Triglav Lakes Valley (Seven Lakes Valley) Day Hike, Julian Alps, Slovenia

Triglav Lakes Valley is an alpine glacial valley in Triglav National Park in the Slovenian Julian Alps. The valley takes its name from Slovenia’s highest peak, Mount Triglav, the most beloved mountain in Slovenia.

Famed for its string of seven lakes, this pristine valley is also called the Seven Lakes Valley. The Seven Lakes of Triglav Lakes Valley are:

1. Jezero pod Vršacem (Lake below Vršac) or Jezero v Podstenju
2. Mlaka v Laštah (Pond in Ledges)
3. Rjavo jezero (Brown Lake)
4. Zeleno jezero (Green Lake)
5. Veliko jezero (The Great Lake) or Jezero v Ledvicah (Kidney Lake)
6. Dvojno jezero (Double Lake)
7. Črno jezero (Black Lake)

You can hike to the Seven Lakes Valley as part of a multi-day hike (read: Triglav National Park trek), or as a day hike.

For day hiking, there are two notable approaches. The easiest approach is from Planina Blato, accessible by a toll road (20 EUR) from Stara Fužina. The more difficult approach is from Koča pri Savici, accessible from Ukanc, on the other side of Lake Bohinj.

The tourist board at Ribčev Laz cautions people against hiking to Seven Lakes from Koča pri Savici after rain, and are emphatic about not descending that route.

In this post, we’re going to outline the easiest approach to the Triglav Lakes Valley, starting at Planina Blato.

It’s also the most romantic, as you’ll amble across several alpine pastures dotted with wooden herdsmen huts. We sorely loved this route and we hope you will too. 

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Triglav Lakes Valley (Seven Lakes) Hiking Map

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How to Get to Planina Blato Trailhead

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Drive to Planina Blato

First, drive to Stara Fužina, an alpine village located on the eastern-end of Lake Bohinj. From Stara Fužina, drive 8.2 km (20 minutes) to Planina Blato. 

Planina Blato is an alpine pasture and a popular trailhead in Triglav National Park. 

To access the road to Blato, you have to pay a 20 EUR toll.

Follow the serpentine road all the way up to the parking area just below the mountain pasture. 

Given the popularity of this trailhead, we highly recommend getting an early start.

Note: There’s a driving ban on all camper vans and RVs. If you’re traveling with a van, take the free shuttle up to the trailhead (see below).

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Take a Free Bus to the Vogar-Blato Crossroad (high season only)

During the high summer season, a free shuttle connects the villages of Lake Bohinj with Planina Blato.

The shuttle drop-off point is called “Križišće / crossroad Vogar-Blato.” Exact Location: Google Maps.

Križišće is located 640 meters from the Triglav Lakes Valley trailhead. When you get off the shuttle, head towards Blato, not Vogar.

For up-to-date timetables, check out the Lake Bohinj website and the Promet website.

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Hike up from Stara Fužina

If you’re visiting off-season without a car, you can still hike to the Seven Lakes Valley. Starting in Stara Fužina, hike to the Seven Lakes via Planina Vogar. 

The route is essentially the same, however, you would have to hike up an additional 600 meters. In total, your hike to the Seven Lakes would be 12-km one-way (5 – 6 hours one-way), involving a 1500 meter ascent.

If you’re determined to do that, you might consider breaking up the journey, by overnighting in Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (Triglav Lakes Hut), or Koča na Planini pri Jezeru. 

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Triglav Lakes Valley Hike: Route Description

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Planina Blato to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru (1 hour)

After arriving at the Planina Blato car park, walk back down the road a few meters, to the signed trailhead (Exact Location: Google Maps). Follow signs to Planina pri Jezeru.

Note: Depending on the time of day and season you’re hiking, you may not be able to park at the car park. If that’s the case, just park on the side of the road, as close to the trailhead as possible.

You’ll steadily ascend along a wide forest road for about an hour to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, a managed mountain hut located on an alpine pasture above a lake.

This is the only part of the hike that’s a bit monotonous.

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Koča na Planini pri Jezeru to Planina Dedno Polje (30 min)

From Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, there are two ways to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (Triglav Lakes Mountain Hut).

You can hike to the Triglav Lakes hut via the Planina Dedno Polje mountain pasture or the Planina Viševnik Mountain Pasture. 

