Skip to main content

Lake Bled - I feel Slovenia


According to legend, Lake Bled was created by fairies. Bled Island was the setting for their joyous dancing on starry nights. No wonder this place is magical. 

Bled Island
I walked along the south shore of the lake from the pletna boat station near the Grand Hotel following the trail that’s parallel to the Cesta Svobode road. I passed some beautiful mansions, an abandoned house and a tunnel on the way and stopped at a lookout point where I had a good view of Bled Island. Forgetting to bring a hat was a huge faux pas as the sun was so unforgiving. It was an easier walk back to the center of Bled with the sun behind me. I did bring bottled water and that was clearly a bright idea.

Pletna Boats
These colorful boats take passengers to Bled Island for 12 euros. There is a scheduled hourly departure. It doesn’t include the entry fee to the Church of the Mother of God and the Clock Tower.

Bled Castle and the neo Gothic Church of St. Martin
Notice the turquoise blue waters of the lake and how clear it is.

How to get to Lake Bled
By train and bus: I took the train from Ljubljana to Lesce Bled (in the direction of Jesenice) which is about 4.5 km from the lake. But we had to get off at Kranj and take the bus from there to Lesce as the tracks to Lesce were under repair. Then from Lesce we took the local bus to Lake Bled and I got off at the first stop in Bled and walked from there to the lake. (You can also get off at the bus station which is 300 meters from the lake.) The roundtrip train ticket was 10.20 euros and the Arriva bus to Lake Bled was about 1.30 euros one way. It only takes 10 minutes to get to Lake Bled from Lesce Station but the traffic on the two lane road in July was intense. This combination ride took about one hour and 35 minutes. The train was clean and comfortable with few passengers.

I was glad we stopped and transferred to a bus at Kranj because it is a pretty town and I had the chance to see Triglav from a distance, the highest peak of the Julian Alps. The countryside leading to Lake Bled is beautiful with mountains and tidy, colorful towns along the way.

By bus: The bus station in Ljubljana is in front of the train station. There are frequent departures to Lake Bled which is an hour’s ride away. The reason I didn’t take the bus is that I was informed that it’s usually full and sometimes it’s standing room only. And I was traveling to Bled on a Friday afternoon. This would not have worked for me especially during this pandemic. 

By tour van: This was my first choice though it was pricey at about $65.00 for a four-hour tour. The draw here is the ease, comfort, hotel pick-up and direct service. But there was no one who had booked a tour to Lake Bled on the day I had planned to go so the tour was canceled.

*****


Images by TravelswithCharie


 

Labels:
Location: Lake Bled, 4260 Bled, Slovenia

Popular posts from this blog

The Fairy Tale Town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber has been on my travel bucket list for years. And I finally got there  last November. It is an enchanting place.  With its half-timbered houses, clock towers, colorful façades, schneeballs and beer steins, Rothenburg ODT oozes with medieval charm.  It's no surprise that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I was partially filmed in Rothenburg ODT. This is a common dilemma in Rothenburg ODT. Which direction to take? It's hard to choose because every cobblestone street seems to be competing for the best dressed street award. And they are all winners in my book.  After walking half a day, an inviting table for two with colorful flowers to warm a cold November day. I love how these two half-timbered buildings anchor a street that leads to another intriguing square. The Plönlein (Little Square) is the most photographed square in Rothenburg ODT. But I found more picturesque neighborhoods than this. That's ...
Read more

Midnight in Paris Movie Locations

It's not often I watch a movie but on a long flight home late last year, I had the chance to watch Midnight in Paris and was totally captivated by its plot. Can you imagine time traveling to the era of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, Picasso and Dali, Gauguin and Toulouse Lautrec? It was therefore such a treat to be in Paris and be able to see a couple of the locations from the movie. Had so much fun figuring out where the Peugeot came from to pick up Gil (Owen Wilson) and take him back to the Jazz Age. Rue Galande Rue Galande is a narrow street lined with boutiques with engaging window displays. Notice the giant flea sculpture above one of the shops. This location was shown at the beginning of the film. Interestingly enough, Rue Galande is a stone's throw from the bouquinistes along the Seine and across from the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris. The Steps of St. Etienne du Mont This is where Gil was sitting, a little disoriented, when the Pe...
Read more

Casapueblo and Carlos Páez Vilaró

Casapueblo, Punta Ballena Just a few minutes from the popular beach destination of Punta del Este is Casapueblo which sits on the edge of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. If you're staying at the hotel, then you're in for a big treat. Imagine the view of the blue ocean made more dazzling by the sun. But that's not all. There's also an art gallery and museum next door which displays the artistic works of Carlos Páez Vilaró who also designed Casapueblo, his permanent home and studio. Casapueblo reminds one of the Greek isles at first glimpse. But it isn't that simple. Look closely and you'll find the influence of Gaudi in the architecture which Vilaró himself built with no plans. There are no straight lines. The interior has many passages and narrow stairs leading to enchanting rooms, everyone of which is different from the other. Notice the curving lines and the rooftops with their pointed concrete posts. Vilaró liked his house to a hornero's (ovenbird...
Read more