The photography guide to Slovenia Lakes Bled & Bohinj
50 photo spots 259 inspiring images 1 event 26 contributors

Lakes Bled & Bohinj photography guide

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Introduction

Lakes Bled and Bohinj are glacial lakes in the Julian Alps and are located in the Upper Carnolian region of northwestern Slovenia and offer endless opportunities for photographers. Breathtaking scenery, hilltop churches, lakeside vistas with mountainous backdrops and impressive gorges with numerous waterfalls and turquoise pools to name but a few. Whilst Lake Bled has more of a tourist feel to it and is undoubtedly one of the most visited locations in Slovenia, it is still possible to find moments at dusk and dawn to photograph the lake relatively undisturbed. Whatever your feelings on originality, you can't really come here and not take the classic picture-postcard image of Bled Island and it's pretty church. Lake Bohinj has a more rugged, undisturbed feel and, being a little further off the usual tourist bus route, is the more peaceful of the two lakes without the tourist town on it's shores. You'll need to walk or cycle a little further here to find the different spots as the lake is 4 km long and 1 km across.

In this guide both lakes are extensively covered with best locations to photograph. Additionally there are many spots from nearby locations, such as Vintgar gorge and Radovna River, Pokljuka Plateau, Mostnica river and Voje valley and others.

Most popular Lakes Bled & Bohinj photo spots


1 event


Events

The main focus of this area is landscape and nature photography. You can also capture daily life in the villages and mountain pastures and if you want to experience some Slovenian quirkiness visit the Kravji Bal mentioned above. Flower lovers will appreciate Bohinj’s Bloom Festival that takes place in spring. Wildflowers in meadows are a truly amazing sight and allow for some beautiful photography - landscapes and macro.


Top Picks

Come in January or February for impressive winter (and hopefully snowy!) scenery, or May and June for spring flowers and colours. October is perfect for autumn colours, but opportunities abound whenever you visit. Don't miss the quirky Cow Ball (Kravji Bal) in Ukanc, Bohinj if you are there early September.

Allow at least three nights to explore and photograph the lakes. A good idea is to base yourself at either Lake Bled or Lake Bohinj. It’s only a 25min drive between the two lakes.

A morning shoot at Lake Bled never disappoints. Lake Bohinj is often shrouded in fog, but this can be spectacular when the sun starts to break through. Often you can cover both lakes in one go - pre sunrise and sunrise at Lake Bled and then hop to Lake Bohinj just as the fog starts to disperse. On cloudy or rainy days, alpine rivers Mostnica and Radovna are great subject.


Travel

Slovenia is a safe destination for travel in general with Ljubljana said to be the safest capital in Europe. You can photograph everywhere in confidence, including at night, but apply usual common sense when out with your camera gear.

Take care when photographing in the mountains or along wild, Alpine rivers – watch your step and stick to the recommended trails. Respect and follow National Park guidelines at all times. Flying drones is acceptable in most places except in Triglav National Park - Lake Bohinj is within the park so please respect these rules. Lake Bled on the other hand is okay with flying so bring your drone and fly responsibly.

Weather in the Alps can be unpredictable, so bear in mind that it can change in minutes and can quickly become dangerous in mountainous terrain. Follow local weather updates before setting off. You should not venture into the mountains alone if you are unfamiliar with the area and should notify an emergency contact person of your intended route.

Slovenia uses standard European two-pin plugs at 220V.

The two major mobile network providers are Telekom and A1. The majority of the country has network cover and data transfer is fast and reliable. In cities 4G is common.


Links

http://goop.tl/gfvqs
Best option for transfers between airports and cities in the region
https://www.tnp.si/
Triglav National Park official website
https://www.bohinj.si/en/
Lake Bohinj tourist office
https://www.bled.si/en
Lake Bled tourism board
http://www.hiking-trail.net/
Mountain trails and hiking ideas with detailed info with photos

Explore more photo spots in Slovenia

If you want to explore beyond Lakes Bled & Bohinj, we have 612 photo spots and 14 events that you can visit in Slovenia.


Curated By

Luka Esenko Team
I love travelling with Neja (my wife), Brin and Fran (my little boys) and of course my camera. Having established and run my own photography workshop and tour company since 2008, creating PhotoHound has been a fantastic experience - building an app that brings all kinds of photographers around the world together to share something that I feel so passionate about.
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