Lake Bled in northern Slovenia has been captivating visitors for centuries with its green wooded hills sloping down to deep turquoise waters. The medieval castle perched high above the lake was first recorded as existing in 1011, testament to the long-lasting popularity of this stunning location.

Wondering what makes the lake so popular? How can you visit it for yourself, and what is there to do?

Get the answers to these questions and more with our guide to Lake Bled.

Where is Lake Bled?

Lake Bled is in Slovenia, in the Julian Alps mountain range that stretches from northwestern Italy across to Slovenia, which are home to Slovenia’s Triglav national park, named for the highest peak in Slovenia. Mount Triglav is central to Slovenia’s identity, featured on the country’s coat of arms and national flag, which gives you a sense of how important this area is to Slovenians.

The nearby town of Bled which gives the lake its name is just over 30 miles away from the capital city of Ljubljana, so you can easily visit Lake Bled if you are traveling through.

A Brief History of Lake Bled

The origins of Bled Lake

The Julian Alps are extremely old. Bled Lake was formed when the Bohinj glacier receded at the end of the Ice Age, leaving Bled island in the middle of the lake.

There is evidence of humans living in this area all the way back in the Bronze Age, but it wasn’t until the 600’s that the Bled we know today started to be formed when the area was settled in by Slavic people.

The Slavic empire that Bled was part of was the first known union of Slavic tribes, led by a man named Samo. The details of his empire are spotty at best, but it is generally agreed that Samo fought the Frankish kingdom successfully.

After Samo died his empire fell apart, but it was not long before Lake Bled was once again part of a much larger kingdom.

Lake Bled as part of the Holy Roman Empire

The great Frankish king Charlemagne inherited the throne in 768 and immediately set about expanding the borders of his kingdom. He was committed to Christianity and supporting the power of the Papacy in Rome, setting his sights on uniting western Europe as a Christian kingdom.

The lands now in northern Italy and Slovenia did not escape his attention, and the area around Lake Bled came under Frankish control around the start of the 800’s. Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the pope in St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Day in 800, and was entrusted with protecting the empire – this had become synonymous with the Christian faith by this point.

Lake Bled remained part of the empire for some time, but after Charlemagne died his empire fell apart. In its absence other rulers came to prominence and the union of Germanic city states inherited the ultimate prize; the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

With this authority, Germanic princes started on their own conquests and the northern lands of modern day Slovenia fell under their control in the 900’s.

Lake Bled as we know it today

Lake Bled proved popular with the Germans. Holy Roman Emperor Henry II enjoyed visiting so much that he created the estate of Bled in 1004, entrusting it to Bishop Albuin of Brixen. Bled Castle was built soon after.

The bishops of Brixen continued to directly control Bled until 1371 when they leased it to the von Kreigh family to administer the castle and surrounding land. This proved to be a bad choice for the locals. After nearly 200 years of control the people rose up in protest against their harsh treatment, during the 1515 Slovene Peasants Revolt that swept across Slovenia. The family was thrown out and the bishops reasserted their control.

Following this, and a series of land reforms, the Bled area became more and more affluent over the centuries.

Lake Bled and its appeal to visitors

The lake became popular with visitors again in the 1850’s when the benefits of the mineral-rich waters were advertised.

A Swiss man, Arnold Rikli, founded an institute where people could come and vacation while also improving their health. This proved extremely popular, with people coming from all over Europe to take in the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains.

Even with the turmoil caused by the two world wars, Lake Bled remained popular. The Karađorđević royal family had a summer residence on the shores, which was demolished after World War II by the Yugoslavian president Tito – only so he could build his own large villa on the same spot, Villa Bled.

There has never been a shortage of visitors to Lake Bled.

What there is to do at Lake Bled

Beyond exploring Bled town and admiring the impressive scenery, there are lots of things to do on and nearby the lake.

Walking

Start your Lake Bled experience by walking around the lake. The route is just under 4 miles long, pretty flat and is mostly paved so it’s a very straightforward walk – you can also hire bikes and cycle if you prefer. There are lots of places to stop for a rest and you’ll get some amazing views of the lake and central island at various points along the way.

If you’re looking for something more strenuous, get your hiking shoes on. The most popular hike is up to the viewpoint Mala Osojnica on the west side of the lake, but if you want to reach the highest point for sweeping views of Lake Bled Slovenia, continue your hike on the trail from Mala Osojnica up to Velika Osojnica.

For more views, you can also take a chair lift up to the Straža Bled toboggan track in the summer months and enjoy the ride back down the hill. In the winter Straža becomes a ski resort.

