Lake Bled is one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been and it’s one of Slovenia’s most visited destinations. Located in the heart of the Julian Alps, with its emerald-green waters, tiny island church, and medieval castle perched high above the lake, it’s almost too picture perfect to be real! This was my second visit, and it was even more beautiful than I remembered. With a Castle and Island to explore too it’s an essential day trip from Ljubljana!
Getting there
The first time I visited I went on an organized tour. But this time I decided I wanted a bit more flexibility and time to explore. Buses depart from the Ljubljana Tivoli bus station to Bled bus station and go about every 30 mins. The ticket price was €12 and the drive was about 55 minutes. Getting back was just as simple and we bought tickets directly from the driver before getting on.
If you have a bit more time to play with and want to fully enjoy the scenery, skip the oragnized tour and take the bus!
Bled Castle
Our first stop was Bled Castle. It’s Slovenia’s oldest castle, with first mentions of it dating back to 1011.
We visited this first to avoid the crowds from the organised tours. While you can pre-buy tickets we just got them at the entrance for €19.
You can explore the castle walls, a historical museum, wine cellar and the castle chapel, but the biggest highlight has to be the views from the terraces. You can see the full panorama of Lake Bled, the island church, the surrounding forests, and the peaks of the Julian Alps. It’s truly breathtaking. An hour here is plenty of time to explore and snap hundreds of pics, but there is a cafe and restaurant on site as well.
Walking Lake Bled
From the castle we headed down to the lake and enjoyed walking the full 6km loop of the lake. This a highly recommended if you have the time and have got your walking shoes on!
We were lucky with a warm sunny day and found some great spots for amazing photos.
Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption
In the middle of the lake is Bled Island, home of the Church of the Assumption of St. Mary. The island is the only natural island in all of Slovenia.
To reach the island you can test your rowing skills and rent boats from one of several places around the lake. Or you can take a traditional pletna, which is a hand-made wooden boat, driven by a pletnar, a boat rower, who uses the oars standing up. The best place to pick up a traditional pletna boat is usually the Mlino harbor on the southwest side of Lake Bled. Prices are about €20 per person for the boat ride there and back.
Reaching the church requires climbing the famous 99 stone steps. There’s actually a tradition with these steps that says a groom should carry his bride up them to ensure a happy marriage.
Inside the church is the famous wishing bell. It’s origins stem from a story of a widow who lost her husband and tried to ring the bell to summon help. However, a storm sank the rescue boat and she died. In her memory, the Pope reportedly sent a new bell, and now visitors ring it to make a wish.
Tickets are €12 to go inside the church see the bell, and to climb the church tower. Unless you really want to ring that bell, I’d advise skipping this and just enjoying walking around the island and admiring the church from the outside. The church is tiny, and it’s literally just a rope hanging from the ceiling (the bell isn’t visible) that you pull to ring it. A bit anticlimactic in my opinion. The view from the church tower is also disappointing, with bars mostly blocking the view.
I still really recommend visiting the island, whether you row yourself or enjoy taking a pletna. It’s truly one of a kind and is one of the things that makes Lake Bled so special.
Leave time for Bled Cake
DO NOT leave Bled without stopping in a restaurant or cafe and having a piece of the famous Bled Cream Cake (Blejska kremšnita). This traditional Slovenian dessert is delicious. We found a cafe near the bottom of Bled Castle with an outdoor terrace and enjoyed this delicious treat and a drink to wrap up our day.
