The lake is located near the town of Bled of the same name, 54 kilometers from the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. I learned about it from a travel blogger’s video. The reservoir is surrounded by the Julian Alps — in good weather, incredible views of the snow-capped peaks that are reflected in the water open up.
Before that, I had visited almost all European countries, but I had not been to Slovenia. Therefore, I decided to include her in my next trip.
I got to Ljubljana from Budapest by bus company Flixbus. Regular buses run from Ljubljana to Bled every day.
In the center of the lake there is a small island with a Catholic church of the 17th century. It is transported on Slovenian traditional wooden boats — pletnas. They are designed for 18 people. We didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, but I know that the ticket cost 15-20€. The walk included landing on the island for 45 minutes. There you can visit the church with a bell tower. The entrance, as far as I know, was paid — 12 € per person.
You can also rent a small rowing boat for two or four people for 20 € per hour. It is forbidden to move on motorboats on the lake.
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There is a hiking trail around the lake with a length of about 7 kilometers. It is quite comfortable for walking with children or elderly people. You can overcome the route in a couple of hours. There is a medieval castle on a cliff near the town. You can also go up to it.
We were in Slovenia in early February, the weather was good, about +12 °C. There was no snow at all, we went in light jackets. I advise you to come to these places at least for three or four days for leisurely walks around the neighborhood.
We also visited the Wellness spa complex Živa. Its feature is the view of the mountains and the lake from the pool and some saunas. There are two zones in it. The first one is for family holidays, there are several indoor and outdoor pools with thermal water, there are water slides. The water in the pools is hot, the complex also works in winter. There are vending machines with food and drinks, a small bar, sun beds. A set of towels is given out at the entrance.
The second zone is a steam room with various saunas, baths and swimming pools. Children are not allowed to enter there. As in German complexes like Baden-Baden, you can only stay there without swimsuits: along with a towel, they give out a sheet, you can wrap yourself in it. But, for example, in the hammam they made a remark for being inside in a sheet. In addition to the hammam, there are herbal baths, a cold pool, a large relaxation area and several Finnish saunas — one of them is panoramic, with wooden sun beds and a view of the lake.
We paid an entrance fee of € 29 per person — it was possible to visit both zones from the moment of arrival until the closure of the complex. The price included a set of towels, herbal teas and fruits in the recreation area.
In 2020, we spent about 150 € on a trip to Bled, excluding food and restaurant expenses. Hotel accommodation cost us 100 € for two nights. The bus fare from Ljubljana cost about €7 per person.
In winter there is a special atmosphere of tranquility and few tourists. I remember leisurely walks around the lake, beautiful landscapes and fresh mountain air. But the manager at the hotel said that in summer the resort is crowded with vacationers — I read that this is a very popular place.