Vogel And Lake Bohinj: Skiing In Slovenia

The lake has been here for quite a long time and is dammed by its moraine-soil and rock from broken up glaciers. The lake is not isolated from glacial runoff and the Savica feeds water into it continually.

The entire valley becomes a tourist playhouse come wintertime (and summer time too). All four regions-the Nomenj Basin, the Ukanc Basin, the Upper and Lower Valleys-benefit from natural beauty and outdoor recreation possibilities of the Bohinj Valley. The entire region south of the Bled, for example, covers an area over 20km long and 5km wide.

Given the Bled glacial lake, the Bled Castle, the surrounding mountains, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and other natural and architectural wonders, it's no wonder nature lovers come here all year round to find natural wonders. Since this area of Slovenia has been inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age, there's a lot of history here to find and explore.

The borders of Bohinj stretch north to the Triglav Mountain, east to the Jelovica and Pokljuka (plateaus with canyons), and south to the Bohinj Mountain range. With such prominent borders, it's no wonder the area has held on to its traditional ways for such a long time. This region of Slovenia, too, even has held onto it's own speech dialect, which is slightly different than even close-by regions.

On each side of Bohinj are the two mountains, Kobla (1480 meters) and Vogel (1800 meters). This second mountain, Vogel, is also located within the boundaries of the Triglav National Park, though the glacier (unskiable) is above Bohinj. The bases of each mountain starts right above 550 meters, so the terrain for each is suited for about 50% intermediate and 20-30% advanced. Vogel, however, has the longest run at 8 km long while Kobla has a 6 km run. Both have plenty of groomed slopes and trails though Vogel is better known for its deeper snowfields.

The whole Bohinj and Vogel areas get plenty of natural snow even as late as April. Because of the Julian Alps and the fortification-like walls found here, the cloud vapors from the Adriatic drop plenty of moisture (snow) to the area. There are some cable cars to carry you up to the skiing area, which roughly starts at 1500 meters and stops just short of 1800 meters. However, you can ski all the way back down to the lake and lose over 1200 meters of altitude.

The Bohinj Ski area has 82 separate pistes and a snow park for snow boarders. The lift pass gives you access to some really amazing ski areas: Vogel, Soriska Planina, Kranjska Gora, Kobla, Bled Krvavec and Stari Vrh. If you'd like to fly in quickly and be on the pistes within hours, it's possible to drive from the Ljubljana Airport and find Bohinj in about an hour. If it's winter, be careful of driving too fast as the roads can become dangerously slick or wet.

The Vogel slopes, on the other hand, offer 35 km of slopes with 30% official beginner runs. You can ski here from the middle of December to May with 28 beginner runs, 13 intermediate and 8 advanced. You'll find no snow cannons here, however. There is only one cable car, four lifts and four draglifts capable of towing 6,090-7,240 skiers per hour. It's here that you'll have the best views of Triglav and Bohinj Lake.

If you'd like to still be in the Alps but get away from the bustle found in France or nearby Austria, then Vogel and Bohinj is the place for you and your family. Plus, in addition to skiing, you'll find ice climbing, mountaineering and snow shoeing tours. You can even ice skate on Lake Bohinj and rent all your equipment at the resort. In Vogel, there is a more familial atmosphere at the restaurants and hotels. Not to mention, you'll be 74 km from Ljubljana, 11 km from Bistica and 28 km to Bled. With so much to do at your chalet's doorstep, it's no wonder Slovenia is becoming a European ski hotspot.