Lake Bled – best places to go and see

What can you say about Bled that you don’t already know? Bled is a city, a municipality visited by almost every Slovene, and not just once. I have certainly been to Bled more than 100 times, as Bled is an exceptional crossroads for trips to the mountains. And considering that I have visited it so many times as a classic tourist dressed in beautiful clothes and especially as a hiker, runner, cyclist, skier dressed in sportswear, I imagined that I know Bled quite well. And similarly to Idrija, I was quite wrong in Bled.

Bled has an amazing strategic location and with its many natural and cultural attractions is a real magnet for all visitors. If you want to get to know Bled quickly, then drive to the castle, see it, go on pletna boat to the island, and walk around the lake. You will have some wonderful photos for social networks, but believe me, you will not know Bled by far.

Considering that Bled is one of the places in Slovenia that can be said the most, I decided to dedicate a concrete blog to Bled, in which we will discuss its history, tourist offer, sights, walk in the hills around the lake, swim in the lake and look where we can jump on a trip from Bled.

Bled:

• History of Bled
• Tourism in Bled
• Natural sights of Bled
• What is special about Lake Bled
  • Formation of Lake Bled
  • Where to swim in lake Bled
• Hills in the vicinity of Bled
  • Ojstrica, Mala and Velika Osojnica
  • Babji zob
  • Straža na Bledu
  • Bled Castle
• Trips in the vicinity of Bled
  • Pokljuka Gorge
  • Bled Vintgar
  • Bohinjska Bela and Iglica waterfall
• The path around Lake Bled
• Conclusion

By the way, if you are looking for more ideas for a trip near Bled, I advise you to read articles entitled Where to Go in Bohinj, Mojstrana and the Vrata Valley, Family trip in Gorenjska, Where to go on a trip in Gorenjska and Jezersko trip in nature.

History of Bled

Bled as a place was first mentioned in written sources as early as 1004 and is thus one of the oldest Slovenian places. In the past, Bled was a collection of separate smaller settlements Grad, Mlino, Rečica, Zagorice, and Želeče, but with the popularization of tourism in the 19th century, the settlements expanded and the border between them blurred so that today all together is only Bled. In addition to the “center” of Bled, the settlements that fall under the city of Bled are Seliše, Dobe, Mlino, Zazer, Rečica, Velika, and Mala Zaka.

Bled began to develop rapidly at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, when the first hotels began to be built and when the locals began to sell the land around the lake to rich foreigners. Further development of Bled began with the arrival of the railway in 1906, when the railway connection between Jesenice and Most na Soči, Gorica and Trst was opened. Only a few years later, water supply and electricity were arranged in Bled, and the first in Slovenia to have paved roads.

The First World War halted development for a short time, but after the war, it continued to build many hotels, villas, and other infrastructure. In the 20th century, Bled was regularly visited by the royal family of the then royal family Karadžordjević, and after the Second World War, the guest of Bled was also the President of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz – Tito.

Bled, as a municipality, was founded in 1960, but a year later it was annexed to the municipality of Radovljica. After the independence of Slovenia in 1992, Bled became an independent municipality again. In 2006, the municipality of Gorje seceded from Bled, with which Bled lost a significant part of its area.

Tourism in Bled

Tourism in Bled began to develop in the 19th century when interest in plots in the most interesting locations around the lake and also in its hinterland grew. Wealthy foreigners wished for a holiday in paradise on the sunny side of the Alps. One of the more important guests from that period was Arnold Rikli, a Swiss healer who is still strongly present in the lake town today. Namely, the Villa by the Lake is named after him, and an extremely beautiful monument has been erected on Straža.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Bled was one of the most fashionable tourist centers in general. Many villas were built, which were used by wealthy foreigners as their holiday weekends. Spa tourism has also begun to develop with the use of a thermal spring with a constant temperature of 23 ° C, which is still used today by two hotels with indoor thermal pools.

