Lake Bled

This morning we took the bus from Ljubljana to Lake Bled.

Lake Bled is a stunning glacial lake in the Julian Alps of northwestern Slovenia, famous for its emerald-blue water, cliffside medieval castle, central island church and the traditional, hand-built wooden flat-bottomed boats that ferry visitors across the calm waters to the island.

Bled Island, Slovenia’s only natural island, stands in the middle of the lake, showcasing the 17th-century Church of the Assumption. I imagine it is among the most photographed churches of the world, and for good reason. It is captivating from every angle as you walk around the 6 km perimeter of the lake. Of course I took dozens of photos. It’s irrésistible.❤️

If that weren’t enough, Bled Castle is perched on a steep cliff 130 meters above the water, an historic fortress offering panoramic views of the lake, the surrounding peaks, and the town of Bled. And St Martin’s Church sits peacefully in a green setting to the side of the town centre of Bled. As you walk around the lake the juxtaposition of these three landmarks changes regularly. It’s simply charming. We saw all of this on our first afternoon.

When we arrived shortly before 12, we got off the bus at Bled Mlino as suggested by our accommodation host Brigita. Bled Mlino is about a kilometre and a half and one bus stop past Bled town centre. When I booked our accommodation, I didn’t know the difference between the two locations - I just searched for Bled. As it turned out they could not be more different.

The main town of Bled, right on the lake and with great views, seems to have developed in all the wrong ways, retaining little of the traditional charm of the area. It feels like a busy confused mess.

Bled Mlino is also right on the lake, around a few bends and almost opposite Bled Island, and has a couple of charming B&B hotels, two restaurants and a small supermarket, Walking down a side road opposite the lake takes you directly in to the countryside where you find many houses, in the traditional Tyroelan style, with rooms and apartments for vacationers. Ours was one of those. 😍

All I can say is thank goodness for that happy accident of ending up in Bled Mlino. Happy days 🙏Read more