Bohinj Lake and Zlatorog, Slovenia

Lake Bohinj — the largest permanent freshwater lake in Slovenia at 2.6 km long and 1 km wide.

Formed as a shallow glacial lake within the Julian Alps, it drains off to the east to become the Sava River.

A prominent visiting spot is the statue dedicated to the legendary Golden-horn or Zlatorog, a bronze statue of a Chamois Deer placed upon a large rock by the lake side. This was inspired by a legendary Slovenian tale called Zlatorog — which also inspired the later poem of the same name Zlatorog by the German poet, Rudolph Baumbach.

The story is told:

A hunter in the Soča Valley was turned away by the object of his affections, an innkeeper’s daughter, in favour of a richer man whose flattery and rich offerings she had fallen in love with. In order to try and win back her hand in marriage, he was persuaded by a trickster to hunt down and capture the elusive Goldenhorn, a white chamois deer with horns made of pure gold and bring it to his intended wife as a bargaining trophy.

Unknown to the Hunter was that the deer had been given special powers by the elemental folk known as the White Ladies that lived high in the mountains that made it elusive and difficult to catch. The hunter pursued the deer right to the top of the highest peak in Slovenia, Mount Triglav at nearly 3000 metres. He managed to shoot the animal, injuring it. However, as the Chamois bled onto the ground, beautiful flowers and herbs sprung up from the spot it lay upon. The deer ate the flowers and began to regain its strength. As the hunter drew closer to the deer upon the peak, he was so blinded by his lust for the golden horns, he lost his footing and tumbled over a steep cliff to his death.

A moral tale warning that greed almost always leads to the downfall of a man pursuing easy riches.