Bled

A vacation in Bled, known in German as Veldes, puts one of the Alps' most famous postcard scenes right in front of your lens: a small island with a church in a green lake, a castle perched on a cliff above it, and the peaks of the Julian Alps in the background. The municipality is Slovenia's most popular resort.

The Lake and Its Surroundings

Lake Bled lies at an elevation of about 475 meters (1,560 feet) in Upper Carniola, framed by wooded hills. It is roughly two kilometers (1.2 miles) long and so small that you can walk all the way around it in about an hour and a half. Warm springs keep the water at comfortable swimming temperatures in summer. Bled has been a spa town since the 19th century; the Swiss Arnold Rikli opened a natural healing institute here offering air and sun baths. Later, Tito had a villa built on the shore, which is now a hotel. International rowing competitions are held on the lake.

Sights in Bled

You reach the island aboard a pletna, a traditional wooden boat propelled by a standing oarsman. 99 steps lead up to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, where visitors ring the wishing bell. The castle on a cliff about 130 meters (430 feet) above the lake is considered one of the oldest in Slovenia; it houses a museum, a printing shop, and a restaurant with lake views. A few kilometers to the north, in the neighboring municipality of Gorje, a wooden walkway leads through Vintgar Gorge, a narrow canyon with turquoise water. Viewpoints such as Ojstrica or Mala Osojnica offer the classic view of the lake and island. In winter, you can ski on Straža, the hill above town.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Bled's cream cake, the kremšnita, has been baked here since 1953: puff pastry, vanilla custard, and whipped cream in generous squares. Other local specialties include trout, Carniolan sausage, and štruklji. Bled lies on the highway from Villach to Ljubljana; Lesce-Bled station and buses connect the town with the capital. The best time to visit is from May to October; July and August are very crowded. During Advent, the lakeside promenade is festively lit.