Bohinj
Encyclopedia
Bohinj is a municipality
in the Upper Carniola
region of northwestern Slovenia
, covering the 20 km long and 5 km wide Bohinj basin of the Sava Bohinjka
river within the Julian Alps
, characterized by the periglacial Lake Bohinj
. The municipality's administrative centre is located at Bohinjska Bistrica
.
s; the Spodnja Dolina (Lower Valley), Zgornja Dolina (Upper Valley), Ukanška kotlina (Ukanc Basin), and Nomenjska kotlina (Nomenj Basin). It is bounded by Komarča on one end and Soteska, which is in fact a narrow canyon
, at the other.
However, the municipality of Bohinj covers a much larger area than only the Bohinj Valley. The Lower Bohinj Mountain Range represents its southern border. The Sava river has carved a canyon between the Jelovica and Pokljuka
plateau
s in the east. To the north, Triglav
, Slovenia's highest mountain is also a part of the municipality.
Sava Bohinjka
(which merges with Sava Dolinka
into the Sava) begins when two rivers, the Jezernica and the Mostnica merge. The Mostnica comes from a valley called Voje, whereas the Jezrnica is a very short river that flows from Lake Bohinj. Many smaller streams flow into the lake. The largest of them, the Savica, emerges in Komarča as a large waterfall. The Savica Falls (Slap Savica) get most of the water from Črno Jezero (Black Lake) which is the largest in the Triglav Lakes Valley
.
.
France Prešeren
, Slovenia's leading poet, wrote an epic poem Krst pri Savici (Christening at Savica) that is largely fictional, but depicts the time of violent baptism of pagans and battles between the Christians and pagans. Most of the story takes place in Bohinj and in Bled
.
The people agreed, but couldn't decide who to send when it was finished. But one farmer sent a dog across. The Devil went mad when he realised that they had tricked him.
that is very different from the Upper Carniolian dialect. There is also a notable difference between the dialects in the inner valleys. People live in 24 villages, the largest of them being Bohinjska Bistrica
.
Bohinj began opening up for tourists years ago, with natural attractions being the biggest draw.
Bohinj has become a starting point for tourists for day trips, for walks on the trails that run throughout the valley, and for mountaineering and climbing tours. It is also associated with the nearby Bohinj Railway
, which includes the Bohinj Tunnel.
In winter the valley becomes a winter sports centre for skiers, snowboarders, ice climbers, as well as ice skaters on Lake Bohinj. During the summer, Lake Bohinj is frequented by swimmers, and with the Sava Bohinjka River, kayakers and fishermen as well. Biking, trekking and climbing are also typical tourist activities in the area.
Municipalities of Slovenia
Slovenia is divided into 211 municipalities , of which 11 have urban status.Slovene is an official language of all the municipalities. Hungarian is a second official language of 3 municipalities in Prekmurje: Dobrovnik , Hodoš and Lendava...
in the Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale.- Historical background :...
region of northwestern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, covering the 20 km long and 5 km wide Bohinj basin of the Sava Bohinjka
Sava Bohinjka
The Sava Bohinjka is a headwater of the Sava River in northwestern Slovenia.At 41 kilometers in length, it is the shorter of the two headwaters that become the Sava River in Radovljica, the other being the 45-kilometer-long Sava Dolinka. The Sava Bohinjka originates under the Komarča Ridge at an...
river within the Julian Alps
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...
, characterized by the periglacial Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is located in the Bohinj municipality in the north-west of the country, and is inside Triglav National Park.-Description:Lake Bohinj is 4.2 km long and 1 km at its maximum width...
. The municipality's administrative centre is located at Bohinjska Bistrica
Bohinjska Bistrica
Bohinjska Bistrica is the largest settlement in the Bohinj municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.Bohinjska Bistrica lies in the valley between the river Sava Bohinjka, the hills Dobrava and Ajdovski gradec, and the streams Bistrica and Belica...
.
Geography
The valley consists of four regionRegion
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s; the Spodnja Dolina (Lower Valley), Zgornja Dolina (Upper Valley), Ukanška kotlina (Ukanc Basin), and Nomenjska kotlina (Nomenj Basin). It is bounded by Komarča on one end and Soteska, which is in fact a narrow canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
, at the other.
However, the municipality of Bohinj covers a much larger area than only the Bohinj Valley. The Lower Bohinj Mountain Range represents its southern border. The Sava river has carved a canyon between the Jelovica and Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s in the east. To the north, Triglav
Triglav
Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. While its name, meaning "three-headed", can describe its shape as seen from the Bohinj area, the mountain was most probably named after the Slavic god Triglav. The mountain is the preeminent symbol of the Slovene...
, Slovenia's highest mountain is also a part of the municipality.
