Bled and its surroundings are perfect for a cycling adventure. There are many well-prepared trails, as well as plenty of places to rent bikes. In our opinion, the best route is the one from Bled to Bohinjska Bistrica and onward to Lake Bohinj. In early April, we cycled from Radovljica all the way to Bohinjska Bistrica and back—a round trip of about 55 - 60 km in glorious sunshine. The only downside is that the trail is not yet fully completed, so you have to cycle a few kilometers on the road.
The Cycling Route
The cycle path between Bled and Bohinjska Bistrica, and onward to Lake Bohinj, has been under construction for several years and is still not fully completed. However, the 90% that is finished is among the best cycling routes in the entire Bled area.
The entire cycle path runs through an incredibly scenic landscape. A large part of it follows the Sava Bohinjka River, a tributary of the Sava River. The route also passes through the deep valley between Bled and Bohinjska Bistrica, which is wide in some places and narrow in others.
When cycling from Bled to Bohinjska Bistrica, it often feels as though you are riding downhill and that Bohinjska Bistrica lies lower than Bled. This may seem counterintuitive, as the Sava Bohinjka River flows towards Bled. However, Bled itself is situated on a small plateau above the river valley, which means you descend for the first part of the route.
When cycling back to Bled from Bohinjska Bistrica, you may again have the feeling that you are riding downhill for much of the way.
Radovljica to Bled Cycle Route
The first part of our bike ride went from Radovljica to Bled. We chose to cycle through the town of Lesce, then down into the valley where the Sava River flows, before climbing back up to Lake Bled. The distance from Radovljica to Bled is about 7 km, with an additional 2 km to reach the other side of the lake where the trail to Bohinjska Bistrica begins.
From Radovljica to Lesce, you cycle on a bike path alongside the road, sharing space with cars, although traffic is generally light. From Lesce to Bled, there is a separate and well-maintained bike path. In Bled itself, you can cycle through the town streets, as the main road is closed to bike traffic. However, traffic within Bled can be quite busy, so it is best to avoid the busiest roads where possible.
If you are reading this post in our app, you can tap Bicycling directions in the top-right menu to view our route.
Bled to Bohinjska Bistrica Route
At Bled, we joined the cycle path towards Bohinjska Bistrica. The route starts where Savska cesta (Savska Street) begins. It is about 21 km from Bled to Bohinjska Bistrica by bike. In the app’s top-right menu, you can tap Bicycling directions to see where the path starts.
Along the cycle path, there are warning signs indicating that the route is closed. We chose to continue cycling anyway. The path is fully passable, except for a 3–4 km section where construction is still underway.
The first part of the route descends through parts of Bled town. After a few kilometers, you reach the Sava Bohinjka River, which accompanies you for the rest of the ride. From here, the route is separated from car traffic and continues through the valley, with a few short uphill sections. The river runs along the left side, while the road towards Bohinjska Bistrica lies on the right.
After a few kilometers, the path turns right towards the picturesque village of Bohinjska Bela. We cycled uphill through the village, passing beautiful surroundings, traditional buildings, and farms with grazing animals. The cycle path runs alongside the road, although traffic is fortunately light. As we left the village, the road descends again, and after a few kilometers we turned left back onto a separate cycle path. After about 8 km in total, we reached the narrowest part of the valley, where only the road, the river, and the railway fit side by side.
Here, the cycle path is not yet completed, so we joined the road for a 3–4 km stretch. It is not the most pleasant section, but most drivers are very considerate of cyclists. When we reached the next bridge over the Sava Bohinjka River, we turned left back onto the cycle path, just before the bridge.
From here, it is about 10 km to go. The entire section follows a separate and very pleasant cycle path. The route goes gently up and down and mostly runs alongside the river. Towards the end, the valley opens up, offering beautiful views of the Julian Alps and the surrounding landscape.
Bohinjska Bistrica
Bohinjska Bistrica is a typical alpine village, similar in style to Kranjska Gora. It is located where the valley opens up, offering fantastic views of the surrounding Alps in all directions. In the distance to the northwest, Triglav is visible. The area also offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, cycling, paragliding, and skiing.
