Travel Bliss in Bled, Slovenia

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After spending three days falling in love with Ljubljana, I wasn't sure Slovenia would have anything more up its sleeve to charm me with.

Well, as so often happens when I travel, I soon learned that I was wrong.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

From Ljubljana, my next stop in Slovenia was the small town of Bled. This town, tucked into the beautiful Julian Alps, is best known for its picturesque glacial lake (Lake Bled), complete with overlooking castle and fairy tale-like island-with-church in its center.

I could totally picture a Disney princess calling this place home.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Bled is most popular with European tourists in the summer months, but it is also becoming increasingly likely that you'll find other international tourists here, too. Yes, the secret is spreading that Bled is an amazing destination.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

I was treated to perhaps the best introduction to Bled by the lovely Maja of the Bled Tourist Board. She picked me up from the bus station upon my arrival from Ljubljana and spent an entire day showing me the best of everything Bled has to offer.

We began at Bled Castle, the medieval structure perched high above Lake Bled that is one of the most-visited attractions in Slovenia. Dating back to at least the 1000s, the castle today is mostly a museum, with displays on the history of Slovenia and medieval life. I even got to use a replica Gutenberg printing press!

Bled Castle, Slovenia

Bled, Slovenia

From the castle, we headed over to Camping Bled — which is about so much more than just camping. Though the operation offers up traditional camp sites, there's also a brand new “glamping” village, dog kennels, a trampoline park, and more.

Bled, Slovenia
I SO want to stay here!

Visiting gave me a better sense of how Bled is attempting to manage the increasing influx of tourists each year. Not wanting to be overrun, the town has strict codes on building new accommodation. This does mean more demand (and perhaps higher prices), but it is a very smart step towards avoiding overdevelopment.

Lake Bled, Slovenia
They want to keep Lake Bled looking this green

Following a quick tour of the glamping village, Camping Bled then provided Maja and I with a gourmet picnic lunch (remember how I said they do so much more than just renting campsites??), which we headed down to the lakeshore to eat. The skies were cloudy and the temperature a bit cool, but there were still people swimming and enjoying themselves outdoors.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

I didn't want to leave our relaxing perch by the lake, but eventually we had to. Because the next planned activity of the day was taking a pletna boat out to the island in the middle of Lake Bled.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

The history of pletna boats is actually pretty interesting. A pletna is essentially a wooden boat with a roof, 7 meters long and 2 meters wide. It's rowed by a man standing at the back, kind of like a gondola (except with 2 long oars). The boats are made in the village of Mlino on the shores of Lake Bled, and ownership/captainship is passed down from generation to generation.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

I was amazed at our pletna captain and the ease with which he guided the heavy boat around the lake. It certainly is a physically demanding job.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Riding in a pletna is one of the only ways to get out on Lake Bled, however (the other is renting a row boat yourself). Because of Bled's commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable tourism, motorized boats are not allowed on Lake Bled to avoid water pollution. It's because of this fact that the glacial lake is ridiculously clear.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Once out on the lake, there is really only one place to visit — the island and the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. The church is essentially the only thing on the island, and therefore draws many visitors each day. There are 99 steps leading up to the church (which grooms are supposed to carry their new brides up) and a bell inside that you are supposed to ring for good luck. I didn't have a husband to carry me up the steps, but you better believe I rang that bell.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

After visiting the island, our pletna captain dropped Maja and I off at Vila Bled, the luxury hotel overlooking Lake Bled that at one time was a summer home of Yugoslavia's beloved President Tito. The gorgeous building has some seriously pretty views, and Maja and I enjoyed a drink on the patio while chatting with the hotel's concierge. I had heard about huge crowds here during the summer months, but Bled was surprisingly quiet in late July.

Vila Bled, Slovenia

I capped off my Bled-in-a-day experience with dinner and a slice of the town's famous cream cake (Kremna rezina)ย at Hotel Park's restaurant, which overlooks the lake. Sitting outside and watching the sun set over the nearby mountains, I could not think of any place I would rather be.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

If you're searching for travel bliss in Slovenia, look no further than Bled.

——

Is Lake Bled a place YOU would like to spend time visiting?

 

*Note: Special thanks to the Bled Tourist Board (and Slovenia Tourist Board) for the great introduction to Bled. And thanks to Roomorama for helping me find a great B&B to stay at while I was in town. As always, though, all opinions are my own.

"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and, if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might get swept off to." - JRR Tolkien

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55 Comments on “Travel Bliss in Bled, Slovenia

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  1. We are visiting Bled, where my son is getting married, this month. Is there a dog kennel near Bled where we can leave the dog overnight, as our hotel does not cater for dogs??

      I’m afraid that’s not a question I can answer! I’m not from Bled, and have only visited as a tourist.

    I found your blog while searching Slovenia and simply loved the way you have described the sights. I just planned a trip to Slovenia and this post will be my guide for Bled

    Hey there! We also have a travel blog called http://oitheblog.com and we are going to Slovenia next month. Your article’s been really useful for us and we are so excited to explore Slovenia! We just wanted to say thanks for all the information. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Greeting from Istanbul!

    Too bad you didn’t make it to Lake Bohinj – much less touristy and in my opinion even more beautiful than Bled. :]

      I did visit Bohinj briefly on a day trip – definitely beautiful! Though I really liked Lake Bled, too. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Oooh, your photos bring back SO many amazing memories. I was just there and absolutely fell in love with Lake Bled and the rest of Slovenia! I stayed at the glamping site and it was such a fun experience. Definitely recommend it if you return some day.

      The glamping site looked so cool! I would definitely consider staying there next time (because of course there will be a next time!).

    Hi! I know it’s been a while, but I’m going to Slovenia for four days this summer with five friends, and I came across your blog post. Would you say that touring the country by public transportation was sufficient, or would you recommend renting a car? Thank you for your posts! It’s making me super excited ๐Ÿ™‚

      Renting a car definitely gives you more freedom! But I had no problems using trains and buses to get around – it just takes a little more planning!

    The water is so crystal-clear, the views from the castle are spectacular!
    Those boats were so shaky…
    The air was clean…
    I actually walked around the lake and it was amazing!

      I still dream about my time in Bled. I will definitely be back someday!

    Is there any place to stay that has docks right on the lake? I’ve seen a picture before of a dock right over the water that had loungers and looked dead on to the island church. I’ve researched but been unable to figure out where that is. Did you happen to see it?

      Hmm. I can’t think of a place right off the top of my head, but I know there ARE a few exclusive hotels there with docks of their own. Sorry that I don’t have any more info, though!

    Hey Amanda, so good you managed to be at the castle when the printing press was still open. When I was there it was closed, and I still had to pay the ticket! ๐Ÿ™
    I also love the fact that you got to know little things like where they build the rowboats. It does sound a lot like gondolas here in Venice. My rowman was way hotter though, LOL!

      Aww sad to hear the press wasn’t working when you were there!

    Wow! your posts are amazing!
    I was looking on the internet for information about Slovenia, since I was deciding whether to go there for an exchange semester or not and found this blog. I am so glad that I did.
    Incredible posts about Ljubljana and Bled made really transported me there and made me really want to go for a visit.
    I ended up reading a bunch of other posts about other destinations, they were also very cool and interesting. Nice job!
    I am a traveller myself, if you are ever in need of a travel buddy I would love to jump in to the next adventure. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Thanks so much! Have I convinced you to do that exchange semester in Slovenia? If you love the outdoors, I think it would be an amazing choice!

    Oh wow! Looks gorgeous. I somehow have not made my way to Slovenia just yet but this totally proves I need to get there soon! ๐Ÿ™‚

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