An Alpine pearl called Lake Bled

The oldest wheel ever found? Beautiful women? Small? No, those are not the first things that pop into your head when thinking about Slovenia. But Lake Bled with its small island and church and wishing bell? For sure!

Bled Lake, Slovenia, Europe

Bled Lake, Slovenia

The access by public transportation is not the best, but you can take the bus or train if you don’t mind making small detours. Or you can join any organized daily tour and be sure you don’t miss anything.

On one of those tours you can visit, in addition to Lake Bled, its island and castle, the medieval town of Radovljica, or you can go further to see Lake Bohinj and take a swim in this refreshing Alpine lake. When visiting Bled, you must take a pletna boat ride to the island where you can see the inside of the Church of the Assumption and ring the mysterious wishing bell. High on a cliff near the lake, is the medieval castle – you can go up there by road or take a walk through the forest. What was once the property of the Bishops of Brixen, is now a museum where you can see demonstrations of traditions and crafts. At Bled you can also see famous summer residence of President Tito.

Pletna boat at the shore of the lake Bled, Slovenia

Pletna boat at the shore of the lake Bled, Slovenia

The Church of the Assumption, Bled, Slovenia

The Church of the Assumption, Bled, Slovenia

The beauty of Lake Bled is that it is also possible to walk all around it and see the lake, the castle and the island from different perspectives. In summertime don’t forget to have your bathing suit with you and jump into this crystal-clear water. While at Bled, make sure you also visit the Vintgar Gorge, graced by the Radovna river, full of waterfalls, pools and beautiful views.

At the end of the tour you must not forget to have a slice of the famous Bled cream-cake, best known as kremšnita. If you want to know more about kremšnita and if you’re willing to try and make it at home, click here to for the recipe.