Trgovina Krpan

Trgovina Krpan is a small village shop in Stara Fužina, one of the old mountain villages on the shore of Lake Bohinj, in the Julian Alps within Triglav National Park. It is not a sight in the usual sense, but for anyone staying or walking in the area it is a useful and typical part of village life, a place to buy bread, fruit, picnic supplies and everyday essentials before heading into the mountains. The shop is named after Martin Krpan, the folk hero of a famous Slovene tale by the writer Fran Levstik, a strong, clever peasant and smuggler who defeats a giant for the emperor, and the name is a nod to local humour and pride.

Stara Fužina itself is a place worth getting to know. The name comes from the old ironworks, the fužine, that once used the water power and forests of Bohinj, and the village kept its traditional character with wooden houses, hayracks and stone-walled lanes. It is the starting point for the path into the Mostnica Gorge, a narrow canyon with pools and waterfalls, and for the climb to the Vogar viewpoint above the lake. The Alpine Dairying Museum in the village explains how herders took cattle to the high pastures and made cheese in the mountain huts, a tradition that survives on a smaller scale today. A stone bridge from the eighteenth century, associated with the Zois family who owned the iron industry in Bohinj, adds a note of history.

Shopping locally is part of the experience. Village shops stock bread, dairy products, cured meats and fruit, and many of them carry products of local farms, including Bohinj cheese, which is one of the best-known regional foods. Walkers and cyclists use them to buy lunch, snacks and water before setting out, and families staying in holiday apartments stock up for the week. Ask staff for suggestions and for the opening hours, since small shops often have shorter hours on Sundays and in the off-season.

Around the shop is a small square used for summer events and a handful of guesthouses and restaurants, so it is a good starting point for evenings in the village. From here it is a few minutes' walk to the Mostnica path, and the lake is a short distance away by bicycle or car, with a bus connection along the valley.

The shop suits self-catering guests, hikers and cyclists. A quick visit takes only a few minutes, and the village is worth a longer wander.