Today, tourism in Bled is much more than just hotels and villas by the lake. There are a lot of daily visitors from all over the world who come to see this beautiful place by the lake and its beauties. There are also a lot of visitors who stay in Bled for several days and explore both natural and other beauties, which are not lacking here. A lot is being invested in new and more exclusive forms of tourism, but more classic forms such as camps, apartments are also being spread…

A very strong segment of tourism in Bled is also sport, as many events in the vicinity of Bled occupy tourist opportunities throughout the year, especially in winter (Pokljuka, Kranjska Gora, Planica, Chess Olympics, rowing competitions, golf…). There is also a lot of cultural events in Bled, with various festivals, exhibitions, and other events. Bled is also often visited by businessmen who like to pamper themselves in the environment offered by the local area.

Natural sights of Bled

In my original idea, we had a brief look at all the sights of Bled, both natural and cultural, but there is so much in Bled that this article should become almost a book if I tried to mention everything, let alone describe it, so I decided to get to know at least some of the most interesting cultural sights, and of course, some more natural sights, which in my opinion are worth the effort and will impress you.

The most interesting tourist attractions in Bled are certainly Lake Bled with the island, and the castle and Bled Vintgar. These are the three tourists really besieged points. You don’t have to work hard to visit these points, you just have to pay for something, so it’s usually very crowded.

For those less visited places around Bled, you will have to make at least a little effort, maybe even breathe harder and even sweat. The points to which I will take you today are Ojstrica together with Mali and Veliki Osojnik, Pokljuka gorge, Straža nad Bledom, Babji zob, we will also visit Bohinjska Bela and the local waterfall, and the climbing area.

What is special about Lake Bled

Lake Bled is the 2nd largest permanent natural lake in Slovenia. It is a little more than 2 kilometers long and almost 1400 meters wide. Its depth, at its deepest part, exceeds 30 meters. In the hot summer months, the lake attracts many swimmers, and in the cold winters, the lake level freezes and the lake becomes a large ice rink, and it is also possible to walk to the island.

Lake Bled is the most popular tourist attraction in Slovenia. It stretches over 1.46 square kilometers, and it has the only Slovenian natural island, on which there is a fairy-tale church and the bell of desire. Lake Bled is also the warmest lake in the Alps, on summer days the temperature of water rises up to 26°C.

How was Lake Bled formed?

According to legend, Lake Bled was created because the surrounding shepherds were so indifferent and left their sheep to fall on a hill in the middle of the meadows, where the fairies had their dance floor. Despite repeated warnings to fence the hill and move their sheep off the hill, the shepherds did not do so… After the youngest fairy broke her leg on the hard ground during the dance, which was no longer covered with grass due to the sheep, the fairies became angry and several streams and creeks flowed into the valley, flooding the meadow, but the hill remained outside and is today an island…

Lake Bled is the result of the operation of the Bohinj Glacier, which carved out the valley of the Sava Bohinjka and, among other things, left behind a large basin on the site of today’s lake. In the beginning, the lake was supposed to be even bigger with a constant flow of water, but due to tectonic shifts, the constant inflow of water moved away and thus also the constant outflow.

Where to swim in lake Bled

When we talk about swimming in Lake Bled, one of the most common questions for people who do not know Bled very well is where to swim in the lake.

In Lake Bled, it is possible to swim in three different parts of the lake, on the well-kept castle beach, and in the areas in Velika and Mala Zaka. Visitors should not swim in other parts of the lake.

Another common question that arises for visitors to the lake, is whether the water in the lake is suitable for swimming.

The water in Lake Bled is suitable for swimming, as in recent years the municipality has dedicated a lot of energy and money to ecology, and so the lake meets strict standards in terms of water quality. At the same time, the water in the lake is also very pleasantly warm during the summer season. In August, it rises to 26 ° C.

Grajska beach

The Grajska beach is the only well-kept beach area on Lake Bled, and the bathing and swimming area boasts over 6,000 square meters. The bathing place provides visitors ample opportunities for fun, climbing mountains, trampolines, slides, 4 swimming pools, springboard, table tennis, sandpit, of course, well-maintained toilets, wardrobes, and lockers, but you will not be hungry and thirsty.

