Lake Jasna

Lake Jasna lies about two kilometres south of Kranjska Gora, at the point where the road to the Vršič pass begins to climb. It is really two small lakes, created artificially rather than by glaciers, and their clear green-blue water sits against a backdrop of forested slopes and the limestone walls of the Julian Alps. Because they are so close to the town, they have become a favourite short outing for visitors staying in Kranjska Gora and for families after a gentle walk.

A level path loops around the shoreline and is suitable for pushchairs, with benches placed at the best views. On the eastern side is a lookout tower that gives a view over the water toward the mountains. The most photographed feature, though, is the large bronze statue of Zlatorog, the golden-horned chamois of Slovene legend. In the folk tale, Zlatorog guards a treasure on Triglav, and when a greedy hunter wounds him, the flowers that spring from his blood heal him and the garden of the mountain is destroyed. The story is told across the Julian Alps and the animal is a symbol of Triglav National Park and of the Bohinj region, and here he stands at the water's edge.

Next to the lake is a Kneipp Path, a barefoot wellness trail where visitors wade between cold and warmer water and walk on pebbles, a treatment named for the nineteenth-century German priest Sebastian Kneipp. It is a pleasant way to refresh tired legs after walking, and children tend to enjoy it as much as adults.

The seasons shape the experience. In summer, people sit on the grass and swim in the cool water, and cafes nearby serve drinks. In autumn the surrounding trees turn colour, and the reflections are at their best on windless mornings. In winter, the area is snow-covered, and the shoreline walk remains open when conditions allow. It is also a useful starting point for walks into the surrounding forests and toward the Vršič road, a famous route of fifty hairpin bends built by Russian prisoners of war during the First World War.

If you are choosing between sights in the Kranjska Gora area, Jasna is the easiest and the least demanding. For a more natural lake with a source of the Sava, Zelenci is a short drive away, while the Martuljek waterfalls need a longer walk.