Bohinjska Bistrica (; german: Wocheiner Feistritz
) is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the
Municipality of Bohinj
The Municipality of Bohinj ( sl, Občina Bohinj) is a municipality in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia. Its seat is the settlement of Bohinjska Bistrica. The municipality had 5,222 inhabitants in 2002.
Settlements
In addition to t ...
, in the
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola ( sl, Gorenjska; it, Alta Carniola; german: Oberkrain) 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 Jeseni ...
region of northwestern
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
.
Geography
![Bohinjska Bistrica Slovenia - Bistrica](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Bohinjska_Bistrica_Slovenia_-_Bistrica.jpg)
The settlement lies in the
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...
southwest of the
Triglav
Triglav (; german: Terglau; it, Tricorno), with an elevation of , is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. The mountain is the pre-eminent symbol of the Slovene nation. It is the centrepiece of Triglav Natio ...
massif and the
Pokljuka
The Pokljuka Plateau () is a forested karst plateau at an elevation of around , located in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia.
The plateau is known for its forests, mountain pastures (Javornik, Lipanca, Uskovnica, Zajamniki, etc.), and w ...
Plateau, in the
Sava Bohinjka
The Sava Bohinjka is a headwater of the Sava River in northwestern Slovenia. At in length, it is the shorter of the two headwaters that become the Sava River in Radovljica, the other being the -long Sava Dolinka.
Course
The Sava Bohinjka origin ...
Valley between the Dobrava and Ajdovski Gradec hills and Bistrica and Belica creeks.
Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj ( sl, Bohinjsko jezero, german: Wocheiner See), covering , is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. It is located within the Bohinj Valley of the Julian Alps, in the northwestern Upper Carniola region, and part of Triglav National Par ...
forms the head of the valley in the west.
Bohinjska Bistrica station is a stop on the
Bohinj Railway
The Bohinj Railway ( sl, Bohinjska proga, it, Transalpina, german: Wocheiner Bahn) is a railway in Slovenia and Italy. It connects Jesenice in Slovenia with Trieste in Italy. It was built by Austria-Hungary from 1900 to 1906 as a part of a new ...
line from
Jesenice
Jesenice (, german: Aßling''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is a Slovenian town and the seat of the Municipality of Jesenice on the ...
to
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
via the Bohinj Tunnel. The main road leading to the railway station divides the settlement into the upper and lower hamlets of Zgornja Vas ( sl, Zgornja vas) and Spodnja Vas ().
Climate
Name
Bohinjska Bistrica was attested in written sources as ''Vustris'' in 1253, ''Feustricz'' in 1368, and ''Freuͤstriez'' in 1464, among other spellings. The name literally means 'Bistrica in the Bohinj region', similar to ''
Ilirska Bistrica
Ilirska Bistrica (; german: Illyrisch Feistritz; it, Villa del Nevoso, before 1927: ''Bisterza,'' Hungarian: ''Illírbeszterce'') is a town in the Inner Carniola region of southwestern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality ...
'' (i.e., 'Illyrian Bistrica') or ''
Kamniška Bistrica'' (i.e., 'Bistrica in the Kamnik area'). ''Bistrica'' (and its cognates) is a very common Slavic place name; it is a hydronym that was later applied to settlements associated with rivers, creeks, or springs. It is derived from
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the Attested language, unattested, linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately ...
''*bystrica'' 'quick-flowing river', in turn from ''*bystrъ'' 'quick-flowing, rushing'.
Museum
The
Tomaž Godec Museum, part of the
Upper Carniola Museum ( sl, Gorenjski muzej), is located in the town in the building of the old Godec family tannery, next to the creek. Part of the museum features an exhibition about the tanning process. Upstairs, documents and artifacts from
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
are on display, focusing on the
Battles of the Isonzo
The Battles of the Isonzo (known as the Isonzo Front by historians, sl, soška fronta) were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-day Slovenia, and the remaind ...
from 1915 to 1917, which took place in the mountains around the nearby
Soča
The Soča ( in Slovene) or Isonzo ( in Italian; other names fur, Lusinç, german: Sontig, la, Aesontius or ') is a long river that flows through western Slovenia () and northeastern Italy ().
