Climbing the cliff of Bohinjska Bela

Below the cliff that one can see from afar lies a village of Bohinjska Bela that is mainly known for two outdoor activities: fishing and climbing.

While walking through the village, you will notice that many villagers still lead a rural life and almost every house has a beautiful garden.

Since the village of Bohinjska Bela lies on the bank of Sava Bohinjka River, it is not surprising that is has a long tradition of fishing. In August, the local community even organises a festival of fish dishes.

Bohinjska Bela attracts climbers all year round. And the reason behind that is Iglica Cliff with numerous climbing routes. You might even see someone climb when exploring the cliff.

We arrived in Bohinjska Bela on a sunny Saturday in June and many locals were busy with drying hay. From the parking area near the church we walked around 10 minutes until we reached the last house in the village. From there we could already hear Iglica Waterfall.

The waterfall that is 24 metres (79 ft) high and often goes dry during summer was hiding between the steep walls.

Standing below the cliff, we also saw some birds that nest there. There were no climbers though, but we saw a notice placed on the cliff for them, reminding them not to disturb birds (such as ravens and owls) while climbing.

Near the waterfall we noticed some steep steps. If we wanted to enjoy the view from the top of the cliff – that was the main reason why we came – we had to get over the initial fear quickly and start climbing.

Climbing the steps placed between the rocks did not take much time but it for sure triggered an adrenaline rush.

Many years ago, inhabitants of the tiny village that sits on the top of the cliff, Slamniki, took the same shortcut on their way to the village of Bohinjska Bela. Except that there were no steel steps at the time.

From the top of the cliff ‒ that locals call ‘rocks‘ or just ‘Iglica‘ [pronounced Eegleetza] we admired the view. We could see Bohinjska Bela from above and its neighbouring village Kupljenik that lies on the slope of Jelovica Plateau.

There are two viewpoints with wooden seats on the top. We sat down for a while, embracing the beauty of the landscape on the banks of Sava Bohinjka River. It is an alpine river that springs in the heart of the Triglav National Park.

LOCATION: lglica Cliff rises above Bohinjska Bela, a village that is located around 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from Lake Bled.

Iglica Cliff & Waterfall 

REACHING THE STARTING POINT: You can reach the village of Bohinjska Bela on foot (takes one hour from Bled), by bike, bus or car.

BUS: Take a bus from Bled to Bohinjska Bela (from the main station or one of the bus stops called Bled-Union or Bled-Mlino). Check the timetable here (your final stop is named Bohinjska Bela ) or call +386 45 74 11 14 (Bled Bus Station) for more info.

CAR: If you come to Bohinjska Bela by car, you can leave it at the parking area near the Parish Church of St. Margaret. From there, walk towards Upper Village, the upper part of Bohinjska Bela.

HIKING ROUTE: Walk through the village, following the signposts saying ‘Iglica’. It takes around 10 minutes to get below Iglica Cliff.

From there, you will see Iglica Waterfall and the climbing areas. To get to the top of the cliff, climb three pairs of steep steps that are placed between the walls of the cliff.

The difference in altitude is 50 metres (164 ft). Because of the steep stairs, I would recommend you to wear trekking shoes.

THE ROUTE TO IGLICA CLIFF IN PICTURES

NEARBY HILLS: From the village of Bohinjska Bela, you can go on a much longer hike (5 hours of hiking altogether) than this one, that is to Galetovec. Galetovec is a peak on the edge of Pokljuka Plateau with the view of Lake Bled.

GEOCACHING: One cache is hidden in the forest near Iglica Waterfall.

Would you like to explore Lake Bled and nearby places in the Julian Alps with me? Follow my day-to-day on Instagram (@bledoscope) and Twitter (@bledoscope).