Sava Bohinjka
Sava Bohinjka
The Sava Bohinjka is a headwater of the Sava River in northwestern Slovenia.At 41 kilometers in length, it is the shorter of the two headwaters that become the Sava River in Radovljica, the other being the 45-kilometer-long Sava Dolinka. The Sava Bohinjka originates under the Komarča Ridge at an...
(which merges with Sava Dolinka
Sava Dolinka
The Sava Dolinka is a headwater of the Sava River in northwestern Slovenia. The 45 km Sava Dolinka starts as Nadiža Creek in the Planica Valley under Mount Zadnja Ponca in the Julian Alps, at an elevation of 1222 m, close to the Italian border. The stream goes underground soon after its source and...
into the Sava) begins when two rivers, the Jezernica and the Mostnica merge. The Mostnica comes from a valley called Voje, whereas the Jezrnica is a very short river that flows from Lake Bohinj. Many smaller streams flow into the lake. The largest of them, the Savica, emerges in Komarča as a large waterfall. The Savica Falls (Slap Savica) get most of the water from Črno Jezero (Black Lake) which is the largest in the Triglav Lakes Valley
Triglav Lakes Valley
The Triglav Lakes Valley or the Lake Triglav Valley is a rocky hanging valley in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, below the sheer sides of mountains Tičarica and Zelnarica to the southwest of Triglav. The valley is also called the Seven Lakes Valley , although there are ten and not seven lakes in the...
.
History
Geographic circumstances have contributed to isolation of Bohinj in the past. The 5000 inhabitants are mostly descendants of the native people of Bohinj. There are historical findings that prove the valley was populated as early as in the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
France Prešeren
France Prešeren
France Prešeren was a Slovene Romantic poet. He is considered the Slovene national poet. Although he was not a particularly prolific author, he inspired virtually all Slovene literature thereafter....
, Slovenia's leading poet, wrote an epic poem Krst pri Savici (Christening at Savica) that is largely fictional, but depicts the time of violent baptism of pagans and battles between the Christians and pagans. Most of the story takes place in Bohinj and in Bled
Bled
Bled is a municipality in northwestern Slovenia in the region of Upper Carniola. The area, within the Julian Alps, is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
.
Myths
There are many legends and myths relating to Bohinj. Most are short and humorous.The origin of Bohinj
God was giving land to people and as he finished he realized that he had forgotten about a small group of people, who were silent and didn't hustle like the others. Because of their modesty and patience he felt pity for them. That is why he decided to give them the most beautiful land of them all, which he had spared for himself. It's called Bohinj, because we call God "Boh".Other myths
- It is said that the Turks (the mighty conquerors) turned around when they had tried to invade Bohinj, because they thought it was the end of the world.
- A magic creature, ZlatorogZlatorogGoldhorn or Goldenhorn is a legendary white chamois buck, or in some Slovenian stories the steinbock, who had his realm in the heights of Mount Triglav...
(the Goldhorn), lives in the mountains.
- Hudičev most (Devil's Bridge) was created by the Devil. He made a deal with the people that were unable to build the bridge by themselves because it always collapsed. The deal was that, if he built the bridge for them, the first soul to cross it would be his.
The people agreed, but couldn't decide who to send when it was finished. But one farmer sent a dog across. The Devil went mad when he realised that they had tricked him.
People
The isolation has also contributed to a development of a specific dialectDialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
that is very different from the Upper Carniolian dialect. There is also a notable difference between the dialects in the inner valleys. People live in 24 villages, the largest of them being Bohinjska Bistrica
Bohinjska Bistrica
Bohinjska Bistrica is the largest settlement in the Bohinj municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.Bohinjska Bistrica lies in the valley between the river Sava Bohinjka, the hills Dobrava and Ajdovski gradec, and the streams Bistrica and Belica...
.
Tourism
Bohinj has become a starting point for tourists for day trips, for walks on the trails that run throughout the valley, and for mountaineering and climbing tours. It is also associated with the nearby Bohinj Railway
Bohinj railway
The Bohinj Railway or Transalpina is a railway in Slovenia extending into Italy. It connects Jesenice in Slovenia with the towns of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy through the Julian Alps. It was built by Austria-Hungary in 1904 as a strategic railway to the port of Trieste...
, which includes the Bohinj Tunnel.
In winter the valley becomes a winter sports centre for skiers, snowboarders, ice climbers, as well as ice skaters on Lake Bohinj. During the summer, Lake Bohinj is frequented by swimmers, and with the Sava Bohinjka River, kayakers and fishermen as well. Biking, trekking and climbing are also typical tourist activities in the area.
External links
- Bohinj Online
- Slovenia travel guide
- Slovenia Explorer - Bohinj
- InfoSlovenia.be (information about Bohinj and Slovenia
- Bohinj Hotel- Park Hotel Bohinj is located on the edge of Triglav National Park in Bohinjska Bistrica.
- Tourist office Bohinj - http://www.bohinj-info.com