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Here you will find first-class travel tips for Lake Bled in Slovenia with a selection of sights, leisure activities, campsites, hotels and holiday apartments.
I will also tell you when the best time to travel to Lake Bled is and how you can best get there.
But I can already tell you one thing: Lake Bled in Slovenia is a unique travel destination with a long tradition, delicious cream slices and great highlights such as churches, castles and viewing platforms. Probably the most beautiful and warmest lake in the Alps is definitely worth a trip!
If you are not traveling the streets of Slovenia with your own car or camper anyway, the best way to get to Lake Bled in Slovenia is by bus.
Either from Ljubljana, Bohinj or Jesenice or (if you arrive by train) from Lesce-Bled train station, which is four kilometers from Bled city center.
The buses then stop at the central bus station in the center of Bled. The travel time from Ljubljana to Bled is around 80 minutes and the journey costs around six to seven euros for an adult (as of 2020). The best way to find cheap flights to Ljubljana is with Skyscanner.
There is definitely no shortage of sights in Lake Bled in Slovenia.
Therefore, you should plan at least three days for a trip to the lake. Of course, the lake and the surrounding area have a lot more to offer, so that you can easily spend more than a week here.
Now I’ll show you which highlights you shouldn’t miss. I will also tell you what the wishing bell is all about and why you should definitely ring it.
Bleder Castle
It towers majestically over the lake and the wooded Alpine peaks and is an indispensable part of a trip to Lake Bled: the Bled Castle (Blejski grad). The history of the castle goes back to the year 1004, when it was once used to ward off enemies.
Today you can visit the spectacular castle with a Gothic chapel, courtyard, printing shop, wine cellar, fountain, gallery, forge, memorial room, museum and souvenir shop.
The museum represents the most important stages in the historical development of the castle and the culture of living. In the summer months, various cultural events such as a medieval festival with costumed showmen take place regularly.
When you’ve seen enough of the castle, turn your back briefly, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the incredible view of Lake Bled.
MARIENKIRCHE
The Church of the Assumption, built in the middle of the 15th century and perfect for walking around, is located on the island of Blejski Otok, in the middle of Lake Bled.
There are different ways to get there: Either you rent a small boat yourself, you can be paddled there in a wooden boat (pletna) or you can swim. The latter has the disadvantage that you cannot see the church from the inside, because access with swimwear is prohibited.
When you have arrived on the island, a long stone staircase leads up to the Church of Our Lady. Inside you can see the golden main altar, three stone altars, frescoes and pictures.
The highlight of the church is the 54 meter high bell tower, from which you have a great view. What you definitely shouldn’t miss is the ringing of the wishing bell, which, according to the legend of the sunken bell, should fulfill a wish.
The mountain Ojstrica rises to 611 meters and offers a great viewing platform over Lake Bled and its natural landscape.
The ascent takes about 20 minutes and is quite steep, but it’s definitely worth the effort. The panorama at sunrise is particularly fantastic.
One of the most popular viewpoints is Straža Mountain.
The way up is much more pleasant and leads past spruce, oak, linden and birch. Arrived at a height of 646 meters, a fantastic panorama opens up over the south-eastern lake shore.
In summer you can also let off steam in the Bled Adventure Park or on the summer toboggan run along the hill.
They are the culinary highlight at Lake Bled in Slovenia. More than 60 years ago, in 1953, delicious desserts were invented in the Hotel Park.
Almost every café invites you to try the little calorie bombs made from vanilla cream, whipped cream and puff pastry and you should definitely not miss it.
Even if you are not a big fan of cakes and desserts, the Bled cream cake is a must do during your stay in Slovenia.
If you would like to enjoy your cream slices with a fabulous view, then it is best to do so in the place where it was invented, namely in the Hotel Park.
Vintgar Gorge:
Only ten minutes by car from Lake Bled you will find the imposing gorge through which the Radovna River meanders. The Vintgar Gorge is 1.6 kilometers long and convinces with waterfalls, rapids, pools, wooden bridges and galleries that you can discover on an extensive hike.
Triglav National Park:
The Triglav National Park is probably the greatest natural wonder in Slovenia. It covers four percent of the total area of Slovenia and thus almost the entire Julian Alps of Slovenia. The landscape contains endless forests, deep valleys, high alpine pastures, clear water in rivers, lakes and streams as well as some protected animal and plant species. Cross the gorges of the national parks, visit the imposing waterfalls, hike around Lake Bohinj and visit historic churches and traditional farms.
Postojna Caves:
Just one hour from Lake Bled, you can explore the amazing Postojna cave system during an underground train ride. You will be fascinated by the magnificent stalactite sculptures in a mysterious underground world.
Activities
At Lake Bled in Slovenia and in general in the town of Bled, countless leisure activities await you. The spectrum ranges from climbing, horse riding, golf, kayaking, paintball, summer tobogganing, diving, rafting, canyoning, mountaineering, ziplining to skiing and snowboarding. I have summarized the most popular leisure activities for you in my tips for Lake Bled in Slovenia. You can find more leisure activities here.
