Alpine valley Bohinj

Ariane Goerke, young German entrepreneur discovering innovative Slovenian tourism

I didn't consider myself as a mountain person before. I always prefered beaches, cultural and historical places and cities for travelling. But here in Slovenia I became a mountain lover! "On the sunny side of the Alps" you can find inner peace and enjoy untouched nature much better than in the typical "mass tourism" Alpine valleys and ski-resorts in Austria. In the heart of the Triglav National Park in north-western Slovenia lies Bohinj, a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by the Julian Alps. I was very lucky to be invited to stay at ECO Resort & Spa Bohinj Park Hotel, one of the most innovative and ecological hotels in Europe. From there you can easily reach ski-center such as Vogel or go hiking around lake Bohinj in the summertime. The nearby waterfall "Slap Savica" is also nice and very famous for France Prešeren who is considered as the Slovene national poet (he wrote "The Baptism at Savica Falls").

I had a meeting with the hotel sales manager Jana Pekovec and she showed me around the hotel which includes among other things conference rooms, a small bowling center and cinema and of course the Aquapark which is included in the price for hotel guests. I checked the German image brochure and website for any mistakes and also helped to find German tour operators who are specialized in eco/ luxurious hotels. The hotel and the rooms have a simple design in the colors white, black, beige and brown. From everywhere you have a beautiful view to the Alps and the small remote village Bohinjska Bistrica. I missed pictures on the walls and green plants. The corridors are kind of dark and only lit up by small LED lamps - all in the name of being sustainable and saving energy. Anyway, the hotel was awarded with the Green Globe Certificate and won the "Sejalec" in 2010 (Slovenian tourism award for innovation). In addition to the hotel, a project to build a new eco ski-resort under the new brand "2864" (which is the height of Slovenia's highest mountain Triglav) has started. If you want to know more about the story behind 2864, watch the 3-min. film "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories".

On Wednesday I went to Turizem Bohinj to talk with director Klemen Langus about the situation of tourism in the area and the annual "International Wild Flower Festival". In the area you can find over 1,000 different species of wildflowers. To extend the season and to promote the importance of the natural and cultural heritage of Bohinj they came up with the great idea to organize a festival in May and June. For more information, click here.