Bohinj vs Bled

Besides driving through the stunning surrounding mountains, there are two main lakes in the area that are  destinations for tourists and locals alike. We are staying at one of them, Bled, and we decided we also needed to visit Bohinj to compare the two. Bohinj is apparently where the locals go, and I can see why. It, too, is stunningly beautiful, but a bit more rugged, and certainly less developed as a “destination.”  Driving around Lake Bled, whether in your own car, a horse drawn carriage or the adorable "train" is possible, even if there are sometimes you are not right next to the lake.  At Lake Bohinj, a steep mountain runs alongside one side of the lake, so the sheer drop off makes any such activities impossible.  Both have opportunities for camping and renting man-powered water crafts.  Bohinj has far less to do just around the lake with incredibly few restaurant choices.  I believe I am happy where we are because there are some fine restaurants, but I'm also very thankful that we spent the day in Bohinj.

We first went up the cable car to the top of a mountain where in the winter, skiers traverse amongst the multitude of buildings that were somehow constructed up here.  During the summer months, hikers take on challenges from here, and the rest of us find lovely swings and benches with nice views and even refreshing cold beverages.  Once on, what seemed like the top, you could take a chair lift to even higher up.  The chair lift was a high point (literally and metaphorically) for each of us.  We sat in a comfortable seat, dangling our feet over the ground below, feeling the cool breezes come off the mountain as we climbed smoothly up the cables.  And once we reached this even higher destination, there was even a restaurant up there.  Truly, a small community high on the peaks, another far away world.





I had read about a hike in the area that sounded perfect for us, and looked beautiful, Mostnica Gorge.  The problem was that the little town was doing road work, and so a drive that should have taken five minutes, included a thirty minute detour through some tight roads.  These roads, meant for two cars were in between homes and buildings with barely enough room for one car to squeeze through.  Thankfully, we never met a car coming our direction in these narrow passage ways.  It turns out that the round-about way of arriving was completely worth it.

Mostnica Gorge follows a crystal clear, blue water river coming down from the surrounding mountain peaks.  Scattered along the comfortable, mostly shaded, and mostly level pathway were moments when the water was fifty feet below us in a well carved gorge, shaped just so after years of wear and tear.  There were also perfectly situated rocks along the river, where the land and the river were more level with one another that we could sit on the rocks, stick our feet into the frigid water and be surrounded by only the sounds of rushing water.  A truly lovely hike for a hot day as the cool water sent breezes rushing by, and simple bridges allowed the path to be circular.  Another huge bonus to this hike was the remarkably few tourists that accompanied us on it!








While Bled does not have a cable car, it does have a chair lift up to an alpine slide, and well... why not!  Years ago, when I had been in Salzburg on a Sound of Music tour (I get to do another one in about a week!!), our tour guide stopped at an alpine slide and said, "I know this has nothing to do with the Sound of Music, but it's fun."  I had been a bit nervous about it, but absolutely loved it.  My parents were a bit unsure, but happy to accompany and cheer me on.  When we arrived and saw the wide variety of people who were coming down the slide, they decided they might as well try.  My stomach got a little less stable the higher up the chair lift took us, and certainly when I sat down in the small "sled" overlooking the beautiful lake below.  But the second I was released, and realized that I had complete control over the speed, the ride was nothing but enjoyable.  We all survived, with smiles on our faces, and decided we'd be more than happy to go back again.





Another gorge hike is advertised, but this one closer to our neck of the woods, just a couple miles outside of Bled.  Vintgar Gorge is another stunning natural landscape, a true piece of wonder.  The turquoise color of the water was similar to Mostnica,  but instead of often being well above the gorge, this hike had been built into the gorge.  This hike, about the same length as the previous one, cost a fair amount more, but it was understandable as the walkway along the gorge was built into the rock and hung out like a narrow boardwalk, winding along next to the river in many places.  A true feat.  Just like the day before, cool breezes from the air, and mist from a couple of large waterfalls kept us cool, even on warm days.  The only difference was, for whatever reason, this gorge was overrun with tourists, while the other had practically an empty parking lot.








So, to summarize, if you get the opportunity to visit this part of the world and are choosing between Bohinj and Bled... choose both! :)  I'm very happy that we chose Bled as it is more convenient to more jumping off points and has more choices of restaurants, but I'm also thrilled we chose to spend a day in the beautiful town just down the road.