Have you ever wanted to swim in some of the cleanest alpine lakes in Europe? If yes, then you should read this article about our organised lake swimming trip in Slovenia.
We are operating 6 guided tours this year 2015. The dates are the following: 25-28.July, 28-31.July, 31.July-03.August, 03-06.August, 06-09.August, 09-12.August.
Please read the full itinerary below.
Day 1
Meet at 7.30pm at the Hotel Jezero (our base) for a full trip briefing. If you arrive late, we can do another briefing the next morning.
Day 2
We take a short ride to Lake Bled for a day of swimming in its crystal clear water. No motor boats are allowed on the lake, only small rowing boats take visitors to Bled’s famous island. After a short acclimatisation swim in the Zaka bay on the north-western shore of the lake, we swim across to the island where we walk up the ninety-nine steps to enjoy a panoramic view of the lake. Following a short break, we jump back into the water and swim across to the far side where we eat lunch on the beach.
Before our afternoon swim we climb to a viewpoint offering amazing views of the lake and the Julian Alps. Our final swim of the day crosses the full length of the lake (a famous rowing course), finishing at the lakeside Lido where it is time to relax, take a shower and participate in an optional stroke analysis session with your swimming guides. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure for you to enjoy the lake views, visit the historic castle, or enjoy Bled’s famous ‘kremsnita’ cake in one its many cafes.
Day 3
Today we cross the border into Italy, where we swim the full length of the stunning Lago del Predil. We take a quick break on the shore before the short drive back into Slovenia for lunch at the popular rafting town of Bovec. We then venture into Triglav national park and hike through the forest to reach the picturesque Kozjak waterfalls. Here we take a refreshing dip in the pool at the base of the falls.
Later, we head to the pristine turquoise waters of the mighty River Soca for a longer swim – an enjoyable contrast to both the thunder of the waterfall and our serene lake swims. Our adventures on this day culminate in an unforgettable journey on the car train, taking you through the Julian Alps back to Bohinj.
Day 4
Depending on the weather, we either start our day by walking around the Lake Bohinj or taking the Vogel cable car up to the Mount Vogel ski area. The vista boasts panoramic views of the Bohinj valley, across the lake to Mount Triglav and the Julian Alps. (Mount Triglav is a well-known Slovenian symbol, appears on the Slovenian flag and its 50 cent coin and is Slovenia’s highest peak at 2864m).
We then get ready for our final challenge: swimming the full length of Lake Bohinj (4km). Motorised boat traffic is not permitted on the lake so our only companions are the trout and other fish, which can clearly be seen in the pure water of the lake.
Itinerary changes
Please note that our swims are carried out in the natural environment and we rely on the current weather conditions. As a consequence, sometimes on-trip changes in the planned itinerary are required.
Booking
To book this trip, you can visit our Strel Swimming website or contact us for further information.
Slovenia is the home country of our founders Martin Strel and Borut Strel. Martin is one of the greatest marathon swimmers in the world and he often attends our Slovenian trips.