Pristine Lake Bled with Bled Castle in the middle
If there is one word to describe Lake Bled it would be pristine. Nestled among the peaks of the Julian Alps, Lake Bled is located in the northwestern part of Slovenia. A mere 25 minutes from Ljublana International Airport, it is easily accessible by car, bus or train. Although Lake Bled is a popular destination, it is not overrun with tourists and has a very calm feel to it which was very appealing to us. This alpine lake is surrounded by mountains, but the centerpiece is an island in the middle of the lake that houses Bled Castle. The opportunity for an amazing photograph was seemingly limitless during our time there. Besides the amazing scenery, a very nice 3.5 mile walking path was constructed around the lake which we walked around five times during our two days in Lake Bled.
Part of the 3.5 mile walking path around Lake Bled
The lake has such a serene feel to it, in part because there are no motorized boats allowed on the lake. There are plenty of opportunities to rent rowboats if you want to go out on the lake.
Lake Bohinj, Slovenia
During our second day in Lake Bled we took a short drive to another alpine lake, Lake Bohinj. Here we took a short, but strenuous, hike to Slap Slavica Waterfall.
Slap Savica Waterfall
After this hike we enjoyed sitting on the shores of Lake Bohinj watching people parachute from the mountains surrounding the lake. After all the exercise during our two days in Bled, we decided to enjoy a traditional Bled Cream Cake our last night while sitting at one of the cafes that overlooked the lake.
Traditional Bled cream cake
Overall, Lake Bled offered a wonderful starting point for our trip to the Balkans. I would highly recommend visiting it to anybody looking for a wonderful, reasonable and extremely scenic place to spend a couple of days while visiting Europe. Lake Bled was easily one of the most surprising and enjoyable parts of our trip to the Balkans.
Another great shot of Lake Bled
Tip: For a place to stay while visiting Lake Bled, consider the Best Western Hotel Lovec. This hotel is located just a block from the lake and offers nice views of the lake from the patios just off the rooms. Along with an excellent location, the hotel offers free parking, modern accommodations, inclusive buffet breakfast, free wi-fi and an extremely accommodating staff.