An Alpine river in character, its source lies in ...
Valley. In addition, information and a video about the "Iron Route" are shown, explaining some of the history of iron mining and production across the Alps.
Archaeological sites
Bohinjska Bistrica is the location of three archaeological sites.
*The Giant's Castle archaeological site () is a 5th-century BC fortification east of the settlement. It served as a refuge in the late Roman era, and features terracing, the remains of a defensive wall, and a fortified gate. It is associated with two prehistoric burial sites.
*The Selo archaeological site near Giant's Castle () is a late Iron Age and Roman era site. The terraced slope shows traces of building layouts and various artifacts have been found at the site.
*The Telečnica archaeological site () was inhabited in prehistoric times. It features artificial terracing and various finds have been discovered at the site.
Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage
reference number ešd 17739
Recreation
Bohinjska Bistrica is an important tourist destination on the edge of Triglav National Park, and it is a good starting point for exploring the Bohinj Valley and for trips to Črna Prst, Vogel, Komna, Ratitovec
Ratitovec is a mountain ridge in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. The highest peak on the ridge is Mount Altemaver (). The Krek Lodge ( sl, Krekova koča) stands on the ridge.
Name
Ratitovec was attested in historical sources as ''Boscana'' in AD ...
, and Lake Bohinj. In spring the meadows have many wildflowers, and a Spring Flower Festival with guided walks is held. The Bohinj Valley is also popular for walking, climbing, and mountain biking from spring to autumn. In summer the river and nearby lake are popular for swimming, sailing, kayaking, rafting, and fishing. A free parking area is available close to the Danica Campsite, and on weekends and holidays a free bus service runs every half hour to the lake. There is also a bicycle route that runs through the meadows from the park and ride to Lake Bohinj (approximately 35 minutes). The summer season closes in September with a "Cow Ball" (with decorated cows), which is held near the lake. For winter recreation, there are two ski centres close by, the Vogel Ski Resort
Vogel Ski Resort is a Slovenian ski resort located above Bohinj next to Lake Bohinj. The nearest city is Bled. Ljubljana is about an hour away. The resort was opened in 1964. It has a total of of ski slopes, tracks for cross country skiing and ...
and Soriška Planina Ski Resort
Soriška Planina Ski Resort is a family Slovenian ski resort located in municipality of Železniki. Closest city is Kranj and 60 km away from Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of S ...
, which are connected to Bohinjska Bistrica by a ski bus. The bus also connects to the Pokljuka Cross-Country Ski Area. The town is served by the Bohinjska Bistrica railway station, with direct trains several times a day to Jesenice
Jesenice (, german: Aßling''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is a Slovenian town and the seat of the Municipality of Jesenice on the ...
and Nova Gorica
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
. In winter months, the ski bus runs from the railway station to Vogel. A regular public bus service runs to the lake and to Bled and Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
. The nearest airport is Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
; there is no direct connection to the airport by public transport, but a shuttle bus service is available to the Bled bus station, or for an additional fee, to Bohinj. Bohinj can also be accessed by rail and bus from the Italian airports in Venice and Trieste. There is a railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
connecting with Jesenice and Nova Gorica
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
.
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Bohinjska Bistrica include:
* France Bučar
France Bučar (2 February 1923 – 21 October 2015) was a Slovenian politician, legal expert and author. Between 1990 and 1992, he served as the first speaker of the freely elected Slovenian Parliament. He was the one to formally declare the inde ...
(1923–2015), politician and author
File:3135bohinjskaBistricaChurch.jpg, Bohinjska Bistrica church
File:3136muzejTomazaGodca.jpg, The Tomaž Godec Museum
References
External links
*
Bohinjska Bistrica at Geopedia
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Municipality of Bohinj