Residence to the one island in Slovenia, scrumptious cream cake, and one of many prettiest glacial lakes in Europe (yeah, I mentioned it!), Lake Bled is an absolute must-visit vacation spot. And I am not the one one who thinks so; Lake Bled is likely one of the hottest locations to go to in all of Slovenia!
The city of Bled is a small certainly one of lower than 10,000 individuals, tucked into the gorgeous Julian Alps within the northwestern a part of Slovenia. The city is greatest identified for its picturesque glacial lake (Lake Bled), full with overlooking citadel and fairy tale-like island-with-church in its middle.
And it is truly been widespread for a very long time! Europeans started flocking to Lake Bled within the mid-1800s for a type a “nature therapeutic” being practiced by Swiss healer Arnold Rikli. Rikli promoted a type of various medication that utilized pure components like solar, water, and recent air to deal with sure sicknesses, and Lake Bled shortly turned a hotspot for spa and well being tourism.
As we speak, Bled remains to be a tourism hotspot. It is nonetheless hottest with European vacationers in the summertime months, however can be changing into more and more visited by worldwide vacationers, too.
I first visited Lake Bled in 2013, and was completely enchanted by it and blown away that extra individuals did not find out about it. I used to be frightened on my second trip to Slovenia in 2023 that Lake Bled would by now be absolutely “found” and really feel overly touristy – however it truthfully did not! It is nonetheless an unbelievable place in Slovenia to go to.
Prime issues to do at Lake Bled
Bled will not be a really massive city – and Lake Bled is not even a really massive lake. So the excellent news is you could hit up all of the highlights in only a couple days!
Listed below are all of the belongings you will not need to miss at Lake Bled.
NOTE: Most of the issues listed below are solely supplied from roughly April-September, as that is the primary tourism season in Bled. In case you’re visiting outdoors these months, it is a good suggestion to double test upfront whether or not you are able to do a few of these actions!
1. Take a pletna to Bled Island
A pletna boat is a flat-bottomed picket boat that you’ll solely see on Lake Bled in Slovenia.
The pletna is 7 meters lengthy and a couple of meters huge, with a colourful material awning excessive. The boats maintain as much as about 18 passengers, and are rowed by a person standing on the again, form of like a Venetian gondola (besides with 2 lengthy oars).
These boats date again lots of of years round Lake Bled, however it wasn’t till the reign of Maria Theresa of the Habsburg Empire within the 1700s that the present-day custom of pletnas on Lake Bled was born. Again then, some native farmers misplaced land/have been allotted poorer rising plots resulting from what I am assuming was some Habsburg forms. To compensate them for his or her loss, Maria Theresa gave 23 households round Bled the only rights to function pletna boats on Lake Bled.
As we speak, descendants of those self same households nonetheless personal the 23 pletna boats working on Lake Bled. The lads who row them are known as pletnar, and it is a very extremely esteemed job that is handed down from era to era.
The pletna boats run from city to Bled Island, which is the small island within the middle of Lake Bled. (Enjoyable truth: that is the one island in all of Slovenia!) You will get on certainly one of these distinctive boats at 4 totally different spots round Lake Bled: in entrance of Lodge Park in Bled city (my decide, as you get the longest trip throughout the lake from right here), at Spa Park close to the “Wood Home on the Lake,” within the village of Mlino, and at Velika Zaka.
To go on certainly one of these journeys, merely arrive at one of many 4 spots talked about above, and let no matter pletna captain is there know you’d wish to go on the subsequent journey out to the island. The captains do not go away at any particular instances; they merely wait till they’ve a full boat. (You do not often have to attend very lengthy throughout the hotter months.)
Then they’re going to row you over to Bled Island, enable you about 45 minutes to discover, after which row you again. Costs can range, however from the pletna dock close to Lodge Park, you possibly can anticipate to pay slightly below €20 per individual for a complete journey of about 1.5 hours.
You too can get to Bled Island through an electrical vacationer boat (no motorized boats are allowed on Lake Bled in any respect), or you possibly can lease a rowboat or paddleboard and get there underneath your individual steam. Personally, although, I feel you possibly can’t miss using in a standard pletna boat!
2. Ring the wishing bell on Bled Island
Your arrival at Bled Island would require you to climb up 99 stone steps to succeed in the church (native legend says newlywed grooms are supposed to hold their new brides up these). There’s been a church on the middle of this island for the reason that ninth century, although the present Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary dates again to the seventeenth century.