“Bistrica” is a common place name in Slavic languages. It refers to a settlement located near a fast-flowing river or stream. In Slovenia, you will find many places that include the name Bistrica.
When we arrived in Bohinjska Bistrica after our bike ride, we decided to stop for a well-earned lunch at the Štrudl restaurant, located in the centre of the village at the main roundabout.
The restaurant serves traditional Slovenian alpine cuisine. As the name suggests, you can also enjoy strudel. We chose to have jota with sausage. Jota is a bean and sauerkraut stew that can be found in many restaurants throughout the Slovenian Alpine region.
After lunch, we finished with a coffee at the Danica restaurant, located about 500 meters further along the road towards Lake Bohinj.
This time, we chose not to cycle all the way to Lake Bohinj—we’ll save that for another blog post. However, if you do want to continue from Bohinjska Bistrica to Ribčev Laz, the first town on the eastern side of the lake, it is about 6–7 km along a well-maintained cycle path.
Bohinjska Bistrica to Radovljica Route
After lunch, we cycled back towards Bled and Radovljica. From Bled to Radovljica, we chose to avoid cycling through the town and instead followed the cycle path along the Sava Bohinjka River. Large parts of this route are on gravel roads shared with cars. The distance is about 8 km.
The Sava Bohinjka River flows into the Sava River just before the village of Lancovo. Here, we crossed the river and cycled the final stretch up to Radovljica’s old town centre. This was the last steep climb of the tour.
In total, we cycled almost 60 km in fantastic spring weather.
Type of Bicycle
If you plan to cycle this route, we recommend using a mountain bike with good gearing, as there are several ascents and descents, and some of the slopes are quite steep. If you prefer a more relaxed experience, an e-bike is a good alternative.
In Radovljica and Bled, there are plenty of places where you can rent bikes for one or more days. During the high season, it can get quite busy, so we recommend booking in advance. Below is a list of bike rental providers.
- Extreme Vital - A bike shop and rental company offering high-quality bikes, located a few hundred meters from our apartment in Radovljica. You can also call +386 4 515 77 12 to reserve your bike.
- Polka Dot Cycling - A large bicycle rental company located at the shopping centre just outside Bled. You can book via their websiteor call +386 31 54 49 59 or email info@polkadot.si to reserve a bike.
- AB Bike - A bike rental company located on the southwest side of the lake. Book via their website, email info@ab-bike.si or call +386 40 219 415.
In addition to the rental companies listed above, there are many other bike rental providers in Bled. However, be sure to check that the bikes are in good condition before renting.
Where to stay
Here are some excellent places to stay near Bohinjska Bistrica.
- Hiša Križaj - Individually furnished, high-quality apartments in a prime location on the outskirts of Bohinjska Bistrica.
- Boutique Hotel Sunrose 7 - Located in Bohinjska Bistrica, approximately 6km away from Lake Bohinj.
- Hotel Bohinj - Located in Ribčev Laz, just a short distance from the lake.
- Villas and apartments - Many residents and owners of villas and apartments rent them out during the tourist season, and most of these properties are of a high standard.
Restaurants and cafes
Here are some places to eat near Bohinjska Bistrica. We visited the first two places on this list during our bike trip.
- Restaurant Štrudl - A very traditional Slovenian restaurant in a traditional style serving traditional Slovenian food from the region. A welcoming place to eat. You can email them at dunja.trost@gmail.com or call them at +386 41 541 877 to reserve a table.
- Danica Guesthouse - A restaurant with high ambitions that serves traditional dishes from the Bohinj area. You can email them at info@camp-danica.si or call them at +386 71 888 887 to reserve a table.
- Restaurant Majer’ca - Mentioned in the Michelin Guide, this restaurant focuses on alpine flavors, heritage, and seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. You can reserve a table by emailing info@majerca.si or calling +386(0) 40 249 352.
- Foksner - If you’re looking for fantastic hamburgers and quality meat, this is the place to go!
