"A town plucked from a storybook " a Bled Travel Page by GillianMcLaughlin

When German Emperor Henrik II presented the Bled estate as a gift to Bishop Albuin or Brixen in 1004, it’s unlikely that he gave much thought to what would become of it. Little more than a fortress on a rocky outcrop would have stood at the time, and it is unlikely that much would have betrayed its future popularity.

As I write, Bled celebrates its millennium. It is known worldwide as a place of outstanding natural beauty and has developed its reputation and not inconsiderable wealth in part through its discovery as a health spa. The clean glacial waters combined with its temperate climate have drawn the great and the good to the shores of Bled Lake for generations.

Bled also offers a perfect environment for sportsmen and women from around the world. Its lake has long been used as a venue for rowing championships and today you can often see competitive rowers building up a sweat as they power their boats amidst the stunning mountains that surround the town. These mountains are second home to skiers of the world and, when the lake cannot be used for rowing, it lends itself to ice-skaters over the winter months. Trekers and mountaineers also use Bled as a base as they wend their way through the Julien Alps that surround it.

Bled's year round popularity has helped its locals and enthusiastic in-comers to ensure that all the needs of its various visitors are well catered for. The traveller arriving in Bled will not be at a loss for a hotel, some good food and a great choice of bars to spend their evenings in. Indeed Bled has witnessed visits from the great and the good for a long time.

Marshall Tito established a guest house in Bled to which he welcomed world leaders such as Haile Selassie, Khrushchev, King Hussein, Nehru, Indira Ghandi, Nasser, Kaunda and Akihito of Japan amongst others.

Today it offers something for all budgets and all tastes.