You will must pay a charge to enter the church, which additionally will get you entry to a small museum and an opportunity to climb to the highest of the church’s bell tower. The primary draw is contained in the gold-plated altar, and the prospect to ring the “wishing bell.”
The native legend of the bell goes that, way back, a younger girl residing in Bled Fort turned widowed, and gathered all her silver and gold and melted it right down to be formed right into a bell to be positioned atop the church on Bled Island. However, as boatmen have been transporting the bell throughout the lake, an enormous storm hit, and the boat with the bell sank to the underside of the lake. The distraught girl moved to Rome, and the Pope, listening to of her unhappy story and being moved by it, had a brand new bell made and despatched to Bled Island in her honor.
While you ring the “wishing bell” bell on Bled Island at present, you are making a want to the “Woman from the Lake.”
The wishing bell is a separate bell from these within the church’s bell tower; the wishing bell is definitely on high of the church above the nave, and an extended rope hangs down into the church for individuals to ring. It is mentioned you might want to have the bell clang 3 instances to your want to be heard.
The charge you pay your pletna boat captain does NOT embrace entry to the church on Bled Island. The church entry charge is €12 (which is fairly steep, in my view). You do not HAVE to pay it, however in the event you do not you will not be capable to do a lot throughout your time on the island besides get an ice cream and benefit from the views from the island steps.
3. Go to Bled Fort
After Bled Island, the primary function at Lake Bled that you’ll positively see from nearly in all places is Bled Fort (Blejski grad). The medieval construction is perched on a cliff excessive above Lake Bled, and dates again to not less than the 1000s, making it one of many oldest castles in Slovenia.
As we speak, the citadel is generally a museum, with shows on the historical past of Slovenia and medieval life.
The good issues you are able to do at Bled Fort embrace strolling alongside a bit of the previous Romanesque citadel partitions, visiting the Baroque citadel chapel, making a print utilizing a duplicate Gutenberg printing press, buying contained in the “honey cave” for honey and different bee items, and doing wine tastings of Slovenian wine (for simply €2 every) within the wine cellar.
There’s additionally a flowery restaurant and a extra informal espresso store at Bled Fort. If it is a good day, positively seize a drink on the citadel terrace overlooking Lake Bled.
You may attain Bled Fort both by driving (there is a car parking zone proper subsequent to the citadel that prices a pair Euros per hour), or by strolling up the Arnold Rikli path. This path from the shore of Lake Bled by the forest is good, however has plenty of stairs to climb to succeed in the highest!
4. Eat cream cake at Lodge Park
There are numerous distinctive meals to eat in Slovenia, however the must-try in Bled is Blejska Kremna Rezina (additionally known as Blejska kremšnita), or Bled Cream Cake. This sq., custardy dessert is served up in lots of eating places round Bled, however you must strive it at Lodge Park the place it was invented.
Bled Cream Cake was invented by pastry chef Ištvan Lukačević, who moved to Slovenia after World Warfare II and commenced working on the patisserie at Lodge Park. Lukačević perfected the cream cake in 1953, and it has been made right here utilizing his recipe ever since.
This cake could be very particular – particular sufficient to have been awarded a certificates of nationwide origin. It is a big sq. slice of cake (precisely 7 x 7 x 7 cm sq.) that’s made up of a layer of puff pastry, a thick layer of vanilla custard, whipped cream, one other skinny layer of puff pastry, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Get a slice of the unique recipe on the Park Restaurant and Cafe overlooking Lake Bled.
5. Stroll round Lake Bled
If you wish to go for a pleasant, leisurely stroll in Bled, you possibly can truly stroll across the total lake! The Lake Bled Loop Path goes all the way in which across the lake in 3.7 miles (6 kilometers), and is a large, largely flat path of various paved and gravel sections.
The path provides you with so many wonderful vantage factors excellent for images of Bled Fort, Bled Island, pletna boats, and extra.
6. Go for a swim
As you stroll round Lake Bled, you will come throughout a number of locations the place you possibly can go for a swim! The water in Lake Bled does not get all *that* heat (throughout the summer season months, common water temperatures in Lake Bled vary from about 66-70 levels F (19-21 levels C)), however it feels pretty for a dip on these sunny summer season days when air temperatures can attain into the 80s F.
