[All photos and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. All links are non-affiliated. All prices were correct at time of writing. Prices may vary at time of reading.]

Less well-known that nearby Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj is Slovenia's largest lake. Located in the heart of the Julian Alps, Lake Bohinj is worth a visit if you're in the Lake Bled or Ljubljana area. Unfortunately, I experienced a spell of bad weather during my two days in Bohinj but despite this, it was still one of my favourite places that I visited during my three weeks Interrailing. There are many activities for nature lovers to do around the lake, most of which are outside but don't let bad weather deter you (unless it's not safe of course)! Without further ado, here are my 7 top things to do in Lake Bohinj.

1. Walk around the lake

The first thing I would always recommend when visiting any lake is to try and walk around it. For Lake Bohinj, this takes around 4-5 hours but it's mostly flat and there are lots of nice spots to stop at along the way. I did this in the afternoon once I arrived in Bohinj and this allowed me to see the lake from different angles. It was also a nice, relaxed way to spend the afternoon. Obviously, if you only have a day in Bohinj, you may want to explore the other things the area has to offer instead.

Clear reflections in the lake on a cloudy evening

Clouds engulfing the surrounding mountains

Lake Bohinj

2. Hike to the Bohinj Lake View Point

A nice viewpoint within walking distance of the lake can be found on the east side of the lake. From the Church of St. John the Baptist, follow the road north away from the lake. After about 500m there'll be a small bridge on the right. Cross over the bridge and continue straight where you should meet a track going through the woods and taking you up the hillside. Follow this track for about 10 minutes until you see 4 paths meeting. Follow the path on the right until you reach a bench where the path ends and you'll be able to appreciate views of the entire lake. If these instructions aren't clear, then I would recommend downloading Maps.Me, which is a free app that allows you to download maps of specific areas and is really good at showing hiking trails.

The Lake Bohinj viewpoint just before it started to rain

3. Hike to Crno Jezero (aka Black Lake)

If you can't already tell, I'm a sucker for hiking to and around lakes. The hike to Black Lake takes you up to 1,319m above sea level from Lake Bohinj at 526m. Located in the Valley of the Seven Lakes, Crno Jezero forms the beginning of a popular trail through the Julian Alps that actually follows 10 lakes and, depending on the route, can be done in a day or over multiple days with overnight stops at various mountain huts along the way. Personally, I only walked to Crno Jezero when I was in Bohinj as it was so cloudy that you could hardly see more than 20m in front of you, otherwise I would have hiked a few more hours to the Double Lake at 1,685m above sea level, which consists of two lakes that join together when water levels are high. Despite the clouds I really enjoyed this hike. The lake itself was extremly peaceful and there's something magical and grounding about being within the clouds and seeing nothing but white around you.

Appreciating the cloudy but peaceful Black Lake

This hike starts at the car park for Savica Waterfall and it took me about 2-3 hours to reach the lake. I left after 6am for this walk because I was hoping the weather would be better in the morning (I was wrong) and I was starting from my hostel which was around an hour and a half from the waterfall car park. Surprisingly, though, I met three others, who were a similar age to me near the end of the hike. We walked to the lake together and then returned to the car park together as well. It was nice to meet some hikers less prepared than me, haha! Before doing this hike, I couldn't find much information about it, so I was surprised by how steep it was the whole way up. It's a slightly technical trail, a bit like a via ferrata, with cables to hold onto most of the way if need be and metal bars drilled into the mountainside to walk on in some areas. You can check out my post about this hike here.

Mysterious woods before reaching Crno Jezero

4. Savica Waterfall

Connected to the Valley of the Seven Lakes, Savica Waterfall is a popular tourist attraction located on the west side of Lake Bohinj. It's possible to hike to the waterfall from Lake Bohinj, drive to the car park or get the bus (tourist season only). Visiting the waterfall from the 'typical' angle costs €3 for adults. From what I've read it's best to go early otherwise the narrow viewing platform gets very crowded. Personally, I opted to view the waterfall from a different angle whilst hiking up to Crno Jezero. About halfway up to the lake you'll eventually see a path turning to the left whereas the main path up to the lake continues up the mountainside. Take the path to the left and you'll be able to see the waterfall from above. Here you can see the waterfall coming out of tunnels that have eroded in the mountainside as well as see where the waterfall flows down the mountain to the main viewing platform. If you opt for this option, it's completely free and will be less crowded.

Savica Waterfall flowing down the mountainside

The view from the free Savica Waterfall viewpoint

The waterfall running through the mountainside

5. Lake Bled

There is no doubt that Lake Bled is Slovenia's biggest attraction. Located 18 miles from Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled is worth a visit if you're not staying there already. There are so many things to do around Bled, such as stand-up paddleboarding, hiking and visiting the castle. Walking around the lake itself takes around 2 hours. It only takes a 45-minute bus ride or 30-minute drive to reach Lake Bled from Bohinj, so it's definitely worth a day trip or more! You can check out my top 8 things to do at Lake Bled here.

Lake Bled at night

6. Cable Car up to Mount Vogel

Another way to get stunning views of Lake Bohinj is by getting the cable car up Mount Vogel at 1,535m above sea level. From here, you'll get stunning views of the lake from a much higher viewpoint and you can see the surrounding mountains much better as well. If walking isn't for you, then this is a great alternative to appreciate the lake as pushchairs, wheelchairs and bikes can be taken on the cable cars. It's also a great area to start hikes or cycles from. Return tickets cost €24 for adults and €21 for students with valid student ID. Unfortunately, I was hoping to do this on my last day in Bohinj; however, it was so cloudy that I didn't want to spend money just to be surrounded by clouds but according to Google the views are stunning!

7. Kayaking

Kayaking is a great activity if you have a few hours to use up, especially as the lake is so big! It's a good arm workout and just fun! Multiple areas offer kayak hire and you can find out various providers and their costs here. This is another activity I unfortunately didn't do because of the weather and a lack of time but it would have been a lot of fun on a nice, sunny day!

Lake Bohinj

Where To Stay

I spent two days in Bohinj and stayed at Hostel Pod Voglom, located on the south side of the lake. The location of the hostel itself is beautiful as it's 20m from the lake; however, it is quite a walk to get to the main built-up areas in Bohinj - over 30 minutes. The hostel itself doesn't have a shared kitchen, which I didn't realise, which meant I had to eat out. I chose to eat at the hostel's restaurant, which I thought was overpriced for a very basic meal. The rooms in the hostel were rather small and didn't have proper lockers and the bathrooms weren't very clean. Furthermore, an entire floor (probably consisting of around 30 people) had to share one male and one female bathroom, which often meant having to queue in the mornings and evenings. Aside from that, breakfast was included, kayak rental was available and it was only a 30-minute walk from the cable car for Mount Vogel. It also had a bus stop directly in front of it, so it's easy to access. Unfortunately, I booked accommodation quite late for my trip, so this was my only affordable option. Overall, I thought it was a satisfactory hostel but probably wouldn't stay here again; however, it was reasonably priced at €16 per night if you're travelling on a budget and was in an ideal location for starting certain hikes.

Savica River flowing towards Lake Bohinj

Savica River

Despite the bad weather, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Lake Bohinj. I had so much fun hiking and seeing the area from so many different angles. I would definitely recommend going in late August/early September to avoid crowds and still enjoy good weather. However, whenever you decide to go and whatever the weather, you will be in awe of the incredible scenery that Bohinj has to offer.