"A bejewelled lake." Bled by antistar

Bled Travel Guide: 766 reviews and 1,778 photos

The church on the tiny forested island in the middle of the pristine emerald green lake is a Bled icon that drew me to this place. I'd seen pictures in guide books and on the web, and it had me so transfixed that it pushed Slovenia up into my list of must visit countries. With such high expectations, there is always the possibilty that the reality might disappoint, but that was not the case with Bled, and I was truly mesmerised by the island jewel, amazed to be seeing it in the flesh for the first time.

Bled Castle and Church

The island church wasn't Bled's only sight, and I was delighted by the fairytale castle built on a sheer cliff overlooking the lake. On walking into the town for the first time, I glimpsed the castle through the buildings, high up on the mountainside, and on the day it appeared to be floating in the clouds. There is also an idyllic white church in the town, and from some points around the lake, you can see all three of these from the same place.

Bled Castle

The downside to all these wonderful sights packed closely in a tiny town of only about 5,000 people, is that there are plenty of tourist crowds. I would guess that for every one real Bled citizen, there were about four tourists, and I wasn't even there at the height of the tourist season. However, there's a lot of space about, and it's quite easy to lose the crowds walking on some of the many paths, like the ones that take you up to the castle.

Despite the crowds, this romantic little spot cocooned by a ring of snow capped moutains in the Julian Alps is not a place you will forget in a hurry, nor want to.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The castle, the lake, the mountains, the stunning setting. Unforgettable.
Cons:Tourists, a little difficult to get to.

Last visit to Bled: Nov 2005
Intro Updated Jan 1, 2013
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Reviews (12)

Boat Transportation (3)

The lake offers a number of boat rides, either renting a rowing boat, or taking a ride on a gondola, or pletna as they... more travel advice

Train Transportation (3)

Bled has its own railway station, but it is inconveniently located some way out of town at Lesce-Bled. If you are... more travel advice

Casino Bled Nightlife (1)

Bled isn't exactly a hotspot for nightlife, but it does have one place where you can waste your money into the early... more travel advice

Bled Church Things to Do (5)

The town of Bled itself isn't all that pretty to walk around, and is spoiled by a number of ugly hotels. You will,... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
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Travelogues (1)

Written Jun 26, 2004

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Comments (8)

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BerniShand Aug 23, 2006 at 12:01 AM

nice page, which brought back some happy memories for me, I enjoyed my day in Bled, and loved all of Slovenia, its an amazing little country
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Bwana_Brown Jun 20, 2006 at 12:01 AM

What a beautiful little spot you found here! Now I know why I always wanted to visit this part of Europe. Great tips and photos of the amazing views. Bled sounds like a perfect spot to 'chill out' for a while.
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mtncorg Aug 24, 2005 at 6:34 AM

Bled is certainly a good place to start one's Slovene journeys.
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bugulma Feb 10, 2005 at 1:21 AM

Nice place it seems Old castle looks like fantastic place
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tiger9090a Jan 22, 2005 at 12:17 AM

Very good tips!
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diosh Nov 8, 2004 at 2:54 PM

You've brought back happy memories of trips to Slovenia, years ago, particularly Bled and Bohinj.Such beautiful countryside and the lovely Ljubljana. Diana.
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bijo69 Oct 9, 2004 at 6:56 AM

Great page! Lots of beautiful pics and useful info! Thanks for sharing!
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Rok Jun 27, 2004 at 5:10 PM

Hehe, it was normal that on countryside you say hello to everyone you met, but i think this is not that common anymore:(