Ideally, you’ll hike both routes, ascending via Dedno Polje and descending via Planina Viševnik (or vice versa). 

The Dedno Polje ascent route is slightly shorter (.2 km) and involves less elevation gain/loss. 

At Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, continue straight to Planina Dedno Polje (signed 45 minutes, though it’ll only take about 30 min), Planina Ovčarija (signed 1:45 hrs), and Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (2:45 hrs). 

The gravel track is flat initially, but quickly steepens. After about 10 minutes, you’ll arrive at a trail intersection. Continue straight. 

The path progresses through beautiful spruce forest for another 20 minutes to Planina Dedno Polje. 

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Planina Dedno Polje – Planina Ovčarija (1 hr)

The track wraps around the planina at a slight elevation.

As you walk, a picturesque scene of herdsmen huts huddled together in a sea of green grass, speckled with boulders, unfolds before you. It’s one of the most enchanting places in the Julian Alps. 

Follow signs to Planina Ovčarija (1:35 hrs) and Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (2:15 hrs). 

The wide track ends at Dedno Polje. You’ll now follow a narrow hiking path across open larch forests and lush meadows. It’s a very enjoyable trail. 

After about 45 minutes, the views open up towards the Southern Julian Alps.

You can see Vrh nad Škrbino, Podrta Gora, Tolminski kuk, Vrh Planje, Mahavšček, and Bogatin. 

The trail descends to the large Ovčarija mountain pasture. 

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Ovčarija – Štapce – Dvojno Jezero (1 hour)

At the signed intersection at Planina Ovčarija, you can choose to hike to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih via Štapce (“Preko Štapce”) or Prodov (“Preko Prodov”).

The more direct route is via the Štapc saddle. Though it’s 1 km shorter, it’s the more difficult route. 

We continued right, opting for the Štapc route. The rolling trail ascends through forest for about 40 minutes (1.4 km) to Štapc. 

Štapc is a gap in the ridge, below Mala Tičarica (2071 m). 

The initial descent from Štapc is steep, but easily managed, as it’s secured with a fixed cable.

Though the secured passage is short, we recommend putting your hiking poles away, so you can grasp the cables more easily. 

At the base of the secured passage, a trail continues diagonally towards Dvojno jezero (Double Lake), which you can already see.

The path crosses the slopes of Mala Tičarica along a loose rocky path, which can be slippery at times. 

Take extra care as you make your final zigzag descent to Dvojno jezero (Double Lake).

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Dvojno Jezero (Double Lake) to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (5 minutes)

When the trail joins the path parallel to Double Lake, head right and walk 5 minutes to Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (Triglav Lakes Hut). 

Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih is an ideal destination for lunch. Order food and drinks inside (cash only).

To the right of the counter, there’s a board with the daily offerings like:

• Jota – thick stew made with sour cabbage (Sauerkraut) and beans
• Ričet – barley stew made with beans
• Gobova Juha – mushroom soup
• Zelenjavna Juha – vegetable soup
• Golaž – goulash
• Kranjska klobasa – Carniolan sausage
• Makaronovo meso – macaroni with minced meat/bolognese sauce

If you need to fill up your water, there’s a water fountain outside the hut.

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Optional: Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih to Jezero v Ledvicah (45 minutes one-way)

Most hikers will end their hike at Double Lake, enjoying lunch at Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih.

However, the Double Lake is only one of 7 gorgeous lakes in the 8-km-long Triglav Lakes Valley.

If you have the stamina, we recommend hiking up the valley another 45 minutes (2.5 km, 168 m ascending) to Veliko Jezero (also called Jezero v Ledvicah which means Kidney Lake), the largest lake in Triglav Lakes Valley.

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How to Extend your Seven Lakes Valley Hike

It’s easy to make this a 2-day hike. If you want to see more highlights of the Triglav Lakes Valley, continue hiking up the valley to the mountain hut Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih (2071 m), where you can stay the night.

If you have a lot of high-alpine hiking experience, we highly recommend the Veliko Špičje Ridge Trail. This exciting route follows the route described in this post and then continues 2:30 hrs to the summit of Veliko Špičje.

From the peak, you’ll continue along the main crest of Špičje for 2 hours, before descending to the Zasavska koča hut.

