Pearl Of Alps! – LAKE BLED, Slovenia (Things To Do)

Things To Do In LAKE BLED, Slovenia. Pearl of Alps and the most Beautiful Place in Slovenia. Lake Bled is one of the most popular places in picture perfect Slovenia nestled in the foothills of the Alps. Lake Bled is famous for its emerald-green waters, small island with a church and an ancient castle on the cliff. No wonder that this fairytale Pearl Of Slovenian Alps is full of legends and myths. Lake Bled is a perfect destination for outdoor and nature lovers and can be visited all year round. In summer the lake is a popular swimming and rowing destination, while in winter the lake freezes and becomes a fairytale ice skating rink. With unspoiled nature, hot springs and alpine climate it also offers healing properties. No wonder then, that Lake Bled has the longest tradition in tourism in Slovenia and remains to be one of the most popular day trips from the capital city Ljubljana. My name is Rok and I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling around Europe as a tour guide and I can’t wait to show you Things To Do In Lake Bled Slovenia.

Top Things To Do In Lake Bled Slovenia:
00:00 Intro
00:40 Cafe Belvedere
02:04 Legend About Lake Bled
02:40 Mala Osojnica
03:21 Walk around Lake Bled
04:10 Straža Hill
05:03 Bled Cream Cake
05:57 Rowing
06:58 Best Beaches
08:03 Bled Castle
09:41 Bled Island
11:28 Conclusion

Lake Bled is a popular day trip from Slovenian capital Ljubljana as it is only 40 minutes drive away. If you want to learn more about Slovenian capital, here is my LJUBLJANA travel series:

If you have any questions about Lake Bled, just leave them in the comment section. Also share your thoughts, your ideas and your experience about Lake Bled.
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Thank you,
Rok Goes Around

P.S.: Rok is a traveler, a cinematic vlogger and a tour guide. On this travel channel he is combining his 20 years of travelling experience, his 10 years of filmmaking experience and his 9 years of tour guiding experience.

