Lake Bled: Why You Need To Visit

Visiting Lake Bled is like stepping into a real-life Disney movie. You’re completely surrounded by mountains, with a medieval castle and a small island complete with a church. It doesn’t seem real, but lucky for us, it is!

Lake Bled is only a 50-minute car/bus ride from the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. It is located in the Julian Alps and one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions.

If you only listen to one thing I say, let it be this; do yourself a favour and spend a few days in Lake Bled! It was a highlight from my latest European adventure. It is perfect for hiking, swimming, eating and relaxing. I was alone in Lake Bled and had the best time walking around the lake and finding the best viewpoints. I even had time to sit under a tree and read my book for a few hours whilst eating an ice cream by the lake; if that doesn’t sound like heaven I don’t know what does.

How to get to Lake Bled from Ljubljana:

• Bus: I recommend this as the easiest, cheapest and therefore best mode of transport. You’re also cutting down on carbon emissions by taking public transport- so that should make you feel good. From Ljubljana Bus Station, you can buy a return ticket to Bled for 12,80€. The return ticket can be used up to 30 days after purchase, making it super efficient if you don’t know what day or time you want to leave. Be warned, you may never want to leave.
• Train: There are two train stations in/near Bled. The biggest station is Lesce, which has frequent train connections to and from Ljubljana. However, the station is roughly 4.5km from Lake Bled, meaning you’ll have to take a local bus or taxi to get to the lake. The other station is Jezero Bled, which is 3km from the centre of town. Personally, I think this would be an annoying way to travel from Ljubljana, so unless you have no other choice, don’t do it.
• Car: If you’ve already hired a car for other parts of your travels, keep your car rental and travel the easy 50-minute drive to Lake Bled. Otherwise, I suggest taking public transport.

Travelling from Bled to Ljubljana:

• Buses travel back to Ljubljana from Bled on the half hour. They leave from the bus station at Glavno Postajališče, right next to a bike shop.

Best view-points:

Since Lake Bled is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, you’ll obviously want to photograph it. I suggest walking around the lake first before hiking to the top of the mountain for the view below.

• Ojstrica Bled hike: This hike will provide you with the most beautiful views of Lake Bled. I would say the hike is ranged between medium-hard for difficulty, as it was quite steep. Make sure you bring a water bottle and wear sneakers- I saw some couple (probably Australians) wearing thongs. The hike should take you about 1-2 hours, depending how high and fast you choose to climb. Prepare to get sweaty if you’re completing this in the summer months.
• Belvedere: For an easier walk and lower viewpoint walk to Café Belvedere and make your ascension to the viewing point. This should only take about ten minutes.
• Lake Bled perimeter walk: Lake Bled is not that big and you can walk around the perimeter within 1-2 hours, depending how fast you walk. Each part of the walk offers different views; the western side is closest to the island, and the other side is closest to the castle.

Things to do:

There are a lot of activities available at Lake Bled, however, apart from hiking I just wanted to relax by the lake. I’ve written a list of things you CAN do.

• Boat to Bled Island
• Visit Bled Castle
• Rent a bike
• Eat a Bled Cream Cake
• Take the 20 minute bus to Lake Bohinj

Accommodation:

I stayed at the beautiful Apartments Mojca, which I found on booking.com. I couldn’t have asked for better accommodation. The location was perfect; the lake was literally across the road from my accommodation. There was a small grocery store to the right of the apartment and restaurants were within 1-20 minutes walking distance from the apartment. The place had a charming rustic feel, where I fell asleep to the sound of running water outside my bedroom. Also, if you book through booking.com with this link, you will get a $20AUD reward.

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