Lake Bled

Another major bucket-list item of mine was Lake Bled, just north of Ljubljana. My sister had told me how amazing it was, and Hairy had mentioned that the water was some of the most beautiful he'd ever swum in. So, after giving myself a decent sleep-in to recover from the previous night's hangover, I headed to the bus station and jumped on the bus to Bled. It was pretty packed, but I'm slowly getting used to that in Europe. When I got off the bus and made my way towards the lake, I immediately understood what everyone had been talking about. It was breathtaking.

The crystal-clear water, surrounding greenery, and mountains were incredible, and then there was the castle perched precariously on a steep cliff overlooking the lake, adding to the almost surreal feeling of the whole place. The lake itself is about 6km around, so I decided to walk the perimeter and take it all in. Eventually, I reached the point where Bled Island came into view. Sitting in the middle of the lake, the island is home to a church that rises peculiarly above the water. I don’t understand who’s idea it was to build a church there, given the logistical difficulties they would have come across, but it made for one hell of a site and tourist attraction. But whatever the reasoning, it looks incredible from the mainland.

You can catch a boat across to the island and visit the 17th century church for a fee, but it was fairly expensive, so I decided to skip it. You can also swim there, which I was very keen to do, but travelling alone meant I would have to leave my backpack unattended with my phone and all belongings inside. So, unfortunately, I never made it onto the island. I did, however, get the chance to go for a swim, and I couldn't believe how good the water felt. Some water just feels incredible on your skin, and this was one of those places. It was particularly nice to escape the salty Mediterranean and experience some proper freshwater for a change. I think I'll have to come back to Lake Bled one day. I knew there was a hike you could do that gives you some of the best views over the lake and the town, and I would have loved to do it.

The next best viewpoint was the castle overlooking the lake and island. It made for an incredible photo opportunity, but I'm not sure it was worth the €15 entry fee. I tried to get a student discount, but when the woman asked for my student ID, it was too late to back out of paying. The view was really the main attraction. The castle itself was cool, but there wasn't a huge amount else to see, so I didn't spend too long inside before heading back down the hill towards the bus.

Given how busy the bus had been on the way there, I figured I should get in line as early as possible to make sure I actually got a seat on the way home. I stopped at the church on the way down, which was pretty cool, and briefly explored the town of Bled. The town was cute. It had the feel of a small ski town, with almost Bavarian architecture, quiet little roads and a really wholesome atmosphere. After that, I jumped on the bus back to Ljubljana and got ready for another big travel day tomorrow. Lake Bled definitely lived up to the hype.Læs mere