Known for its multiple cascades and distinct, elegant shape, Savica Waterfall is impressive, powerful & beautiful all at once. It’s also relatively easy to tackle. A hike up to the waterfall’s viewpoint and back down can take less than an hour.

If you find yourself in northwestern Slovenia—even if you’re just passing by Lake Bohinj on your way to Lake Bled or Ljubljana—stop for an hour or 2, and experience another treasure of Triglav National Park: Savica Waterfall.

Heading to Slovenia? Search all accommodation here:

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Check out our complete guide to Lake Bohinj for a detailed breakdown of accommodation, transportation & activities around the greater Bohinj area.

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Triglav National Park

Slap Savica (“Slap” = “waterfall” in Slovene) lies on the western edge of Lake Bohinj, in the heart of Triglav National Park. By car, Lake Bohinj is about 30 minutes from Bled, 90 minutes from Ljubljana, 4 hours from Venice and 5 hours from Vienna. It’s also accessible by bus or train.

South of Mount Triglav, the Triglav Lakes Valley extends for several miles. The lowest of the 10 lakes—still nearly 4300 feet above sea level—is Black Lake. Just below Black Lake, the rocky cliffs of the Komarča Crag slope downward, seemingly into oblivion.

These steep, rugged cliffs serve as the dramatic & intimidating backdrop for Savica Waterfall.

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Finding Savica Waterfall from Lake Bohinj

The most common route to Savica Waterfall is through the pine forests along the southern edge of Lake Bohinj. The closest landmark to where the waterfall hike begins is the mountain lodge Koča pri Savici. Whether you’re driving, walking or riding a bike, search either Koča pri Savici or Slap Savica on your GPS, and you’ll find it.

The Koča pri Savici lodge has a large parking lot with plenty of space to park. Here, you’ll also find Dom Savica restaurant—a great place to grab lunch & a beer, before or after your hike.

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Hiking Savica Waterfall

Here’s some basic info for tackling this short, sweet & beautiful hike:

1. Just beyond the parking lot, a small brown hut serves as the hike’s entry point (fee is 3€ for adults). This hut doubles as a gift shop on your way back down.
2. After entering, cross the stone bridge and begin climbing the stone staircase that zig-zags up the mountain. We reached the top in 15 minutes.
3. It’s roughly 550 steps to the top, and there are several benches along the way if you need to stop & rest.
4. We recommend wearing athletic shoes that won’t slip on the stone steps.
5. Bring a bottle of water and a camera. You won’t need much else!

You’ll know that you’ve made it to the top when you reach another small brown hut, which serves as a viewpoint. A metal gate prevents visitors from walking any further, thus protecting the waterfall. The photos below were taken through the bars of the gate.

To your left, Savica Waterfall

Water from an underground spring emerges from the cave system in 2 locations, bringing the majestic, A-shaped waterfall to life. The upper cascade falls from a height of 256 feet (78 meters) high, while the lower cascade is roughly 82 feet (25 meters) high.

Although the waterfall’s natural beauty dominates the scene, an element of human impact is visible. In this case, centuries-old stone irrigation systems, built into the rocky cliffs.

To your right, beautiful views of distant Lake Bohinj

Hundreds of miles away, these same waters flow into the Danube, and eventually find their way to the Black Sea.

Although the hike up to the waterfall and back down can be done in less than an hour, the surrounding Triglav Lakes area offers several other great hiking opportunities. These hikes range from 2-5 hours, and you can find additional info here.

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Accommodation near Savica Waterfall

We had a great experience at the Bohinj Eco Hotel, about 20 minutes away from Savica Waterfall on the east side of Lake Bohinj. Search availability:

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If you prefer to stay closer to the waterfall on the west side of the lake, below are a map and a couple suggestions.

• Chalet Apartments ALPIK: adorable chalet rentals in the village of Ukanc. Search availability:

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• Camp Zlatorog: very close to the lake, and less than 3 miles (5 km) from the waterfall.

Book direct here

Village of Ukanc

Chalet Apartments ALPIK

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The hike up to Savica Waterfall was the perfect way to wrap up an incredible 24 hours around Lake Bohinj.

Time to hit the road again…next stop: Lake Bled!

Cheers!

-DnA

Heading to Slovenia? Search all accommodation here:

Booking.com | Hotels.com | Airbnb | VRBO

***

Check out our complete guide to Lake Bohinj for a detailed breakdown of accommodation, transportation & activities around the greater Bohinj area.