What to see in Bled ?

Bled works on a simple principle: a glacial lake, an island with a church, a castle perched on a rock, and a town that has built its entire economy around this decor. It's not a confidential discovery-Slovenes themselves have come here for generations-but the coherence of the place remains intact. Bled Castle and the Church of the Assumption on Blejski Otok island are the two reference points around which everything organises itself.

The best window falls between May and June, before groups saturate the lakeside paths. Two days will let you walk around the lake, climb to the castle and take a pletna, the traditional flat-bottomed boat, out to the island. Avoid hiring a bike without checking the gradient: the eastern and northern shores hold some surprises. Bled is easily reached from Ljubljana by bus in under an hour and twenty minutes.