The next day, you’ll hike down the gorgeous Seven Lakes Valley, passing Zeleno Jezero (Green Lake) and Jezero v Ledvicah (Kidney Lake), before returning to the Triglav Lakes Hut.

Learn More: Veliko Spicje Ridge Trail

If you’re interested in learning more about overnighting in a Slovenian mountain hut, read these posts next Slovenian Mountain Huts and Hut to Hut Hiking in Slovenia.

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Return Journey: Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih – Štapce – Planina Ovčarija – Planina Viševnik – Koča na Planini pri Jezeru – Planina Blato (3:30 hours)

We recommend hiking back to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru via Planina Viševnik.

Ascend to the Štapce pass and hike down the dwarf pine flanked path to Planina Ovčarija.

Alternatively, you can bypass Štapce pass by taking the easier route to Planina Ovčarija via Prodov.

From the Ovčarija planina pasture, head right to Planina Viševnik (45 minutes), another scenic mountain pasture peppered with herdsmen huts.

At Planina Viševnik, you can grab refreshments at Bregarjevo zavetišče na planini Viševnik (Bregarjevo Shelter on Plateau Viševnik). Bregarjevo used to be a cheese factory.

In 1981, the old farm was transformed into the shelter which offers overnight stays. It’s open from early June until the end of September.

From Planina Viševnik, the trail descends for 25 minutes (1.1 km, 179 m descending) to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru.

Once you arrive at Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, follow the familiar wide track back down to Planina Blato.

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Where to Stay for the Triglav Lakes Valley Hike

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Ribčev Laz

Ribčev Laz is the main hub at Lake Bohinj, with a direct bus connection to Lake Bled and onward to Ljubljana. Here, you’ll find a cluster of eateries, grocery stores, and boat rental shops.

Budget | Hostel pod Voglom is located along the southern shore of Lake Bohinj. This budget-friendly accommodation offers simple twin, single rooms, triple, and quadruple rooms. Bathrooms are either private, or shared.

From the hostel, it’s a 20 minute walk (1.8 km) to Ribčev Laz, the closest village (restaurants, shops, etc…). You can rent kayaks, SUPs, and bicycles on-site. 

Midrange | Apartments and rooms Cerkovnik is located in Ribčev Laz, a mere 10-minute walk to the lakeshore (1 km). This sparking clean accommodation offers double and triple rooms as well as well-equipped apartments.

Breakfast is available for an additional fee. On-site parking is free. 

Luxury | The newly renovated Hotel Bohinj is located in the center of Ribčev Laz, only a few meters from Lake Bohinj. Designed to impress as much as to pay homage to the region’s cultural heritage, Hotel Bohinj is the most striking hotel in the Bohinj region.

All rooms have air-conditioning. Guests are treated to a healthy and delicious breakfast buffet. You can also enjoy dinner at the hotel and indulge in a wellness package.

Look for accommodation in Ribčev Laz. 

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Stara Fužina

If you want to combine this hike with lakeside goodness and afternoon dips in Lake Bohinj, consider staying in Stara Fužina.

Midrange | Ideal for families, the top-rated Pr `Agotnik apartmaji sobe Bohinj offers spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments with fully-equipped kitchens, and washing machines. 

Midrange | The recently renovated Residence Novak Bohinj offers stylish one-bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens in an idyllic area of Stara Fužina. Guests love the idyllic surroundings and mountain views, the proximity to Lake Bohinj, and the kind hosts. There’s a minimum stay requirement of 2-3 nights.

Midrange-Luxury | Apartmaji Triglav is a stylish aparthotel in Stara Fužina with an on-site restaurant and bar and spa and wellness center. Rooms are clean, modern, and feature balconies, kitchenettes and seating areas. Guests particularly love the mountain views and the hotel’s proximity to hiking trails and the lake. Breakfast is included.

Luxury | Hotel Majerca is a lovely boutique hotel with an on-site restaurant in Stara Fužina. The restaurant extends onto a grassy lawn, with views of farmland backed by the Julian Alps. It’s wonderful to start and end your day here. The al fresco breakfast is phenomenal.

Look for accommodation in Stara Fužina.

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More Hiking Trails in the Julian Alps

• Julian Alps Hiking Trails
• Climbing Mount Triglav
• Viševnik
• Mount Vogel
• Debela Pec
• Vintgar Gorge
• Martuljek Waterfalls

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