Swimming
Lake Bled in Slovenia is one of the warmest lakes in the Alps, because it is only 475 meters above sea level, which is not much for a lake in the Alps. In summer, the water temperature can rise to 25 degrees Celsius, making it ideal for swimming. There are several bathing spots on the shores of Lake Bled, such as Mala Zaka, Velika Zaka or the private beaches of Vila Bled and the Grand Hotel Toplice. The most popular bathing area, however, is Grajsko kopališče, a swimming pool on Lake Bled, just below the high castle rock. Here you can picnic with the whole family and splash around in the water.
Hiking
A six-kilometer hiking trail leads exactly once around Lake Bled in Slovenia. The hike, or rather “the great walk”, takes around two hours with a few photo breaks. So you can admire the imposing mountains, the turquoise blue water and the majestic castle from different perspectives. The hiking trail is suitable for beginners and is partly paved so that wheelchair users can take part in the hike for a certain period of time. A particular highlight of the hike is a detour to the Bled castle “Blejski grad” with a museum and a restaurant. You can find more great hiking routes in the Vintgar Gorge.
Fishing
Do you want to catch some big fish from Lake Bled? Then bring your fishing equipment with you on your trip, because with a little luck and patience you can fish catfish, pike, carp and lake trout from the water in Lake Bled. The nearby Sava Bohinjka river also allows grayling, brown trout and rainbow fish to be caught. You can get a fishing license for both areas from the local tourist office in Bled.
Stand up Paddling
Stand up paddling is becoming more and more popular. The reason for this is obvious: On the one hand, this water sport can be practiced by everyo The “Pletnas” are typical of Lake Bled. These are wooden rowing boats with colorful linen roofs, which are built by the locals themselves and based on the model of the Venetian gondola. There are currently around 23 boats on Lake Bled, each with space for around 18 passengers. An official boat guide, called “Pletnar”, will then paddle you across the lake at a moderate pace with his sophisticated standing oar technique. There is another fascinating tradition: Not every local can become a pletnar driver, because the highly respected profession is usually passed on from generation to generation within a family tree. The origins of the wooden boats typical of Bled go back to 1590. A crossing with the Pletna is not only a cultural-historical and family event, but also a great opportunity to admire the nature of the lake and to snap great photo opportunities. The main destination of the boat trip is the Church of the Assumption on the island.Boat Trip
Without having to be a professional, and on the other hand, you can perfectly examine the beautiful surroundings with stand up paddling. Numerous different providers rent “SUPs” including oars for beginners and advanced riders for a reasonable price.
Best travel time
The best travel time for Lake Bled in Slovenia is logically in the summer between June and August, when the water temperature climbs to 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and you can go swimming and do numerous water sports. The highest average temperature on Lake Bled is 23 degrees Celsius in July and the lowest temperature is one degree Celsius in January. But also note that summer is high season and you have to expect a higher number of tourists. If swimming in the lake is not that important to you and you would rather explore the area while hiking, then spring and autumn are recommended. At this time there are also fewer visitors to Lake Bled. Lake Bled doesn’t have that much to offer in winter, but you can enjoy numerous winter sports activities in the area. So the best time to visit Lake Bled depends on what activities you want to do.
Camping
There is a large 5-star campsite right on Lake Bled, Camping Bled, where you can stay overnight from 10.70 euros (as of February 2020). Right on the shores of Lake Bled you will be woken up in the morning by the twittering of birds and greeted by a green valley. The campsite has a total of 280 parking spaces and a diverse animation program for young and old. The campsite is open between April and October. As an alternative, there is Camping Šobec, ten minutes away, with pitches, bungalows and holiday apartments. I have summarized further information on camping in Slovenia including campsites by the lake in a separate article for you.
Glamping
Have you heard of glamping? Glamping is the luxurious alternative to camping for all people who like to spend the night in nature but do not want to stay in hotels. Lake Bled offers you various options for glamping. For example, you can sleep in an eco-friendly camping house with a wooden hot tub at Camping Bled or a stilt house between fruit trees and vegetables in the Garden Village Bled – a former nursery that is now used as a glamping site.
Hotels & holiday apartments
Lake Bled was formed from a tectonic basin formed by the Bohinj Glacier. What does the tectonic formation of the lake have to do with hotels and holiday apartments? You ask yourself? Quite simply, because this way the lake was formed numerous thermal springs formed on the east side of the lake, which are now used by hotels for wellness. The thermal springs are grouped together in three luxury hotels: the 5-star Grand Hotels Toplice, the 4-star Hotel Park and the 4-star Rikli Balance Hotel. A refreshing 22 degrees Celsius water temperature awaits you in the Grand Hotels Toplice and the pools in the Hotels Park and Rikli Balance are also heated. The water can also be drunk – no, it SHOULD even be drunk, because it supposedly has a healing effect on the organism. For the benefit!
If your wallet does not allow a luxury hotel and you are not big fans of camping, then I recommend a vacation rental or an apartment. The advantage here is that you have a lot of space and your own kitchen, in which you and your family can comfortably cater for yourself. There are a lot of holiday apartments around Lake Bled. The offer ranges from idyllic little houses in the traditional Slovenian Alpine style to modern single-family houses in nature. You can find the best holiday apartments here.
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