Velika and Mala Zaka

Velika and Mala Zaka are bays in the western part of the lake, where rowers “reign”. In Velika Zaka is the end of a 2-kilometer-long route on which rowers compete in rowing on calm waters, while in Mala Zaka, rowers have their own premises. There is a “wild” beach in both bays, ie the beach is not arranged in the same way as in the Grajska beach, there is no allotment here. There are beautiful grassy areas for a pleasant lie on the grass, there are wooden piers on the water, which allow visitors to jump into the water.

On both beaches, of course, there are also some accompanying facilities, especially restaurants, where guests can quench their thirst and possible hunger. Near the swimming pool in Velika Zaka is also the Bled camp and the famous viewing peaks, which are described a little below in the blog.

The hills around Bled

Around Bled, the choice of ascents is really varied, from those few 10-minute ascents to full-day trips to the high mountains. For today we will walk along those slightly lower peaks with a beautiful view of Lake Bled and the surrounding areas.

Ojstrica, Mala and Velika Osojnica

Surely you have already seen a photograph of Lake Bled taken somewhere from a vantage point at the western end of the lake. Facebook shows it to me almost every week. That means almost every week one of my FB friends is on fire there. If you haven’t been to one of the peaks (Ojstrica, Mala, and Velika Osojnica), then you don’t know what you’re missing!

All three peaks offer a truly fabulous view of Lake Bled with the islet. I can’t completely decide which view is the most beautiful, but these are definitely the three most beautiful viewpoints on the lake. Maybe someone will argue and say, not the view from the castle hill is more beautiful, or not Babji zob offers a more beautiful view… It’s hard to say, but the photos from Ojstrica or one of Osojnice are more beautiful in my opinion.

It is best to choose a parking lot in Velika Zaka as a starting point for access to the lookout points. This will cost you € 3 per hour and in the summer you will have to be quite lucky to even get a car park. An alternative is to leave the car at the train station or in Mala Zaka and warm up by the beginning of the ascent in Velika Zaka.

The nearest and also the lowest lookout point is Ojstrica, which is only a good 100 meters uphill, and you will spend about 20 minutes. The path is nicely arranged, a bit muddy after the rain, but nothing serious. the top of Ojstrica is bare and offers us a fantastic view of the lake and everything around it. At the left end of the lookout point, we can admire Velika Zaka from a bird’s eye view with a camp and a parking lot. For as little effort as we need to climb Ojstrica, we receive an incredibly large reward.

If you were ready for a slightly longer walk, I suggest you climb both Osojnica. You will need an additional 20 maybe 30 minutes of ascent to do this.

The viewpoint on Mala Osojnica is perhaps the most beautiful of the three, at least my eyes enchanted the view so much. We are still quite close to the lake, only we are an extra 100 meters higher and from here we see the lake (with the exception of Mala Zaka) practically completely. From here we can already admire the railway line, which leads through the tunnels towards Bohinjska Bistrica. Not far away, on the southern slope of Mala Ojstrica, there is another lookout point, which does not offer such a spectacular view, but the view is still beautiful. We can look around in the direction of Babji zob and Jelovica, and the valley of the Sava Bohinjka below them.

If you are ready for an additional 15 minutes of ascent, you will reach the highest vantage points above Velika Zaka, namely Velika Osojnica. On the western slope, just below the top, the first lookout point awaits us, from which we can see less, next to the railway we really only see forests, but there is a nice place to relax and enjoy the silence. There are far fewer people ascending to Velika Osojnica than to the previous two destinations, so if you are lucky, you will even be able to have the summit for yourself for a while.

The view towards the lake is slightly north-west of the peak, or if we look in the direction of arrival, we have to turn right, if we are careful, there will be many smaller paths that will take us there. This viewpoint is also stunningly beautiful, perhaps a little further from the lake, so it no longer offers the feeling that you are almost above the lake, but due to the height, as we are here almost 300 meters above the lake, the feeling of looking at the valley is easy. great.

At all the viewpoints, the locals have set up wooden benches so that the hiker can sit down and enjoy the peace. I suggest you take your time and take your time, and you are simply, without a camera, without words, just watch.

As for footwear and clothing, I suggest you wear sportswear, because you will certainly sweat to the top, and your shoes will be at least a little dirty with mud, so those sneakers that you have for the center of Ljubljana, Celje or Maribor, they will not be the most appropriate. In addition, there are many larger stones along the path, and the path can also be slippery. Hiking poles will also come in handy.

