Lake Bohinj, Slovenia - travel review
Where are you going for your holidays?” Was the question from a family friend. Slovenia, I announced, “Slovenia! don’t England play them at football soon?” That was it, the only thing he knew about my proposed holiday destination.
To be honest I too knew very little about this beautiful and compact country – apart from they could be a tricky tie for Gareth Southgate’s men.
So with quick Google, I discovered Slovenia is bordered by Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy, and is surrounded by mountains. So with it’s geographical location in mind we discounted driving and decided to fly there; a couple of days on the road with two young sons would probably end up like an old Top Gear special.
So, a quick drive to Birmingham Airport and a two-and-a-half hour flight into Saltzburg with Thomson Air was perfect. This was followed with a very scenic, relaxing and informative transfer to Lake Bohinj our destination in Slovenia all under the guidance of our local Thomson’s representative.
Our accommodation was at the spacious Bohinj ECO Hotel, which featured it’s own waterpark, bowling ally and cinema, all winners with our two boys.
‘ECO’ isn’t just thrown in to the name either, this hotel is one of the most advanced energy-efficient hotels in central Europe. So you can kick back and relax in the knowledge that you’re doing you bit for the environment.
The word ‘spacious’ really does sum up this hotel, having large, immaculately clean family rooms plus communal areas to relax. You definitely won’t be falling over each other here.
Meal time is a buffet affair, breakfast offering the normal hot or continental options, while evening meals offer an array of local dishes which definitely have an Italian flavour, including an array of salads and fresh fish, plenty to appease any palate. The local white wine and beer is well worth sampling too.
The surrounding area is also packed with outdoor activities. Mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, to mention a few. We decided to try something a little different so went canyoning. This consisted of your children amusing themselves while watching their parents squeeze themselves into a padded wet suit before heading up the mountain to eventually throw themselves off the side of a cliff into a fast flowing river – a welcome relief from the hot weather. It was all, of course, under the supervision of a very experienced guide, who also also managed to take some fantastic pictures of the family, and the odd one of me. Abseiling, sliding down rock-faces and using a zip-wire is all part of this activity, which I would recommend, but only for the extremely active. All in all, it was hard work but well worth the effort and an experience not to be missed.
For the less energetic you could try the hotel’s adults-only spa featuring saunas and steam rooms – all free for residents to use. Or for an extra cost you could treat yourself to a host for beauty treatments including massages and facials.
The Bohinj central location does mean you are with an hour of Slovenia’s main attractions. A must is a visit to Lake Bled, only 30 minutes by public transport, which we found a joy to use. Lake Bled has beautiful crystal clear waters, perfect for a swim or any number of watersports.
The lake surrounds Bled Island a very popular destination for weddings, and you can see why. It’s the scenery of a fairy tale that only Walt Disney could imagine. We spent a fantastic day here, and decided to eat at one of the many restaurants that surround the lake. The bill was a pleasant surprise too, 40 euros for a meal for two adults and a couple gannet-like kids including drinks. In fact we found Slovenia to be very reasonable compared to other European countries. So it’s perfect if you’re on a budget but don’t want to compromise on quality.
During our stay I was taken back by just how friendly Slovenian people are, always seeming to have time to talk, a real breath of fresh air. It really does tick all the boxes for either an active or relaxing family holiday, and having discovered they have ski resorts here too, it won’t be long before we return to sample the winter activities.
So take my advice and visit Slovenia, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, your pocket definitely won’t. Let’s hope Gareth Southgate’s Slovenia experience is a good one too.
