Lake Bled

Bled Island

Time for our first excursion from Ljubljana - to Lake Bled, Slovenia's premier tourist site, 32 miles to the north west. The lake became popular when thermal baths were opened in 1855.

We parked opposite the Grand Hotel Toplice, which once housed the thermal baths, at pretty much the first point at which the lake is fully visible from the road. Bled Castle is more or less opposite, perched on its cliff 100m above the lake.



We opted to walk anti-clockwise round the lake and first walked right beside it and then drew away through the town to eventually take a winding path which climbed steeply through woods to reach the car park by the castle.

As we approached the entrance, there were fine views north towards the mountains.



Not much remains of the castle, which dates back to the 11th century. The existing buildings date mainly from the 16th century.



However, the views over the lake and Bled Island are magnificent (the photo at the head of this post is the island with its church, viewed through a zoom lens).



We returned to the car park and found another winding path which descended steeply to the lake side. We now followed a tarmac path past a bathing area, various buildings, places you could rent boats, and so on.

Eventually we reached the water sports centre at the far end and passed an area where seating was being built, apparently for a forthcoming regatta: Lake Bled is where Slovenia's top rowers train.

From this end of the lake the castle could be seen on one side and the island with its baroque church on the other.



We passed beneath Villa Bled, once the summer palace of the Yugoslav royal family, but later appropriated by Marshal Tito. It is not especially attractive and is now an hotel.

At bit further on, at Mlino, we interrupted the walk to be rowed out the island to see the church of the Assumption. It became clear that the impressive tower is a free-standing 15th century campanile in the Italian style.



From here it was short walk back to our starting point.

Distance: 5 miles.

Conditions: warm, cloudy at first, but gradually clearing.

Rating: four stars. Quite commercialised, but fantastic views from the castle and towards the island.