Babji zob

Grandma’s tooth is one of the points I admired as a child. My father was such that when we drove somewhere, he always asked which river we were driving through, what this hill was called, and what this valley was… and of course, Babji zob was often on the wallpaper when we were driving towards Bled. Above all, this unusual name and anecdote from World War II (which I confided to you below) made a special impression on me.

Unlike other ascents that we are working on today, the ascent to Babja zob is a bit more serious ascent, not in terms of difficulty, but in terms of time and altitude meters. Given that we will overcome almost 500 altitude meters to the top and it will take about an hour and a half, it is still necessary to take some time to climb. The starting point for the ascent to Babja zob is the village of Kupljenik, which lies on the steep bank of the Sava Bohinjka, like Bohinjska Bela, only Kupljenik is a little higher. A narrow but beautiful asphalt road leads to the starting point.

The ascent is easy and the first 1/3 of the route runs along a forest road, and later we focus on a forest path, which soon brings us to the edge of the slope, where we already have beautiful views to the north among the trees. After the first slightly steeper section, when the path ascends nicely for a while, an insanely beautiful view and a bench for relaxation and comfortable sitting while enjoying the view await us like a fox at the top.

From here to the top we are separated by a good 20 minutes of ascent, but after the second lookout point, which is also equipped with a panoramic tab, where the peaks are marked, we will descend a bit and then climb to the last viewpoint on Babji zob.

Babji zob is also a very popular excursion point for hikers and family trips. I recommend the equipment similar to the ascent to the hills above Velika Zaka, here you will also find poles and hiking shoes with good grip on the ground or. forest floor.

The path is practically hidden under the canopy of trees and most of the time it runs along the north-western side of the hill, so you will not be exposed to the sun even in summer and the ascent will be pleasant (as high as possible in high temperatures).

Unlike Osojniki and Ojstrica, Babji zob also offers views of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps. From the top, the top of Triglav shyly appears, we can see the southern peaks of Bohinj, and in the distance, when the weather is nice, we can also see Krn. Of course, on the other side, we also see Lake Bled, Stol, Golica, and other peaks around this part of the Karavanke.

Just below Babji zob, there is another tourist attraction in Bled. The cave under Babji zob is still unknown to me, as I have not been in it for once, but as far as my fellow cavers have told me, the cave is worth a visit, as it is full of stalactites and other beauties offered by the underground world.

Now, a quick anecdote from World War II related to Baba’s Tooth. During the Second World War, local partisans allegedly hoisted a large Slovenian flag on Babja Zob and angry Germans allegedly tried to shoot down the flag with weapons, but they did not succeed…

Straža above Bled

Our next destination will be the top of the Straža ski resort above Bled. I don’t even know when this ski resort has been operating, but in recent years, it is more than not used for activities that take place on it in the summer.

You can climb to the top of Straža from the center of Bled, or, as we will do today, from the opposite side of the hill. We will need about half an hour’s walk to reach the top, which is 646 meters high. From the place where we will park (the beginning of the grove, somewhere along the way), direction signs will take us to the forested slope of Straža. The path to the top is nicely arranged, in parts it may be a little less visible, but in the summer season due to the higher frequency of hikers, this is probably not the case.

After about 2/3 of the ascent, the path leads us to a meadow or. a ski slope where only a few minutes of moderate ascent separates us from the top. The path will soon take us back to the forest, where we will reach the first of the devices on the trim track, and just a few steps away is a beautiful vantage point, where we have a view of the Gorenjska plain, Lesce, Ravovljica and other places in this part of Gorenjska.

Along the trim track, past the Rikli monument, the path will take us to an extremely well-kept adrenaline park, which is also the largest I’ve seen so far (maybe it’s bigger, but I don’t know about it). The park consists of 81 different objects, where you will have to use your strength, balance, skill, courage… to break through them. The facilities are divided into 5 different difficulty routes, which run along the treetops. There is also a summer toboggan run as part of the adventure park. Everyone who is taller than 120 centimeters and has completed at least 4 years is welcome.