There are some devoted “seashores” and swimming areas round Lake Bled. The most well-liked is Grajsko kopališče (the “Fort Bathing Space”) slightly below Bled Fort, which has altering rooms, seaside chairs/umbrella rental, and a few options like water slides.
Different organized swimming areas embrace the seaside at Velika Zaka, and at Mala Zaka. However there are additionally different areas across the lake the place you possibly can arrange a towel and pop into the water.
7. Have a meal at Vila Bled
Sitting on the southern shore of Lake Bled is Vila Bled, the one-time presidential palace of Yugoslavian chief Josip Broz (AKA Tito). There’s been a summer season villa on this a part of Lake Bled for the reason that Eighties, with the present villa constructed particularly for Tito and completed in 1947. Tito used Vila Bled as his summer season residence, and held all types of state visits right here.
Tito died in 1980, and Vila Bled transitioned into being a lodge in 1984. It’s nonetheless a high-end lodge at present, operated by the Slovenian State Protocol Service and identified for its museum-like inside, wonderful eating restaurant, and wellness and spa middle.
Staying at Vila Bled could be superb, however it’s also possible to merely go to to dine on its terrace for both lunch or dinner. Outdoors guests may go to Café Belvedere, which sits up on a excessive terrace overlooking Lake Bled close to Vila Bled. (Simply word that it is not all the time open, and requires strolling up plenty of steps!)
8. Hike to a viewpoint
If you wish to get your blood pumping in Bled, there are some wonderful hikes you are able to do with out driving wherever. The most well-liked are the hikes as much as the Mala Osojnica and Ojstrica viewpoints.
These hikes each start on the western finish of Lake Bled – the “Ojstrica Trailhead” and “Mala Osojnica Trailhead” are each marked on Google Maps.
You are able to do a mountain climbing loop that goes as much as Ojstrica first after which right down to the Mala Osojnica viewpoint that’s roughly 2 miles lengthy in complete. And whereas many web sites have this hike marked as “simple,” in my expertise it was not what I personally would name simple!
I did a part of the Mala Osojnica path solely, and that path is extraordinarily steep in components with free dust and rocks. It additionally will get muddy, is not very nicely marked, and features a ladder-like stair climb on the very finish. If you are going to try this hike and are afraid of falling whereas going again down like I’m, I’d extremely advocate a set of mountain climbing poles!
The views over Lake Bled, nonetheless, are undeniably superior.
9. Experience the alpine coaster
In case you’d favor to get an incredible lake view with none climbing, an alternative choice is to go over to Straža Bled. This small hillside resort is used for snowboarding within the winter, however in the summertime gives up a “toboggan” monitor. (I personally would name it an alpine coaster, however they use the time period toboggan right here!)
You may trip the chairlift up above Lake Bled, after which trip a plastic “toboggan” down a set steel monitor that winds its method down the hill. (And in the event you’re not into the tobogganing half however nonetheless need the views, you possibly can truly simply trip the chairlift each up and down!)
That is tremendous enjoyable and never too costly (I paid lower than €20 for two toboggan runs, which additionally contains 2 rides up the chairlift).
10. Study beekeeping
Do you know that the artwork of modern-day beekeeping was born proper right here in Slovenia? Roughly 1 in each 200 individuals in Slovenia is a beekeeper, and you will find colorfully-painted beehives and native honey on the market in practically each city.
Yow will discover plenty of bee-related issues to do throughout Slovenia, and close to Lake Bled in Selo village you possibly can go to Kralov Med. Right here they promote bee merchandise and beekeeping provides (together with even queen bees, do you have to want one), and likewise supply beekeeping demonstrations and excursions for anybody excited by studying extra about bees in Slovenia.
You may guide a beekeeping tour full with honey tasting from April-October. Superior reserving is required; discover more info here.
11. Stroll by Vintgar Gorge
Positioned only a couple miles north of Lake Bled lies the Vintgar Gorge, a fantastic little canyon on the sting of Triglav Nationwide Park. The 1.6-kilometer-long gorge has been carved out by the Radovna River, and is unquestionably definitely worth the slight detour.
The hike by Vintgar Gorge is about 1 mile lengthy on picket boardwalks, which take you previous small waterfalls and impossibly clear turquoise swimming pools. It is completely beautiful!
However you will need to do some pre-planning for this hike and permit not less than just a few hours for it.
