Lake Bled
Lake Bled
Lake Bled is one of the famous touristic destinations in Slovenia & rightly so! It is a very picturesque lake with crystal clear water with towering mountains surrounding it and, above all, the small little church in the middle of the lake!!
Although you’ll find lots of organized tours offering a trip to lake Bled, it can be easily done on your own. The lake is located in the northern part of the country, near the Austrian border, and is only 40-minute drive from Ljubljana via E61. If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the area easily through one of the many regular buses from Ljubljana to Bled. Although you can visit lake Bled as a day trip, I recommend that you spend one night there and allow yourself one complete day to explore and enjoy the beauty of the area at your leisure.
Without a question, the main attraction here is the lake and you should plan your day to do as many activities as you like to explore this majestic lake and enjoy its beauty. The first must do activity is to hike the entire recreational trail around the lake; and believe me when I tell you, that you can’t get enough of this lake:) Start the hike from the far end to the church and walk counter-clockwise. This way you’ll be constantly excited with every step as you are getting closer to the church and with unobstructed views. Throughout the trail you’ll find yourself taking a multitude of pictures with every step you take, like I did:) Some from the furthest point to the church
Some when you get closer…
& some when you get to the closest point:)
However, to get the best views for the entire lake with the church in the middle, you’ve to head into the forest and up the mountains where there is a short trail that will give you the best views ever!
The Ojstrica trail will lead you uphill in the forest and after 30 minutes of hiking from the trailhead (click to request info), you’ll reach a viewpoint with the same name; and OH MY!! What a view!!
There is also a bench at the top, so if you are lucky (like I was:), you sit, enjoy a stunning view and have an amazing picnic
When, and if, you were able to leave this view and head back down, there are some more activities that you can do and enjoy. If you want to visit the church itself, there are two ways of doing so: the adventurous way, and the relaxed one. So depending on your mood you can either rent a kayak and paddle your way to the church (will be a tough paddle if windy), or take a touristy boat ride with one of the many touristy outfitters around the lake…so make your pick:)