Not far from the Adventure Park, another beautiful vantage point awaits us, because we will be able to enjoy the view of part of Lake Bled, the castle and the center of Bled. At the foot of the ski slope, there is also a parking lot where you can leave your vehicle and climb to the top. However, if you are lazier by nature, a chairlift will take you to the top.

Bled Castle

From the ski resort, we will head to the opposite side of the lakeshore. More precisely on the gray rock (as the castle hill was named Avsenik), where Bled Castle stands. This hill also offers us the peaks of a vantage point. 2 of them are at war with you, even if you have no intention of going to the castle.

You can climb the castle hill along several paths, but the most popular and in my opinion also the most beautiful is Rikli’s path, which starts at the castle baths and takes us to the castle park in about 10 minutes, right next to the castle. The path is perfectly arranged and is also illuminated at night. While climbing, you will be able to enjoy beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding area.

I haven’t been inside the castle walls for a long time, so I can’t tell you anything clever about the castle, except for what you can read online. However, I know that the admission fee for adults is 13, students 8 and children 5 €.

Excursions in the vicinity of Bled

Excursions in the vicinity of Bled, like all other things around here, are extremely interesting. As I mentioned in the description of the hills around Bled, it is similar to excursions. We can go for a pleasant walk around the lake, which will take about an hour, or head to the high mountains for a few days. Today we will deal with those more social trips or. walk. We will jump around the lake, head to the Bled Vintgar, and first, we will walk through the incredible Pokljuka Gorge.

Pokljuka Gorge

The Pokljuka Gorge is located on the north-eastern side of the Pokljuka Plateau. Signs in Krnica (the road to Pohkljuka) direct us towards it, and a narrow road will take us to a well-kept parking lot at the beginning of the gorge in a few 100 meters.

The gorge is dry today, which means that no stream or river flows through it. During the last ice age, the gorge was formed by water flowing from melting glaciers on Pokljuka. Later, the water receded into the underground and today the gorge is full of interesting karst phenomena left behind by the water.

The beginning of the gorge is quite “normal”, along the way you start to climb into an extremely beautiful, airy forest, and after about 10 minutes of walking you are suddenly surrounded by very high vertical walls. In my estimation, the walls are about 50 feet high, maybe more. We soon find ourselves in front of the first info board, which directs us to a circular path through the gorge. If you turn right, you will walk through a hole in a few places, a short passage cave with 3 natural windows, which once served as the nearest passage from the valley to the Pokljuka plateau.

A few minutes of ascent will take you to an extremely beautiful and dense beech forest, which is practical without undergrowth. The path will take you along the path for a while and a little later also by train, you will also come to some crossroads, wherein my opinion the signs are a bit awkwardly marked, but nothing says, you just continue walking towards the gallery. You will soon reach the former riverbed, where the forest has a magical image. As if sprayed into the jungle, downed trees overgrown with a thick coating of moss, rocks are also clad in it, the air is full of moisture… something really special.

From here we will start descending along the bottom of the gorge towards our starting point. The bottom of the gorge is mostly overgrown with ferns, which are extremely beautiful during late spring when it starts to grow just fine. After a few minutes walk along the bottom of the gorge, we will again be surrounded by extremely high overhanging walls, in which water has carved various holes, suburbs… Soon the path will lead us to the most fascinating part of the gorge, a narrow canyon, through which a wooden footbridge leads us, with stairs, at the other end of this, at the narrowest part of the “crack” only a meter wide, a huge gallery opens below us, named after the prince Andrej Karadjordjević. Namely, between the two world wars, when the locals also arranged the way through the gorge, the royal family often visited these places. as they had their own holiday resort on Mežakla.

From here, towards the crossroads, where we had previously passed right through the hole, the gorge widens a few more times and narrows completely again. On the way down, don’t just pay attention to what nature has left behind you, in this part, you will walk under a natural bridge, which is 3 big natural sights of this gorge. The natural bridge crosses the gorge 24 meters above the ground. It is amazing how wild the water must have been here to carve into the rock all that is on display today.

