Two thirds of which is surrounded by natural parks, Bled has lately been the popular town of Slovenia, which attracts its visitors with its centuries old castle and the stunning view of lake, not to mention its exotic island.
Which makes the holiday idea attractive is the journey taken to the far fields.
The best way to move away from problems may be experiencing different tastes, landscapes and even hearing out a different language.
The Alps which is now seen as a common European holiday resort after reading hundreds of comments and seeing loads of photos cannot be a real escape as you become familiar with the nature of Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany and Austria.
For a traveler seeking out a variety, the destination field is now Slovenia. The country has an intact natural heritage but as, yet it doesn’t have a need for announcing so loud. Maybe its eye-catching beauty is dependent upon this silence.
Only 70 km distanced away from the capital Ljubljana, the Triglav National Park is one of the national treasures which coincides with the Julian Alps known with its popular ski resorts. The park also has picturesque scenery with the lake Bled.
The center of outdoor sports
The Bled town is the right address for mountain climbing, trekking, skiing, kayaking, horse riding, cycling, swimming, sailing, canoe and golf in Triglav National Park. Bled is a fantastic spot, which becomes popular with its namesake lake. The population is about 12.000.
The distinguished feature of Bled is being a holiday resort frequented by eligible visitors. In summer, the town offers numerous outdoor adventures and swimming races. In winter, it hosts the international congress, winter climbing and becomes a ski resort.
Bled is a small lake enclosed by parks, cycling roads and walking tracks. Besides, the lake is a perfect training spot (field house) for Slovenian Canoe Kayak Team. Most of the water sports competitions are held in Bled. The lake has also become the favorite place of football teams. Galatasaray had a football camp in Bled’s football facilities two years ago.
Indispensable spot of photographers
Bled Castle is one of the spots where photographers catch that perfect shot. That perfect monument standing by the lake was constructed in A.D 1000. The castle is among the ‘must-see’ ones. The only way to reach there is to climb a steep stony hill. That’s it! When you reach the peak, no doubt, the gorgeous lake scenery is worth all the tiredness.
It takes half an hour to reach Bohinj town from Bled Lake. Bohinj has a promising future of being the best ski resorts of Europe. Bohinj Lake is simply a quick stop on the way to Vogel ski resort. Same as the Bled Lake, it hosts the water sports in summer. You may come across the canoeists and people fishing by the lake throughout the summer.
Austria and Italy are the neighboring countries
The best way to spend quality time in Triglav National Park is to rent a car. As in all European countries, it is affordable in here too. It is approximately 35 Euro a day.
Another advantage of renting a car is driving between the tri-border area: Austria, Italy and Bled in a few minutes. As there are no border checkpoints you can easily travel from Bled to Italy in 20 minutes. It takes 15 minutes to get Austria from Bled.
Fantastic Island hidden in the lake
The only island in Slovenia is located in the middle of Bled Lake. What makes the island interesting is that the archeologists discovered traces of pre-historic settlements and human remains there. Legend has it, a temple of ancient Slavic goddess of love Ziva used to stand in that island before the Pilgrimage Church constructed.
In the church, there are 99 stairs to be climbed up by the groom carrying his bride according to the Slovenian customs. Besides, people who want to make wishes visit the church. You may reach the island by traditional rowing boats. Specially designed ‘Pletna Boat’ renders service those who want to row in the lake or reach the island and the church. An island visit by boat is charged as 10 Euro.
Tito’s Travel Choice
There are lots of hotels and hostels in town. You can stay in cosy and comfortable alpine house hostels paying maximum 20 Euros. These hostels in which you can find housewares to cook and store your food offer you the comfort of you house. The hostels are within the 10 min walking distance to the lake.
When Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia, the former President Josip Broz Tito had a summerhouse in Bled. The town was his one and only choice for a holiday. Right on the shore of the lake, his summerhouse is now being run as the most beautiful hotel of the town; Vila Bled. Owing to its fame, the prices are quite expensive in Vila Bled.
Background Information
As the country is the new member of European Union, the area is among the Schengen area countries. At the border, declaration of your accommodation address is enough. You don’t need an invitation letter. Almost everybody knows English. However, the most common language is German following Slovenian.
Flight from Istanbul to Ljubljana takes approximately 2 hours. Bled is approximately 1,5 hours distanced away from Ljubljana. From the airport, there are shuttles to the bus terminal. It takes 20 minutes to get there. In every hour you may find buses heading to Bled. The journey takes approximately 1 hour.
