By all means visit Bled, where the lake with its island and medieval castle make for a spectacular destination. But don’t knock beautiful Bohinj, which has more than enough claims to make it one of the nation’s finest destinations.
The area covers three spectacular valleys, where you’ll find the biggest lake and highest mountain in Slovenia. Two thirds of the Bohinj area belong to the Triglav National Park.
There’s also the matter of Vogel, the local ski resort above Lake Bohinj with a ski area ten times the size of Bled’s - 22km of pistes in glorious national parkland.
Skiing picked up in these parts between the World Wars – a place called Skalaški dom on the outskirts of Vogel was used as a bed base for skiers and mountaineers, before it was demolished in the war. Proper cable cars and guesthouses started appearing in the sixties, as the resort grew into one of Slovenia’s greatest places to ski.
The Bohinj area is made up of a number of small villages. Most hotels are based near the lake, and others can be found in the village of Bohinjska Bistrica with a ski bus to transport you to the ski lifts.
Location: Slovenian Alps
Established: 1961
Open: December - May
Downhill: 22km
View our detailed Bohinj snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Bohinj snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Ljubljana Jože Pucnik Airport (LJU) | 50km, 1 hour |
Salzburg airport (SZG) | 253km, 3 hours |
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Top Altitude: | 1800m |
Bottom Altitude: | 560m |
Resort Altitude: | 560m |
Longest run: | 6km |
Slope Orientation: | NW SE E |
Vertical Drop: | 1231m |
Skiable Vertical: | |
Night Skiing: | No |
Glacier: | No |
Downhill Runs: | 22km |
Beginner slopes: | 43% |
Intermediate: | 57% |
Advanced slopes: | 0% |
Lift Pass Price: | €141 (adult 6 day) |
Nearby resorts: Bled, Kranjska Gora |
For Vogel’s littlest visitors, the children’s park has magic carpet lifts, a toboggan run for more snowy fun (and a nearby terrace at Viharnik Inn for parents to watch them progress from).
Blue run skiers can take the Stirisedeznica chair to the Orlove glave or Kriz runs, which wiggle down to the mid station.
The Sija – Zadnji Vogel slope is a deliciously long red run from Postaja Sija at 1800m, down to the gondola station.
The Suha and Rodica mountains are popular with ski tourers – you can set off from the Kratki plaz drag or Zadnji Vogel chair. Cross country skiers have over 60km of trails.
Vogel snow park is one of the best in Slovenia – 2ha in size and containing all manner of modules.
With the Slovenian Alps Ski Pass, you’ve access to Vogel as well as a number of other resorts, including Bled, Kranjska Gora, Cerkno and 3ländereck.
When it calls for an après ski drink or three, Cuk bar is a favourite for music and dancing into the early hours. There’s also Kavka bar, where the sun terrace looks over the snow park. In the food department, Viharnik is a panoramic restaurant at the top of the cable car looking over Triglav and the Bohinj basin. Grab one of the outdoor tables when the sun’s out and try some of the local cuisine on offer. Chalet Merjasec is famed for its boar goulash, while Gostilna Erlah does a good mix of European dishes with good veggie options. For good old fashioned pizza, try Center Pizzerija.
Besides skiing and snowboarding, activities include tandem paragliding and sledding.
The area usually gets a healthy dose of natural snow throughout the season, and hasn’t had to invest as heavily in snow cannons as other Slovenian resorts. This makes it a good choice if you’re planning to visit towards the beginning or end of the ski season – sometimes the area is skiable as early as November, and continues to be so into May. The positioning of the area has something to do with it, featuring the first mountains above the Adriatic.
Look out for concerts and carnivals in Bohinj at Christmas, when the gorgeous surroundings make the whole place feel fabulously festive. Bohinj Christmas ski holidays ‣
Some of the villages follow the otepanje custom in Bohinj at New Year, a terrific way to experience local culture. Bohinj New Year ski holidays ‣
The beginner and intermediate friendly ski area is in peak condition in Bohinj at Half Term. Bohinj Half Term ski holidays ‣
This is one of the only Slovenian resorts that stays open in the spring, making Bohinj at Easter an excellent choice. Bohinj Easter ski holidays ‣
Families will love the forgiving ski area here, with activities like sledding in the Children’s Park adding to the excitement.
Whether you’re all sticking to the Vogel slopes or setting off to explore Slovenia’s other ski offerings, there’s a lot of flexibility to suit all kinds of groups in Bohinj.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
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Bohinj ECO Hotel | 7 | £ 922 |
Hotel Jezero | 7 | £ 742 |
Hotel Majer’ca | 7 | £ 745 |