Bled Vintgar

One of the most visited natural sights around Bled and in Slovenia, in general, is the Bled Vintgar. Extremely picturesque gorge, which was carved into the rock on the way to the Sava Dolinjka by the river Radovna. It flows from the Kot valley, through the Radovna valley, which is sandwiched between the steep slopes of Pokljuka and Mežakla, to a good kilometer and a half long and up to 250 meters deep gorge, which is a real feast for the eyes and ears.

Radovna in Vintgar shows her strength especially in the spring when she is very watery. All this mixing of pearly clear water, drumming and a really strong current along an extremely beautiful gorge, full of waterfalls, rapids, and pools make a strong impression on a person.

The path is mostly led by footbridges, which are attached to the rocky walls of the gorge, and in some places, you also step on solid ground. The gorge ends with the largest river waterfall in Slovenia. Below the waterfall is a pleasant corner where you can take a bath and cool off in the refreshing Radovna.

Vintgar is a must for family trips and it is great to combine it with a visit to Pokljuka or one of the other sights of Bled, which are described in this blog.

Another reminder… I warmly advise you not to visit the Vintgar inn, which is only a few 10 meters above the upper entrance to the gorge. Years ago, when we visited the vintgar, I went to the inn to kindly ask if they could pour water into my water bottle, and the owner’s response was inconceivable. The lady started yelling at me that what am I going to do, that they have to pay for this water, at first I thought the lady was kidding, but after a few seconds, I realized she was serious… I thanked her nicely and promised her that I will tell everyone about their attitude towards potential customers and I keep my promise.

Bohinjska Bela and Iglica waterfall

How many times have you passed Bohinjska Bela and how many times have you visited this idyllic village? I visited it for the first time only last year (2020) when I deliberately drove through the village while returning from the Bohinj mountains. Recently, however, I visited it again and got to know its climbing areas, the Iglica waterfall, and the beautiful views from the walls above Iglica.

Of course, you can get to Bohinjska Bela by car, but a great idea is also a bicycle, especially if you have the opportunity, for example, to get to Bled by car and then explore its surroundings from the bike. The third option is to get to Bohinjska Bela by train.

It is impossible to build the climbing walls in Iglica from the main road between Bled and Bohinjska Bistrica, but when you are in the village, the walls become even more powerful. It kind of looks like the ground has collapsed here and moved some 30 meters lower.

Iglica Waterfall is a rather high waterfall, measuring 24 meters, but the Suha stream is quite similar to its name, so the view of it is much less exciting than the view of one of the waterfalls. And the backdrop of the Needle is an exception. Under the waterfall is a smaller cooling pool for the hottest ones. The water is not very cold, so the pool should be pleasant after a few hours of climbing.

The Iglica climbing area is about 30 meters high and is one of the most popular and high-quality climbing areas in our country. You can climb to the top of the climbing area by almost new stairs, the use of which is at your own risk. At the top, at 2 viewpoints, we have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views in both directions of the Sava Bohinjka valley. Of course, the view of the village under our feet is extremely beautiful, but it can also be seen on Babja zob on the other side of the river.

The path around Lake Bled

Lake Bled is probably the Slovenian lake, which was visited by most people. Despite the fact that the path around the lake is about 7 kilometers long and the average hiker spends a good hour on it, a lot of people go to Bled just to visit this Gorenjska pearl.

The promenade is mostly paved, and part of the path is sandy. You will climb slightly twice along the way, otherwise, the path is flat and easy. It is also suitable for families with wheelchairs. Along the way, you will walk past many bars, because you can refresh yourself with such and other delicacies, quench your thirst, or just enjoy the view of the lake and good coffee.

Conclusion

Bled, with all the beauties that surround it, is probably the greatest Slovenian tourist pearl. Probably in Slovenia, in terms of the number of tourists, only Ljubljana can be placed alongside it, but its size is practically incomparable with Bled. Or maybe the Postonjska Cave, which is a completely different tourist pearl of our beautiful country.

Anyway, Bled is a fantastic destination, for everyone, even if you have been there 100 times, you will still be able to find something new. However, if you have already seen it all (which I doubt), things can be very interesting in the second or third.

I wish you a great time visiting Bled and go to Nature!