The gorgeous town of Bled, lying on upon Lake Bled’s shores, is a perfect destination for a weekend, a week, or as a base for exploring the surrounding natural areas of Slovenia, including Triglav National Park. It’s friendly, safe and gorgeous and a great destination for couples or families. It’s also super romantic. I would go so far as to say that town of Bled puts the ‘love’ in S’love’nia…and I think the locals think so too.
I was lucky enough to visit Bled for two nights on a late May road-trip from Croatia to Italy before the pandemic. Even though the visit was brief, the place really got under my skin and I have very fond memories of my short time in this town. I had been to Lake Bled before, but only on hour long flying visits as a tour guide once or twice, so never really took it in in the same way. Some of the top things to do in and around Bled are listed below for your reading pleasure. I wrote a bunch of notes of things to do in the local area before we visited, so have included some notes on places we didn’t visit below as well #travelnerd.
The Lake!
Ahhh Lake Bled! You can’t visit Bled and not see Lake Bled, as the small town sits right upon the lake’s shores. The walk around the lake is 6km and can be done by foot or bike. We did it in the afternoon of our full day in Bled and it took less than two hours with photo stops and was definitely worth doing. Whilst one end of the lake is quite built up, the rest of the lake has far fewer houses and is quiet, especially in May. However, it still feels very safe and along the way are a number of beautiful viewpoints towards Bled Castle and Bled Island. If you’re feeling lazy, or the weather isn’t great, there’s also a tourist train that goes around the lake. Go to Castle Beach if you fancy a dip, or rent a boat, SUP or kayak to explore the lake from the water. Row boats are reported to cost approx. €20 p/hour.
Vingtar Gorge
You can get a taste of the nearby Triglav National Park with a visit to Vingtar Gorge – which is absolutely gorge-ous! The gorge is ten minutes drive from Bled and we went here on the morning of our full day in the area, stopping at a little restaurant for a strudel along the way (essential). The gorge has walls between 50 and 100m high and was only discovered in the late 1890s. Within only two years of discovery, the area had been turned into a recreational reserve for the public to enjoy. Quaint timber bridges and trails lie along and across the crystal clear waters of the gorge, which together create a 1.6km length walk.
We visited on a very wet day, so didn’t have to worry about crowds, but apparently it’s best to arrive just before opening time to beat the usual crowds in summer. The rain didn’t stop us appreciating the scenery so don’t let that put you off if it’s raining when you visit. It just makes the rapids more impressive! There was also a surprise cafe with schnapps and beers for sale at the end of the walk, so I’d suggest stashing some cash for that if you think you might get thirsty. Opening Hours: 8am – 7pm, €5 pp. Note cash only for the entry fee.
Lake Bohnij
Thirty minutes drive out of Bled is the remote and quiet Lake Bohnij. The lake’s clear still waters, surrounded by forest, are wonderfully calming and the drive on the way, through Slovenian countryside, is lovely as well. Slovenian forests are really pretty. Cash is needed for parking in the area so carry 10 euros. When we visited Lake Bohnij on our full day in the Bled area, we hired a canoe for an hour so we could paddle on the lake and take it all in. It was tres cute.
Bled Castle
On our final morning in Bled we visited Bled Castle. The oldest castle in Slovenia, Bled Castle is over 1000 years old! Wine tasting is available in the cellar and you can bottle, cork and wax a bottle of wine for a fee to take home. The castle is accessible by car or can be walked up to from the lake on a shortish but very steep walk. We parked in the carpark as we had a hire car and were on the way out of town afterwards. The Castle has informative, diverse and interesting displays with guides you can download on your phone for extra information in English. The displays seemed to cover everything to the first human remains ever discovered in the area (Bled Island has evidence of inhabitance for eons) to early photography in the region. The views from the castle are also fantastic. Open 8am-8pm, €11pp.
Bled Island
We didn’t make it to Bled Island on our trip, but it’s free to visit (other than the transport to get there) and features 99 steps to a bell, which it is a tradition for visitors to ring. You will hear the bell ringing a lot if you visit Bled! Access the island via rowboat or on a pletna boat ride. Pletna boats are a Lake Bled tradition and you can hire a ride with one from the lake’s shores.
Accommodation
We stayed in Garden House Bled for two nights and loved it. The common areas are SUPER cute (see below) and the place is only a short walk into town, although the hostel was a little hard to find on arrival. I would definitely recommend staying here. We booked through www.booking.com
Food
As is custom on a visit to Bled, we visited The Park Hotel to try Bled Cream Cake aka Bledschnitte! This was definitely better than it looked and was like eating a dream. Make sure you schedule this into your visit if you come to Bled!
Food in Bled in general is pretty expensive as the area is really touristy. Picerija Briksen is a good local pizza restaurant on Ljubljanska cesta where you can get reasonably priced pizza and other basic meals. We enjoyed the relaxed vibe. We also gave Oštarija Babji zob a go as it came highly recommended from the hostel as a place to try traditional food. It had a nice cheery vibe and was popular.
Extras and Further Afield….
Some other sites we didn’t visit around Lake Bled, but that looked good from research, are listed below:
Skofja Loka – 40 mins from Lake Bled Translated as ‘Bishops Meadow’ this town is considered the best preserved medieval city in Slovenia, Skofja Loka is quaint and charming. The castle and old buildings are illuminated on weekend nights.
Mostnica Gorge – (by Lake Bohnij)
Located 2km north-east of Lake Bohnij, a 2km gorge similar in style to Vingtar. Takes roughly an hour and a half to explore. €2.5 pp.
Vrcis Pass – 1 hr from Bled. This hair raising road was built by the Russians during World War I and is as historic as it is beautiful.
Soca Valley – 1.5 hr from Bled, same direction as Vrcis Pass. The Soca River is often described as the most beautiful in Europe, with its emerald waters, hanging bridges and surrounding mountains. You can drive alongside it on the Vrsic Pass or walk parts of the Soca Trail – 25km in total length.
Other Activities
Straza Bled
Straža Bled is a hill overlooking Lake Bled and, with incredible views of the castle and the lake, is one of the best viewpoints around the Lake. It’s also a perfect spot for adrenaline junkies – in summer it’s possible to toboggan on the slope with a gondola ride up to the top and then the slalom ride back down to earth!
White Water Rafting / Canyoning
Both separate and combined rafting and canyoning trips are available from Bled that either provide activities in the local area (the mild Sava River) or on the beautiful Soca River. Soca Valley Adventure – Full Day Canyoning and Rafting has great reviews and includes sightseeing in Triglav National Park. A number of other operators are available in the region.
Black Hole Kayaking
Kayak by the light of your head torch on a sit-on-top raft through abandoned mines. This tour spends four hours underground and explores the mines on boat and on foot. According to information online, this trip is a once in a lifetime experience and not for the faint of heart (this one makes me a bit nervous!)
Via Ferrata, Rock Climbing, E-Bike tours, Tubing, River Walking and Hot Air ballooning are also available in area.