Enjoy the water

You can swim anywhere in Lake Bled, including across to Bled Island, but keep a lookout for boats.

Talking of boats, you can hire rowboats or secure a space on a pletna, a larger wooden boat, to reach Bled Island. These traditional boats date back hundreds of years and are a lovely way to see the lake.

If you want to try something a little different, you can also rent paddle boards to explore Lake Bled.

Learn about the history of Lake Bled

Bled Island

The first place many visitors head to is Bled Island. Lake Bled’s island has been a place of faith for well over a millennium, originally the location of a temple, a church was first built here in the 700’s.

The current building dates from the 17th century, when a rebuild became necessary after an earthquake. Known as the Church of the Assumption, it’s well worth a visit, along with the church bell tower.

One of the more unusual things to do when you visit Bled Island is ring the Wishing Bell inside the church. It is said that whoever rings the bell will be granted their wish, so you will hear the bells ringing out from the Church of the Assumption across the water all day during the busy season.

Bled Castle

High up on a cliff is Bled castle, which was renovated and updated to include a museum about Bled’s long history.

Walk the medieval walls, see the printing works and the Baroque chapel as part of the visitor route – you can even visit the wine cellar for a wine tasting. There’s also a restaurant where you can admire the views of the lake and Bled Island, which is where we end our Veneto and Slovenia tour for the perfect send-off.

Bled Cream Cake

Speaking of tasting, you cannot leave Lake Bled without having tried the Bled cream cake.

The regional dessert is made of layers of crisp pastry, vanilla cream and whipped cream, a delicious combination. you’ll find Bled cream cake everywhere so it’s hard to miss. It makes for the perfect pick-me-up after a day exploring.

Local Bled Honey

For a final sweet treat, be sure to taste some of the local honey.

Beekeeping has always been important in Slovenia, and the abundance of flowers around Lake Bled Slovenia means that the honey produced here is simply spectacular.

Explore the surrounding area

If you’re staying around Lake Bled and want to explore the area even further, there are a number of places to go.

If you visit Slovenia and Lake Bled during the summer months, taking the short bus ride to Vintgar Gorge is a must. Wooden trails allow you to walk through the waterfalls and along the Radovna river for a unique day trip.

Vintgar Gorge is part of the Triglav national park so if you wish to explore even further, it’s easy to do from here. See Lake Bohinj before taking a cable car up to Vogel where there are several alpine hiking trails to choose from. From Lake Bohinj you can also reach the beautiful Savica waterfall.

How to get to Bled Lake

The chances are that you’ll be flying into Slovenia via the capital city Ljubljana, or connecting here from one of the neighboring countries.

Lake Bled is easily reached from Ljubljana, your choices are:

• By bus – there are regular services from both Ljubljana airport and the central bus station to Lake Bled, which take around 1-1.5 hours depending on the specific route. Tickets are easily available online or in person.
• By car – if you are traveling by car or decide to hire a rental car in Slovenia, you can drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled in around 45 minutes. You can also take a taxi or pre-book a driver.
• By train – there are two stations relatively close to Lake Bled, Lesce and Jezero Bled. You can take a bus from Lesce station to the town of Bled to reach the castle and explore the town. Jezero Bled station is on the western side of the lake so is a great starting point if you’re planning on taking some of the trails.

While you can do Lake Bled as a day trip from Ljubljana with the regular services back and forth, to really get the most out of your visit, we highly recommend you stay overnight, or even for a few days.

The best time to visit

Although most people think of Lake Bled Slovenia as more of a summer destination, you can visit any time of year.

During the summer the lake is warm enough to swim in and you can enjoy all the water sports on offer. This is when most people visit however so expect crowds in Bled town, on Bled Island with its church and at the castle.

As fall takes hold, both the crowds and temperatures start to reduce. While the conditions are no longer ideal for swimming, you can still take a boat ride or hike around the lake very comfortably.

Winter is when the lake is at its quietest, but the scenery is absolutely incredible this time of year. Surrounded by the snow capped mountains, the temperatures drop to around 30°F at their coldest. Snow is common but exploring the Lake Bled area in the crisp winter air is truly magical.

Spring is possibly the best time of year to visit, with warming temperatures and lower visitor numbers. Hiking is best done in the spring when you can walk through the trees in the fresh air and sunshine without it being too hot.

We love Lake Bled and would always recommend including it on any Europe trip to Slovenia, that’s why it’s included in our Veneto and Slovenia tour itinerary.

If you want to know more about what there is to see and do on and around Lake Bled don’t hesitate to contact us for specific travel advice and even custom, on-demand tour arrangements.