Bled Things to Do Tips by Dabs

Walk around Lake Bled Lake Bled Review

The highlight of Bled is, of course, Lake Bled and a good way to see the Lake and all of it's beauty is to take a walk around the lake. We started off near the Hotel Toplice and headed counterclockwise but you can go either direction, there's a very nice walking path that circles the entire lake which is relatively flat. Our guide book said it would take 2 or 2 1/2 hours, I think we did it in roughly 1 3/4 hours with multiple stops for photographs and to lend assistance to some young men that had lost their football to an angry hissing mama swan.

I only got one photo where the water appeared as it did to the eye, this marvelous blue green almost emerald color that makes the lake even more magical.

Bled Castle Bled Castle Review

Perched on a cliff on the north end of Lake Bled is Bled Castle, you can see it from most vantage points as you walk around the lake. We opted not to visit the castle because of limited time but you can, admission is 5E for entrance and the museum.

To get up to the castle, look for the signs that say Grad from the path around the lake on the north side, the guidebook says that it takes about 15 minutes to climb up there.

The original fortification was built in the 11th century but remodeled in the 17th century and further in the 1950s.

Side trip to Lake Bohinj/Slavica Falls

About 20 km west of Bled you'll find another lake that receives far fewer visitors, Lake Bohinj, which is larger than Lake Bled. The guidebook said it takes about 4 1/2 hours to walk around it as opposed to 2 hours for Lake Bled, we didn't have the time to do it but enjoyed the view of it as we drove by on our way to Slavica Falls.

Lake Bohinj is fed by the water from Slavica Falls which is just a short distance further west from Lake Bohinj. It takes about 20 minutes to hike up to the falls from the car park, definitely worth the effort. 2.50E to park and another 2E per person to visit the waterfalls.

Bled Island

It was after 6 pm when we arrived in Bled so we didn't see anyone out on the lake offering boat rides between the shore and the island, the next morning was overcast and chilly so we decided to head back to Ljubljana without visiting the island. If you have nicer weather than us, we saw several places along the southern coast of the lake that offered boat rides (I think it was around 12E per person) or my guide book says you can rent your own boat.

You can still get a very nice view of Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption that sits on it from the shores of Lake Bled and really that has to be the prettiest view.

Seasonal activities

Bled is all about being outdoors, it was a little disappointing to have overcast chilly weather for our visit. Some other activities you can engage in depending on the season are hiking in Triglav National Park, skiing, swimming, cycling, fishing, horseback riding, golf, and river rafting. The attached website has listings on the activities offered in the area.

Website: http://www.bled.si/en/default.asp?id=487