Vogel

What makes it special

The cable car rises from Ukanc to Brown Rock, the top station at 1,535 metres. It climbs 956 metres in about four minutes, on a line steep enough to trouble anyone with vertigo.

At the top, a viewing platform with a metal grate for a floor hangs over the drop. From it you look down on the Bohinj Basin and the length of Lake Bohinj, and beyond them to Triglav, the highest peak of the Julian Alps. The whole mountain lies inside Triglav National Park.

Above the station rise the peaks of Šija, Vogel and Rodica, and the station is the start of shorter and longer high-mountain walks, including one to the Zadnji Vogel alpine meadow. In winter the same slopes become a ski area, with about 38 kilometres of runs for beginners and strong skiers alike.

Visiting

Standing at the downhill window of the cabin on the way up gives you the lake below for the whole ride. Buy the round trip at the lower station unless you plan to hike down.

At the top, walk out to the viewing platform first for the drop to the lake. Then ride the Orlove Glave chairlift to the higher viewpoint, or walk five minutes up to the Vogel ridge and ten more to the summit.

Viharnik Café at the mountain station is the place to eat before the ride down. The longer walks start from the same station; wear proper hiking boots for them.

Tips

Arrive early in summer, when Vogel is at its busiest. It is cooler at the top than by the lake, so bring a jacket, a cap and at least two litres of water each: there is no shade on the mountain and nowhere to refill in these lower Bohinj peaks.

Look at the operator's live cameras before you set off, since mountain weather can turn against a good forecast. On a hot day, walk in the morning and swim in Lake Bohinj in the afternoon.