Christmas, New Year & Winter Sports in Bohinj

The festive season is upon us and where better to spend it than in beautiful Bohinj, where there will be numerous events and activities going on over the Christmas and New Year period as well as countless opportunities to enjoy some winter sports. So, in this blog I have gathered details of some of the main events and added a few suggestions of my own for how to spend Christmas and New Year in Bohinj.

It remains to be seen whether or not it will be a white Christmas this year. Last year we had early snow, whereas the two previous years there was no significant snowfall until after the New Year. However the early snowfall this year on 20th November has meant that, at the time of writing, preparations are underway for opening at many of Slovenia’s ski resorts.

If you want your fill of winter sports, then you are spoilt for choice in the Bohinj area and Triglav National Park, from skiing and cross-country skiing to hiking, snowshoeing, sledging and ice-skating.

Time for a cuppa to warm up after snowshoeing – at the mountain den on Pokljuka! Photo: Adele in Slovenia

For a unique experience, why not try snowshoeing on the Pokljuka plateau…

Me snowshoeing at the Planina Konščica mountain pasture on Pokljuka! Photo: Adele in Slovenia

…or fans of downhill skiing can choose from two easily accessible ski resorts – Vogel and Soriška planina.

The Vogel ski resort is reached by cable car from Ukanc and is up there among Slovenia’s most popular ski resorts. Over an area of 78 hectares it boasts natural snow, 22 kilometres of ski pistes, 8 ski lifts, a children’s ski park and lift, a snow park, a hotel, restaurants, a ski school and equipment rental, sledging tracks, and more.

The Vogel ski resort. Photo: http://www.vogel.si

The Soriška planina ski resort can be reached from Bohinjska Bistrica as well as from Škofja Loka via Železniki and from Most na Soči via Baška Grapa. Over an area of 25 hectares, facilities consist of 8 kilometres of ski pistes, a two-person chairlift, 3 drag lifts, a children’s drag lift, a snow park, a sledging track, cross-country ski trails and a restaurant.

The Soriška planina ski resort. Photo: Adele in Slovenia

I don’t ski, and have no desire to either(!), hence you won’t see any photos of me swishing stylishly (ahem!) down ski pistes, but that doesn’t stop me visiting them!

At the top of the Soriška planina ski resort (without skis!). Photo: Adele in Slovenia

If there is sufficient snow in the valley, there are ample opportunities for cross-country skiing in the Upper and Lower Bohinj Valleys, where there are over 70 kilometres of tracks.

Cross-country skiing in the Upper Bohinj Valley, Photo: Mitja Sodja

Otherwise, there are a number of smaller ski pistes, which are particularly suitable for beginners and families, such as Senožeta and the Pokljuka family ski centre.

The Pokljuka plateau has more than 30 kilometres of excellent cross-country ski tracks, many of which start at the Triglav Pokljuka sports and biathlon centre at Rudno polje, where from 3rd-9th December this year the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup will take place.

The Rudno Polje Biathlon Centre, photo: Gorje Tourist Assocation – http://www.vintgar.si

And there are tracks at the beautiful Zajovrnik mountain highland.

Cross-country skiing on the Planina Zajavornik mountain highland, yes, it is me! Photo: Adele in Slovenia

You might even run into some of Slovenia’s military, who have a base on Pokljuka, honing their skiing skills!

Photo: Adele in Slovenia

Pokljuka is also an excellent place for some winter hiking. Among my favourite destinations for winter hikes are Mrežce…

Winter hiking on Mrežce on Pokljuka. Photo: Adele in Slovenia

…and Debela peč. Both of which can be reached from the Blejska koča mountain hut.

Winter hiking to Debela peč on Pokljuka. Photo: Adele in Slovenia

If you are unfamiliar with the terrain, however, do be sure to only hike on trodden paths and/or with a guide or local, and ensure you have good quality and sufficient winter equipment.

Nearly at the top! Photo: Adele in Slovenia

If live music and a good old boogie is your thing, then you can take your pick from numerous concerts.

Modrijani, Čuki and Ribič Pepe will be playing live on the 29th December at Camp Danica in Bohinjska Bistrica.

And the following day, at the same location, there will be a concert by Mambo Kings.

On New Year’s Eve you can take your pick of either New Year’s Eve outdoors in Stara Fužina, with entertainment from 9pm, or New Year’s Eve with the Avsenik Ensemble in Ribčev Laz, also from 9pm.

Elsewhere, in Bohinjska Bistrica during winter there is an ice rink next to the Mercator centre, on 1st December the Christmas lights will be officially switched-on in the village of Srednja vas, and kids won’t want to miss a visit to Santa’s Land.

So, enough to be getting on with then in addition, of course, to eating, drinking and being merry during the festive season.

© Adele in Slovenia

18Jul2018

Car-Free and Carefree in Bohinj and Triglav National Park

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Bohinj, Bohinj lake, Hiking, hiking trails, Hop-on Hop-On Bus, ifeelsLOVEnia, Julian Alps, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Triglav National Park by adeleinslovenia

This summer you can take advantage of the new shuttle system in Bohinj, which enables visitors to leave their cars and cares behind and enjoy the beauty of Triglav National Park.

By parking in the one of the designated car parks and taking a bus, not only does it remove the stress of looking for somewhere to park, but it’s more environmentally-friendly and easy on the wallet too – in fact it’s FREE – so what’s not to like?!

