I know, it’s a big call. But after a year of backpacking around Europe (notable mention to Königssee and Como), Lake Bled Slovenia became my favorite lake on the continent.
Shimmering turquoise water, a quaint chapel only accessible by boat, rolling green mountains, wooden rowboats carved as swans and a charming castle overlooking region – it doesn’t get much more fairytale than that.
Bled Castle
Overlooking the lake is Bled Castle, which has the best views of Bled Island, the town of Bled and the Gorenjska countryside. Entry into the castle is €5 (but the views from around the castle are the real attraction!).
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Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria
The Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria found on Bled island dates back to the 17th century. It can be seen from all around the lake and is what really makes this destination unique.
According to legend, a young widow who once lived in Bled Castle had a bell cast for the chapel in memory of her husband. During the transport of the bell a terrible storm struck the boat and sank it together with the crew and the bell, which to this day is said to ring from the depths of the lake. After the widow died, the Pope consecrated a new bell and sent it to Bled Island. It is said that whoever rings the bell and thereby gives honour to the Virgin Mary gets a wish come true.
How to get to Lake Bled
It takes 1.5 hours to reach Bled from the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana by bus. The bus costs €6 and a full timetable can be accessed via the Avtobusna Website. If you have any issues at the bus station do not fret! There were people employed specifically to help tourists 🙂
Tips for your visit to Lake Bled
- It takes 1.5 hours to walk around Lake Bled at a leisurely pace.
- Make sure to visit the ‘secret lookout’ behind the back of Bled castle to get an aerial view of the lake and it’s surroundings.
- If you’re coming from Ljubljana I recommend taking a bus over the train. Bled train station is not actually in the town of Bled, so you have to pay an additional taxi fare to get to your accommodation.
- For great budget accommodation don’t look past Jazz Hostel & Apartments – it’s a 10 min walk to the lake and the owners are adorable – they even gave me their personal mobile’s in case I had any questions.
I completely recommend adding this amazing lake to your European itinerary, it made it to my top 20 most amazing travel experiences in 2015. To learn more about Lake Bled and the activities you can do in the area visit Bled Tourism Website.
