[All photos and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. All links are non-affiliated.]
Whilst Slovenia is often overlooked as a hiking destination, it definitely has no shortage of hikes. Whilst I was staying in Bohinj, Slovenia I decided to hike from Lake Bohinj, Slovenia's largest lake, to Crno Jezero aka Black Lake. This was probably one of the steepest hikes I've ever been on and despite low clouds and fog obscuring the views, it was a really fun hike! For me there is no better way to explore a country than by hiking, so in this post I'll tell you everything you need to know if you're planning a hike from Lake Bohinj to the Black Lake.
Some Useful Info
There are few things that might be useful to know if you're planning on doing this hike or still debating whether you're up for it. Some useful stats can be seen on the image to the right along with a map of the general route. This map is from Maps.Me and I've added the route in pink. A more detailed map can be found at the end of this post.
One thing to bear in mind with this hike is that it's very steep almost the whole way up. This is something I didn't really expect before doing this hike as I couldn't find much information about this walk prior to doing it. The main path zig-zags along a rocky path, which can be slippery in the rain. Furthermore, a few areas of the hike are slightly technical, a bit like a via ferrata, and involves walking on metal rods sticking out of the rock but doesn't require a harness. Therefore, if you're not comfortable doing this then this hike probably isn't for you. However, it's worthing noting that for most of the rocky parts of the path there are steel cables built into the rock for you to hold onto if you want to.
Steel cables and metal rods are a common sight on this hike
Once you start this hike there are no facilities en route and no cable cars nearby, so you'll need to bring everything with you and be confident that you can complete the entire hike without assistance. Despite this, the hike is really well sign-posted and it's a fairly straight forward route, so you're unlikely to get lost.
These red and white markers are found regularly along the path
If you're in the area for a few days and want some other things to do then I recommend checking out my blogs with my top things to do at Lake Bohinj and Lake Bled.
Where to Start
The hike begins at the Savica Waterfall Car Park (point A on the map above) at an elevation of approximately 750m. It's possible to access the area from Ljubljana or Bled by car, train or bus.
If you're taking public transport then I would personally recommend taking the bus to avoid having to change as the train doesn't take you all the way. Ideally you want to take the bus to Ukanc (the specific bus stop is called Bohinj Zlatorog) and from there you cross a bridge and follow the road until you reach a track running through the woods and heading upwards. This will take about 40 minutes until you're almost at the waterfall car park. The bus itself should take around 2 hours from Ljubljana and around 45 minutes from Bled. If you prefer the train then you'll have to take the train to Bohinjska Bistrica and from there you'll have to change onto a bus to get to Ukanc.
If you're driving then it'll take around 1 hour and 15 minutes from Ljubljana and around 35 minutes from Lake Bled.
The bridge near the bus stop in Ukanc
Savica River surrounded by mist whilst walking from Ukanc
When I did this hike I was staying at Hostel Pod Voglom on the south side of Lake Bohinj. I walked from here to the start of the trail and it added about an hour to my hike but followed a scenic path along Lake Bohinj. I chose to leave early at around 6.30am in the hopes that the weather would be better in the morning... It wasn't. However, I was still glad that I chose to leave early because by the time I was hiking back down a lot more people were starting to hike up - this was at around 10am.
The view walking from Ukanc to Savica Waterfall
Where Next?
From the car park near Savica Waterfall head towards the Savica River and across a small bridge. From here follow the track through the woods for around 150m until you see a track turning left up the mountainside. There should be a signpost here confirming the route. Take this track up the mountainside. From here it's a pretty simple route which zig zags up the mountainside.
Savica River next to the car park for Savica Waterfall
The view from the bridge at the car park
As I wanted to see Savica Waterfall from above (point B on the map) then around halfway through the walk (roughly 45 minutes into the hike) I took a turning to the left (it should be the second left turning you see on the hike) whilst the main path bent to the right. There was no signpost for the waterfall here but I could hear the waterfall already. I walked along this path for around 50m and could hear the waterfall getting closer. Eventually I reached the waterfall, where I could see the water flowing out through tunnels in the mountainside. The clouds even decided to part a little at this point, so I could appreciate the views.
Savica Waterfall from above
Savica Waterfall
From this point it took me around another hour to reach the lake. A few hundred metres before the lake, the path started to level off and I was suddenly surrounded by a misty forest. As I entered this part I was surprised to meet three other hikers a similar age to me (1 from the US and 2 from the Netherlands) and we walked the final 10 minutes to the lake together.
The misty woods near the Black Lake
Once at the lake we appreciated the stillness of the lake in the clouds. Yes, the views weren't great but there's something special about hiking in the clouds and seeing nothing but white around you. It was very peaceful until we heard some other people shouting on the other side of the lake, whom we couldn't see because of said clouds. The lake itself is quite small but it was still exciting to see!
Appreciating the cloudy but peaceful Black Lake
Still waters at the Black Lake
After relaxing at the lake I decided to head back down the mountain with the three people I had met. We returned the same way as we came up. There are a couple of other routes that you can take back down the mountain but these take longer. In hindsight, I wish I'd tried one of the other routes just to be able to explore more of the Slovenian mountains. One of these routes takes you around the lake and back to the car park (in around 5 hours), whereas the other takes you back to Ribcev Laz on the east side of Lake Bohinj (in around 4 hours). I would recommend downloading the app Maps.Me to get a better look at these routes and their timings.
Walking along some metal rods, with a steep drop below
If it hadn't been for the clouds I would have continued my hike to the Double Lake (Dvojno jezero), which is at an elevation of 1,676 m. This should only take around 1.5 hours from the Black Lake in both directions.
Hiking in the clouds
It's slightly unnerving having no idea how steep or far the drop below is...
What to Bring/Wear?
If you're new to hiking then here's a basic list of some things you might want to bring:
Lots of water, especially if it's a hot day
Lunch and snacks - there is nowhere to buy food once you start the hike
Proper sturdy walking boots - you don't want to twist an ankle whilst hiking in the mountains, especially on this hike as there are no facilities en route and it's diffcult to access
A walking partner - I did this hike alone but it's generally not recommended to hike in the mountains alone. It's probably not so much of an issue in summer as this hike is quite popular
Sunscreen, even on a cloudy day! Up in the mountains you'll burn much more easily even on a cloudy day
A map may be helpful if you're worried about getting lost
Obviously don't forget other essentials, such as ID, money, phone etc.
AND don't forget to go to the toilet before setting off unless you don't mind using nature as your toilet!
One of the few times where the clouds parted enough to see how high up I was
Overall, I loved this hike even though the weather wasn't great when I was there. It was so much fun hiking in the clouds and this hike really has a lot to offer in terms of scenery, from rocky terrain to forests to waterfalls. Yes, it's steep and slightly technical but it's a good challenge. Please don't let my experience of bad weather stop you from going! I went in early/mid-September when the weather was starting to worsen but I'm sure earlier in the summer when the weather is better, the views will be stunning! One of the things I liked most about this hike was that it's very remote unlike the hikes I've done in Switzerland, where trains and facilities are available en route. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy then this hike is definitely worth a try and allows you to visit Slovenia's less-explored Julian Alps.
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