foot to reach one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Julian Alps, the 7 Triglav Lakes Valley. However, I instead turned left to reach Planina Viševnik, then Vodićni vrh – 1486m, before descending back to the road which, eventually, returns to just near the Vogar hut and then back to Stara Fužina.

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Those who would rather hike less but still reach the highlands and get some great views, can drive up to Planina Blato on the toll road (10 euros) – 1147m, from where the are numerous onward options on foot.

Now, I must admit that I’m a self-confessed wimp when it comes to cold water and, until last week, I had always declared any water I had dipped my big toe into as ‘too cold’. But last week, finally, after five-and-a-half hours of hiking, the cool water of Bohinj lake was calling my name. With the temperatures being so high for so long, the water in the lake was actually warm enough – even for me – and dare I say I actually enjoyed it!

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If you’re looking for something to do this coming weekend on Sunday 2nd August it’s the annual Medieval Day in Linhart Square in Radovljica’s old town centre. It’s always a firm date in my diary and there’s something for all the family including market stalls selling local handicrafts and food, medieval dances, street performances and archery. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/medieval-day-in-linhart-square/83/310/

© AdeleinSlovenia 2015

Snowy Slovenia Facts and Figures

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Allow me to start this week’s blog by giving myself a small pat on the back. Why? Well, because last Friday my blog achieved its 50,000th view – something I’m really rather proud of. Ok, granted, it’s not up there matching the figures of some of the world’s ‘supper bloggers’, some of whom probably achieve that many views in a day, but for somewhat lesser-known Slovenia, and little old humble me, I think/hope/believe it’s quite an achievement. The greatest number of readers are actually in Slovenia, as often Slovenes themselves tell me that they turn to my blog for ideas and inspiration; this is followed by readers from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands…… and as far away as Bangladesh, Mongolia, Senegal, Ghana, Martinique and more; a total of 110 countries to date.

It’s now been 3 weeks since my fall and, hopefully, that means I’m at least halfway through the healing time. Unfortunately, the fresh, and heavy snowfall on Friday, and again on Sunday afternoon, meant that I couldn’t get out much at the weekend as I’m just too scared at the moment in case I fall on ice again, particularly as I currently only have one arm for balance.

As I was sitting watching the snowfall from my window on Friday, and the snow was growing higher by the minute, I was wondering what the actual record snowfall figures are for Slovenia and set about finding out. Here, instead of a blog about MY latest snowy adventures, are some rather fascinating Slovenia snowy facts and figures:

  • The most amount of snowfall in 24 hours – 125cm – Dom na Komni mountain hut, 1951 & 1970
  • The most amount of snowfall at less than 500m above sea level – 105cm – village of Soča, near Bovec, 1970
  • The most amount of snow in one place – 700cm – Kredarica, below Mt. Triglav – 2001
  • The most snowfall in one season – 1662cm – Kredarica, winter 2000/2001
  • The longest lasting snow cover – 290 days, Kredarica – 1976/77 & 1984/85
  • The earliest snowfall in a place below 500m above sea level – Kotlje, Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu, 11 September 1970
  • The latest snowfall in a place below 500m above sea level – Nomenj – 10 June 1974

So, instead of being out there enjoying snowy hikes, I’m resigned to looking back wistfully at photos of previous ones and looking forward to future ones. With that in mind, and for those looking for somewhere to enjoy the snow, and/or those who are maybe thinking about a winter visit to Slovenia, I offer below a few ideas for some of my favourite winter hikes and other snowy activities in and around the Radovljica area:

  • The Pokljuka plateau is a haven for all things ‘snowy’ – there’s the biathlon centre, cross-country ski tracks, skiing, and hiking. A very popular destination is to the hut ‘Blejska koča’, which can be a destination in itself, or the more hardy can continue onwards towards Mrežce (as seen below), Brda or Debela peč, the highest peak of the plateau.

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  • The Dom na Komni hut is one of the few huts that is open all-year round and the route up, beginning from the car park by the Savica waterfall at Lake Bohinj, is usually well-frequented and trodden. From the hut there are also a number of other options to continue onwards on the Komna plateau.

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  • The Koča na Taležu hut (725m) is popular with locals from around the Radovljica area as it is easily accessed, offers fantastic views for relatively little effort, and offers good food and a warm welcome

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  • The Valvasor dom hut is another popular winter destination for hikers and sledgers. The path begins at the Završnica reservoir.

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There are also currently tracks prepared for cross-country skiing in Radovljica, behind the Spar supermarket, and in Kamna Gorica.

It should of course be remembered that during winter anyone visiting the mountains must be well-prepared, equipped, and experienced in such conditions. The current fresh snowfall means the risk of avalanches is high, currently level 4 out of 5 on the avalanche danger scale, and unless you are familiar with the terrain and the conditions its not recommended to take on anything too adventurous at this time of the year, hence I tend to stick to (relatively) easy and well-trodden routes.

You can also find out more about these destinations in previous posts by using this blog’s search facility (top right corner).

The week ahead looks like being snow all the way, so until next week……

© AdeleinSlovenia 2015