I went to try it out for myself last Friday and it really is as easy as pie. So join me on my journey to Bohinj!

First, park your car in the large FREE car park at Camp Danica in Bohinjska Bistrica.

Next, take a FREE ticket from the machine and display it on your dashboard.

Then just hop aboard one of the FREE buses that run every 15 minutes from 9am to 8pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from Camp Danica to Bohinj lake during July and August, and every 30 minutes in June and September.

The buses have various liveries, some easier to spot than others, but all offer the same FREE journey to/from the camp and the lake.

All that is left is to sit back and enjoy the short, scenic ride! You alight the bus just metres from the lake and the Monument to Four Brave Men – which commemorates the first four men who climbed to the summit of Slovenia’s highest mountain, Mount Triglav (2,864m) in 1778.

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure, or to be as active as you like in the knowledge that you can easily and quickly get back to your car at day’s end when you have had your fill. Though, does, or can, one ever really have a fill of somewhere so beautiful?!

Walk or hike to your heart’s content, laze by the lake, do water sports in and on the lake, cycle, visit local attractions, soak up the views…

If, however, you are like me, you might like to consider taking a bus one way and walking the other – you get to see more and burn off a few of the calories ingested in ice-cream, too!

Walking on the traffic-free Bohinj Cycle Route from the lake alongside the Sava River back to the bus stop at Camp Danica (or vice versa) takes around 1.5 hours, though allow more as you will want to stop for photos and soak up (more of) the beauty along the way and at the rest areas.

This is just one of this year’s new additions in the Bohinj area. There are also additional car parks as well as buses running from Senožeta to the Blato mountain pasture, a favourite starting place for hikes in the Seven Triglav Lakes Valley, as well as the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to the Pokljuka plateau.

If you are staying in the Bohinj area for at least two nights, you can also avail of the Summer Mobility Card, which provides visitors with free parking, free bus rides and a whole host of other special offers and discounts.

Click here for more about this and what else to see and do in Bohinj, Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps.

7Apr2016

The Bohinj Wild Flower Festival – A Jubilee Year

Posted in Festivals in Slovenia, Hiking, Julian Alps, Slovenia, Triglav National Park, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

The annual Bohinj International Wild Flower Festival will take place from 21st May to 5th June and this year, the 10th successive year, marks a jubilee. The first festival was held in 2007 and since then it has been growing (pun intended!) in popularity, and gaining ever more recognition, by the year.

The main theme of the festival is the presentation of alpine flowers in the waters, meadows, hills and mountains of the areas surrounding Bohinj Lake, part of Triglav National Park.

During the festival a variety of events take place including guided walks and hikes, workshops, local craft and farmers markets, exhibitions, excursions, concerts and culinary evenings.

There are also activities for the whole family including a ‘Weekend for Families and Children’ which includes flower-related events as well as participation in water sports and other outdoor activities.

You can get really hands-on at many of the workshops, first picking the flowers, then preparing them for various uses.

Culinary evenings take place at selected local restaurants, such as at the restaurant at Camp Danica in Bohinjska Bistrica, seen below, where you can enjoy local delicacies, such as trout, paired with edible wild flowers.

There are around 70 known types of flower which are endemic to Slovenia, and/or the immediate surroundings. A walk among them is a botanist’s dream. Theses species include:

Zois’ bellflower – endemic to Slovenia, Austria and Northern Italy and most prevalent in the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps (shown below)

Triglav Hawksbeard – discovered by one of the first four men to climb Triglav in 1778. It was found near where the Planika mountain hut now stands. It is very rare and is on the list of threatened species. So rare, I haven’t yet found it to photograph myself!

European False Stitchwort – first discovered near Ljubljana Castle in 1762 by the Carinthian botanist Jesuit Franc Ksaver Wolfen. It belongs to the Pink family, to which carnations also belong.

Trenta Scabious – discovered over 200 years ago in Idrija by a physician. The original finding is preserved in Slovenia’s Natural History Museum.

Depending on the weather – late snowfall can sometimes mean the season begins later – you can expect to find wildflowers in the meadows and highlands from the end of May through to late summer.

If you are interested in wild flowers, and/or considering a visit, here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect to see, those that I have been lucky enough to encounter on my hikes within Triglav National Park.

Here I am on a hike in the highlands above Bohinj Lake; from Planina Krstenica towards Ogradi.

Surrounded by wonderful wild flowers during a summer walk to the Seven Triglav Lakes valley. One can almost feel as if in a botanical garden, whilst completely at one with nature.

Here are a few of my close-up snaps.

Alpine carnation (Alpski nagelj) – also known as Alpine Pink

Carniolan lily (Kranjska lilija) – Not entirely endemic to Slovenia, since it can also be found in areas from north-east Italy to Bosnia, however, it is most common in Slovenia.

Yellow Gentian (Košutnik) – native to the mountains of central and southern Europe

Edelweiss (Planika) – this one probably doesn’t need any explanation as it’s widely known, but I had to include it as it’s such a special one, and also because we have a mountain hut named after it, which sits just beneath our highest mountain, Triglav.

You can read more about the festival and find the whole of this year’s programme here – http://www.bohinj.si/alpskocvetje/eng/index.php

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Tag Archives: Camp Danica

Christmas, New Year & Winter Sports in Bohinj

Car-Free and Carefree in Bohinj and Triglav National Park

The Bohinj Wild Flower Festival – A Jubilee Year