This spectacular lake in the foothills of the 
Alps is famous for its emerald-green waters, small island with a church and an ancient castle 
on the cliff. No wonder that this fairytale place is full of legends and myths. This is Lake 
Bled, one of the most popular places in picture perfect Slovenia. Hi guys. My name is Rok and 
I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling around Europe as a tour guide and I can’t wait to 
show you Things To Do In Bled, Slovenia. Bled became popular already in the 19th century 
due to its healing properties like fresh air, clear lake, mild Alpine climate and hot springs. 
That is why a Swiss healer Arnold Rikli built the first natural healing resort here. Nowadays 
thermal springs are filling the pools in three hotels around the lake. But you can soak up 
the healing benefits of Bled also in this historic Café Belvedere perched on high pillars 
above the lake. It was designed by the famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik as the “waiting 
room” for audiences of the Yugoslavian King Alexander who had his residence in the nearby 
Vila Bled. Here is where the Yugoslav president Tito hosted members of royalty, presidents and 
famous people at tea parties, cognac and cigars. You can reach the cafe by climbing up the stairs 
leading from the walking path around the lake. According to the legend, there used to be a 
meadow valley with a small hill and a rock, where mountain fairies danced at night. Shepherds 
grazed their sheep in the valley, which ate grass around the fairy rock. The fairies asked the 
shepherds to put a fence around their dance area, so that the grass would remain soft. The 
shepherds ignored their request and one day, the youngest and most beautiful fairy broke her 
leg while dancing. The angry fairies called upon the springs and brooks to storm into the valley 
and fill it with water. Only the hill with the rock remained as an island in the middle of the 
lake, where fairies could dance. To get the best views of the beauty left by the fairies you will 
need to do a steep hike to get to this Hilltop viewpoint that offers the most iconic panoramas 
of Lake Bled. The hike starts on the west side of the lake, where right next to the road you 
can spot a bench and a sign marking the trail to Mala Osojnica. Most of the time the trail is under 
the cover of trees. When you reach the long metal staircase you are 5 minutes from the top. From 
there you can continue the hike to other peaks. The roundtrip hike will take you about an hour, 
but as you can see it is well worth the effort. The best way to see Lake Bled 
is to simply walk around it. Walking around the lake is among the most 
popular things to do and it should take you at least 2 hours as the total distance is 6 km or 
3.8 miles. The route uses pathways and pavements wherever possible and on the northern shore, it 
runs along a lakeside road closed to traffic. The views are gorgeous and along the way you may 
come across some very pretty swimming spots or you will take a break in one of the 
cafes and bars with stunning views. If you don’t like walking you can still go around 
the lake. You can rent a bicycle, enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage or take a tourist train 
that runs around the lake every 45 minutes. Straža is a hill opposite to the Bled castle. 
It is popular for a nice, easy uphill walk and offers many summer and winter activities. The 
climb is not difficult and takes 15 minutes, but if you prefer you can take the chair 
lift. The top of the hill offers a beautiful view overlooking the Lake, the castle and the 
mountains. At the top is also Adventure park Bled set up in the natural environment of trees, 
suitable for beginners and advanced climbers. But the most popular summer activity is adrenaline 
tobogganing down the hill. The toboggan run is a lot of fun and it gets up to some pace as well. 
Toboggan ride with chairlift ride is 10 euro. In winter, if the snow cover is thick 
enough, the track becomes a ski centre. When you visit Bled, you have to taste Bled 
cream cake. As the name suggests this dessert was invented here, more precisely in Hotel Park. 
It is offered in many patisseries across Slovenia and you will have no trouble finding it 
virtually everywhere in Bled. But the original Bled cream cake can be found in Kavarna 
Park, opposite to the hotel where it was invented. At the bottom the cake has a golden 
crispy crust made from butter dough, then it has a delicious vanilla cream of exactly 
the right consistency so that it does not collapse after cutting and is topped with whipped cream 
and a crispy layer of butter dough and finally a good dusting of icing sugar. Original Bled cream 
cake has been made fresh every day since 1953. You can also have fun on the Lake 
as Bled is famous for rowing. Many international regattas have been organised 
here, including four World Championships. There are several ways for rowing experience as the 
use of motor-driven vessels is prohibited. Pletna Boat is a traditional wooden 
boat that fits up to 18 people, and has its origins from the middle ages. This 
is a great option if you’d like to save yourself the hard work of paddling to the island. The 
Pletna boat rowers go back for generations, and will take you to the Island and back for 15 euros. 
For a romantic experience you can rent a wooden paddle boat. You will see places to rent these on 
your walk around the Lake. If you want to go a bit faster you can also take a kayaking tour. But a 
more popular option is stand up paddle boarding. Lake Bled is famous for its clean waters 
and you can swim everywhere you want, as there are many great spots. But there are a 
couple main swimming areas and Velika Zaka Beach is the most popular place. This is a beach next 
to the camping site at the far end of the lake. Here are cafes, a restaurant 
and a small grocery shop. Beach has green grass and some wooden docks 
to jump off with a great view of Bled Island. Another popular beach is in The Olympic Rowing 
Centre on the western side of the Lake. This is the home of the Local 
Rowing Club that has produced several world-class rowers 
and Olympic Games medallists. Grajska Beach is near the centre of the 
town, and is a great place to relax for the day. It’s equipped with 2 water slides, 
4 outdoor swimming pools and beach chairs. Daily fee for this beach is 9 euro. Bled 
has a stunning ancient castle perched on a cliff towering 130 meters or 430 feet 
above Lake and offers spectacular views. Bled castle is the oldest castle in Slovenia with 
a history spanning more than one thousand years. In 15 hundreds, after the devastating earthquake 
the castle was rebuilt and got today’s shape. It has a double structure with a fortified main 
part, intended for the residence of feudal lords, and the exterior part with the walls and 
facilities for servants. In the castle is a small but informative museum of Lake 
Bled history, beautiful 16th century Gothic chapel, the wine cellar, recreated Gutenberg 
printing press and few other interesting things. You can use your phone to download an audio guide 
app to get a more personal experience of the Bled Castle. But the most impressive experience 
is lunch or dinner in an excellent restaurant with breathtaking views of the lake below and 
mountains beyond. The best way to reach the castle is by walking on the path that starts just 
above the Grajska Beach. It will take you about 15 minutes of moderate uphill walk through the 
forest path that is also lit during the night. The castle can also be reached by car 
or bus as there is a small parking lot. This is the only island in Slovenia and on it 
stands a 15th century Church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Before the church was built, 
here was a temple of Slavic pagan goddess of life and fertility. After the Christianisation of Slavs 
in the 700s, the ancient temple was replaced by a church. In the Middle Ages Bled Island has become 
a popular pilgrimage destination. In the middle of the 17th century the church was renovated and got 
today’s appearance. In that time the island also got other buildings including a chapel, and the 
famous staircase with 99 stone steps. The self standing bell tower was built in the 15th century, 
but was also renovated several times. It has three bells, including the popular wishing bell that is 
often rang by the visitors. Legend has it that a young widow lived in Bled Castle and commissioned 
a bell for the church in memory of her husband. While the bell was being transported to the 
island a huge storm struck and the boat with the bell was lost. The widow lived out the rest 
of her life as a nun in Rome and, when she died, the Pope sent a bell to Bled. It’s said that 
whoever rings this bell and makes a wish will come true. Admission to see the interior of the church 
and other buildings is 12 euro. You can get to the island if you hire a paddle boat or if you take 
a ride with an electric boat that runs every full hour and is docked in front of the Hotel Park. But 
the best way is to go with one of the typical Bled Pletna Boats. They are run by Pletna oarsmen, 
an esteemed vocation that is handed down from generation to generation and they will charge you 
15 euro for the ride. Lake Bled is a spectacular fairytale like Pearl Of Slovenian Alps. It is a 
perfect destination for outdoor and nature lovers and can be visited all year round. In summer the 
lake is a popular swimming and rowing destination, while in winter the lake freezes and becomes a 
fairytale ice skating rink. With unspoiled nature, hot springs and alpine climate it also offers 
healing properties. No wonder then, that Lake Bled has the longest tradition in tourism in 
Slovenia and remains to be one of the most popular day trips from the capital city Ljubljana, 
as it is only 40 minutes drive away. If you want to see what you can do in Slovenian capital, check 
out my video about Ljubljana in the top corner. If you like this video please give it a thumbs 
up. You can share your questions, suggestions or experience about Bled in the comments below. And 
don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to be notified about my future travel videos. 
Thanks for watching, and see you next time.