BOHINJ: HOW OUR ANCESTORS LIVED

The first stop combines two main features of economic history in the area. The name of the place originates from a iron foundry, a simple industrial plant where the iron ore was melted down and processed into iron. The destination on this stop is the Alpine Dairy Museum housed in the old dairy production facility, which was opened in the 19th century in order to mature the large cheese wheels that were brought from the mountains by the alpine dairy farmers.

Baron Žiga Zois was one of the most important persons in the Slovenian history. A versatile businessman and scientist marked the second half of the 18th century and is very connected with the development of Bohinj as well, due to the fact that he bought and improved the local iron foundry. The mansion in Stara Fužina was used as the owner’s residence and as an administration office, while the structure next to the mansion, which is now a ruin, served as a sawmill built on the site of the old iron foundry.

At the entrance to the village, one can find a cluster of Toplar hayracks standing on land that was distributed to farmers when serfdom was abolished and the land reform introduced. The Toplar hayracks are a world-class attraction due to the masterful carpentry technique.

The hard living conditions in the area contributed to many thoughtful architectural solutions. In the Oplen house, which combines a residential and commercial property, it is still possible to start a fire in the black kitchen, i. e. a space with an open fireplace without a chimney, which was once a typical feature in Slovenian houses.

The Srednja vas village features two of the oldest granaries – once the only brick-built structures in which agricultural crops were stored. The granaries dating back to the early 17th century are an interesting example of rural architecture due to numerous paintings, and they also reflect the cultural education of the era. Unfortunately, the paintings are not well preserved.

In the settlement of Nomenj in the Nomenjska dolina valley, one can find the remains of a blast furnace, i.e. smeltery along the stream named Plavžarica (Eng. “blast furnace water”), which indicates that the water flow was used to operate the blast furnace. Nomenj was part of an old trade route connecting the Sava valley and the Soča valley.

Bohinjska Bistrica is another place where baron Zois left his mark. The castle was a residential and administrative building used by entrepreneurs dealing in steel. The beautifully designed Lord’s garden features a wooden clock tower. The construction of the clock tower was ordered by Baron Zois, who wanted to make sure that the ironworkers arrived to work on time.

Baron Zois was a broad-minded patron, who financed the first ascent to Triglav, the highest Slovenian mountain, for economic reasons, as he was hoping to find new iron ore deposits. At the end of the 18th century, four Bohinj inhabitants were the first to reach the Mt Triglav peak. The monument, which was built on the 200th anniversary of the ascent, was made by renowned Slovenian sculptor Stojan Batič.

Above the road leading towards Savica, just below the lower cable car station, there is a small military cemetery featuring 282 graves of fallen soldiers

The Savica waterfall, which pours over the steep cliff of Komarče, is the source of the Sava Bohinjka river. The waterfall is the third most frequently visited attraction in Slovenia. It is unique because the water splits into two streams before hitting the ground, falling down 78 metres in the shape of the letter A.