Bled Things to Do Tips by balhannah

BLED CASTLE - 1 Bled Castle Review

1st.....Let me tell you a little bit of Castle history.

BLED CASTLE, only in terms of written documents, is thought to be the oldest castle in Slovenia, first mentioned in a 1011.

AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY AT THE CASTLE!
Around 1500 AD, the administrator of the Bled Castle was Hartman Kreigh, not a nice man, but a brutal, horrible person who was not well liked. He disappeared from Bled Castle, and to this very day, his body has never been found, nor do they how he died, or who did it! I guess the answer to that, lies with the dead!

And now, to what we did.....................

So, we arrived at Bled by Car, easily seeing the Castle sitting atop a rocky outcrop overlooking Lake Bled.
We decided to go and see it first, so following the sign-post's, we made our way to the Castle car-park. There was plenty of room for Car's and Buses.
Locking the car, we made our way up the hill to the Castle. The walk wasn't that bad, [no steps], making it easier for people with problem knees and other disabilities.

At the top, we paid our admission, and then headed to the Romanesque walls to have a look at the view. Well, the view was fabulous! We could see the Island in the middle of the Lake quite easily, we could view Bled, the country side and the Julien Alps.

At the top, there were two courtyards surrounded by buildings, and joined together by a bridge. They are Upper & Lower courtyards, so we needed to climb a few steps to see the upper courtyard.

THE CASTLE IS OPEN.....
January - March...............8-6PM
April - October ................8-10PM
November - December......8-6PM

ADMISSION FOR 2011 & 2012 ......
Adults 8 euros
Children 14 & Under.......3.50 euros

Address: Follow the signposts in Bled

Website: http://www.blejski-grad.si/

LAKE BLED & ISLAND Lake Bled Review

Lake Bled is one of those Glacial Lakes that are a pretty blue/green colour, that I think are rather pretty.
It came about when the Bohinj Glacier melted and filled the basin with water, hence making Lake Bled.
The Lake can heat to 25°C in the summer and be ice-covered in Winter!

Tourist Boats [Pletna] will ferry you over and back to the Island [for a fee] where the ancient Slavs worshipped Ziva, goddess of love and fertility. Pilgrims later came to the church of St Mary on the island.
To access the island in 2011, was another 3 euros.
Please check the website for opening hours, as they vary through-out the year. It will also give you the time, Mass is held.

The little tourist train also stops at where the Boats depart from

Address: Bled

Directions: If you walk or drive around lake, you will see where people swim.

Website: http://www.blejskiotok.si/informacije_E.html

BLED CASTLE - CASTLE FORGE - 4 Bled Castle Review

Located in the upper courtyard, was the Castle Forge. When you see the Dragon in my photo, you will know you are there. It was because of rich Ore deposit's, why people began forging and making artifacts out of iron. The blacksmith here, is the 4th generation of a Blacksmithing family!

There is a hands on experience, which we didn't do, and that is making a souvenir coin from an anvil.

Address: Bled Castle

Website: http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/castle-forge

BLED CASTLE - CHAPEL - 3 Bled Castle Review

The Bled Castle Chapel has many frescoes inside, so, in we went for a look. One is of King Henry II and his wife Kunigunde, they were German. The frescoes in the Chapel are in surprisingly good condition for their age, and there are many of them!

The Chapel is Gothic, and is dedicated to the bishops St Albuin and St Ingenuin. In 1690, after another major earthquake, the Chapel was made higher, and baroque vaults were added. It was after this, the frescoes were painted.

The Chapel is built into the Castle Wall, and sits there overlooking the Tree's and the valley!

Website: http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/castle-chapel

BLED CASTLE -MUSEUM- 2 Bled Castle Review

The Bled Castle Museum houses a permanent exhibition by the Slovenian National Museum. We could follow the history from the oldest to the newest times.
The Museum had a varied display, including old tools, a skeleton, paintings, house wares and information on the area from early age's.
Mannequin's were dressed as they would have been all those years ago when living in Bled and working in the fields or the Castle.
From the windows, there were good views that couldn't be seen from elsewhere!

Address: Inside Bled Castle

Website: http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/permanent-exhibition-by-national-museum