Driving to Lake Bled in the Julian Alps

Leaving Ljubljana, we opted for a back road route to Lake Bled, which took us through rolling farmlands and deeply forested areas. At one turn in the road we were startled to see someone hurtling down a bright green steep hill. Turns out they have practice ski jump runs here. We did a U-turn to go back and watch for awhile.

After less than an hour's drive, we arrived at Radovljica, a well-preserved 12th-17th century village with both a gingerbread museum and a beekeeping museum--both part of Slovenia's traditions. We learned that to make one kilogram of honey, the bees have to visit 4 million flowers and fly four times the distance around the earth. Busy as a bee! The museum also had on display many decorative hives -- a form of folk art unique to Slovenia.

Arriving in Lake Bled after a short drive, we were met by our innkeeper for our 4-night stay in a lovingly restored alpine-style pension. We walked down to the lake and got caught in a deluge of rain, wind, hail, thunder and lightning. It was pretty amazing to watch the placid lake turn turbulent, and we watched it all unfold from under the shelter of a tree. After an hour the show was over, the sun began to show, and we took a pletna (like a large gondola) to the island church, following behind a wedding party. There is a tradition here that the groom carries the bride up the 99 stone steps that lead to the island's church--unfortunately we missed seeing that spectacle. From the boat we could see the Bled castle high on the cliff above the lake.

We ended the night with an amazing dinner at our own pension--truly fine dining! Think Chez Panisse with outdoor tables, and just as professional wait-staff. The tasting menu we chose started with lox-type salmon, garnished with berries, then a roasted duck and mini-cheese-filled "ravioli" stew, followed by medallions of venison that were so amazingly tender and flavorful in a red wine sauce with roasted vegetables. Finishing off with a dessert of the restaurant's version of the traditional Lake Bled cream cake -- kind of a custard -- accompanied by fresh berries.

All in all, a memorable start to our stay in the Julian Alps.Read more