The hike by Vintgar Gorge requires a timed ticket, and the gorge is just open from about mid-April/early Could by early October. It is also value noting that the hike on the boardwalks is just one-way; with the intention to get again to the place to begin, you both need to hike again (there are two trails, the Green Route and the Red Route, each of which embrace some uphill sections), or schedule a shuttle again from a spot like the Natour Bar.
The place to remain in Lake Bled
There are many choices for the place to remain at Lake Bled, from upscale resorts to cozy guesthouses. A number of of the perfect decisions embrace:
- Grand Hotel Toplice – If you wish to keep in a historic waterfront lodge, that is the one for you! It is proper on Lake Bled in Bled city, and gives wonderful views.
- Hotel Lovec – A lodge choice proper in Bled city with free parking and included breakfast, that is one other good choice. Some rooms even have lake and chateau views.
- Penzion Berc – A boutique lodge inside a renovated rustic farmhouse, this lodge has up to date rooms and an excellent welcoming environment. It is a quick stroll from the lake.
- Penzion Mayer – A family-run guesthouse-style lodge, this one is cozy and located a couple of minutes’ stroll from the lake and Bled city.
- Hotel Triglav Bled – In case you do not need to keep in Bled city, try this lodge on the northwest nook of Lake Bled. It is a 4-star lodge and has nice lake views.
Lodge costs round Lake Bled can range so much all year long; you possibly can positively discover offers for underneath $120 per evening, or you possibly can pay greater than $250 per evening, relying on while you’re visiting. E book early for the perfect costs!
When to go to Lake Bled
Lake Bled is generally a summer season resort vacation spot. When you definitely CAN go to throughout the late fall, winter, and early spring, many issues solely function seasonally right here – and the lake can freeze over throughout actually chilly winters!
The busiest months at Lake Bled are July and August. For the perfect climate and fewest crowds, I’d go to in Could/early June or September. (All my images on this put up have been taken in mid-June; it was beginning to get possibly a bit of busy, however it was certainly not crowded but.)
How lengthy do you want at Lake Bled?
You may see the highlights in Lake Bled (the lake itself, Bled Island, and Bled Fort) in in the future. However I like to recommend not less than 2 days at Lake Bled to completely expertise all of it, particularly if you wish to do any mountain climbing.
Suggestions for visiting Lake Bled
Listed below are some tricks to take advantage of out of your journey to Lake Bled!
- E book your lodge upfront – Bled is likely one of the hottest locations to go to in Slovenia, and a number of the resorts/guesthouses are smaller. You should definitely guide your lodge nicely upfront, particularly in the event you’re visiting in the summertime. In any other case you will positively end up overpaying for a fundamental room someplace.
- Put together for changeable climate – Lake Bled sits on the foot of the Julian Alps and Triglav Nationwide Park, and the climate can change so shortly! Regardless of while you’re visiting, pack for changeable climate! Each instances I’ve visited Lake Bled in the summertime, I’ve handled blazing sunshine altering to chilly rain in a matter of minutes. I made certain to hold a sweater and rain jacket on me always.
- Pack your strolling footwear – You do not essentially NEED a automotive in Lake Bled; in reality, even in the event you carry one, my recommendation could be to depart it parked at your lodge more often than not and discover Bled on foot. There’s not all the time a ton of parking across the lake, and it is typically simpler to stroll locations. Which implies you will want snug strolling footwear!
- Know that it may well get busy – Whereas “busy” in Slovenia will not be the identical as “busy” in, say, Paris or Rome, Lake Bled is however some of the widespread locations in Slovenia. Which means that it does get a bit busy in the summertime months, and also you seemingly might be sharing sights and viewpoints with others.
- Do not skip the pletna boat – It is touristy, sure, but additionally so historic and funky! (And, to be frank, rowing your self throughout the lake in a rental rowboat is HARD and I would not advocate making an attempt it except you are a daily rower.)
Is Lake Bled value it?
So, is Lake Bled value visiting?
Regardless of it being some of the touristy locations in Slovenia, YES, I feel Lake Bled could be very value visiting. The setting is gorgeous, and there are some distinctive issues to see and do that you simply will not discover wherever else in Slovenia.
Positively do not skip Lake Bled!
Have you ever been to Lake Bled? If not, would you want to go to?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Harmful Enterprise Journey Weblog. She has traveled to greater than 60 nations on 6 continents from her residence base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and considerate journey by the US, Europe, and remainder of the world. Amanda solely shares suggestions based mostly on her private experiences and locations she’s truly traveled!
