Three nights in Ljubljana afforded plenty of world-class excursions including breathtaking Velika Planina, the UNESCO-listed Skocjan Caves and the most popular tourist destination in this pint-sized nation -- the iconic Lake Bled that graces the cover of nearly every Slovenia guidebook.
Nestled in the Julian Alps an hour north of Ljubljana, this sapphire-coloured lake and its fairytale island have long been considered an obligatory pilgrimage for first time visitors to Slovenia, from Paul McCartney to the North Korea's infamous Kim Il Sung.
Since its transformation into a luxurious health resort for 19th century Austro-Hungarian elites, Bled has served as the preferred venue for diplomatic conferences and retreats for aristocrats and celebrities. Its hotsprings still entertain an upmarket clientele at Park Hotel on the lake front, though the town has largely been popularized as the vacationing backyard for Ljubljana's citizens.
Right off the 75-minute bus ride from Ljubljana, we stopped by the 100-year-old tavern of Gostilna Pri Planincu (see map) for a quick lunch of wood-oven pizza topped with Slovenia's famous cured prsut/prosciutto from the Karst region. At 8.8 euros for a pizza and less than 4 for a green salad, prices were astonishingly cheap for a world-renowned resort town.
Across the street stands another local institution dating from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The highly revered Slaščičarna Zima (see map) -- formerly known as Šmon -- has churned out Gibanice and other confections for its generations of diehard fans since 1880.
The delectable Blejska Kremšnita -- Bled's famous contribution to Slovenian gastronomy -- originated at the Park Hotel in the 1950s. Since then every cafe in town has developed its own interpretation, all invariably topped with a signature thick layer of airy chantilly creme.
Slovenia's premier resort by a country mile, Bled owes its year round popularity to its rare combination of winter sports venues (three ski hills including a World Cup slalom run at nearby Kranjska Gora) as well as summer aquatic activities and hiking trails. For those who have trouble circumnavigating the lake on foot, the old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage is a lavish option.
More active visitors can race down the grassy hill in a one-man summer toboggan on a rail, or perhaps rent a rowboat to circumnavigate Bled Island at the lake's centre. The option of renting a kayak was no longer available during our 2018 visit, much to the disappointment of this Canadian.
As noisy motors are strictly banned from the lake's glassy waters, most tourists visiting Bled Island opt for a traditional ride in a flat-bottomed Pletna, Slovenia's answer to the Venetian gondola -- minus the serenading oarsman.
On a summery day it is just as easy to circumnavigate the lake, 2 km long and barely 900m across, on foot in less than two hours. From the opposite shore one gains a good view of Bled's 900-year-old castle -- the oldest in Slovenia -- perched on a rocky cliff above the old peasant town.
This postcard panorama of Bled would require slightly more effort in the form of a 25 minute hike culminating in a steepish approach to the local hill of Ojstrica above the lake's western shore. The reward? Breathtaking 180 degree vistas from a little park bench installed at the peak.
The legendary island of Bled appeared afloat in the lake's blue glacial waters, cradled by the snowy peaks of the Julian Alps. This would be the northernmost point of our 22-day Balkan Trip, bringing us closer now to the Austrian border than Ljubljana.
An easterly view revealed an impressive terraced pavilion rising above the shoreline and overlooking Bled Island. Once part of the Yugoslavian royalty's summer palace, the complex served as one of President Tito's favorite residences before being reinvented as Slovenia's top hotel in recent years.
The descent took another 20 minutes before we returned to shore, next to the Bled Rowing Club and its 2 km course to the north of the island. This is the site of the International Rowing Regatta held every June, when the serene lake transform into an aquatic arena hosting thousands of rowers from around the world.
Further east we passed the imposing stairs to Tito's old residence, designed by the great Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik who single-handedly transformed Ljubljana into the seamless marriage of classic and modern aesthetics that the city is known for today. The state guesthouse has since been reincarnated as a 5-star hotel, with prices starting from 250 euros in low season at the time of writing.
While pletnas make frequent departures for Bled Island in tourist season, the lake does become completely frozen once every few winters when visitors could simply walk up to the island's baroque church.
Towards the end we discovered that we didn't need to circumnavigate the entire lake just to catch the return bus -- there was another bus stop (Bled Mlino, see map) conveniently located below the Straza hill on the lake's southern shore. By 18:00 we were back in Ljubljana's old town, perfect timing for a night market dinner at the outdoor culinary event of Open Kitchen on this Friday evening.
IF YOU GO
Highway buses departing Ljubljana Station reach Bled in roughly 75 minutes, stopping first at Bled's bus terminal on the north side of the lake near Slaščičarna Zima and Bled Castle. But if you remain on the bus, it will stop at Bled Mlino on the south shore for access to Tito's old residence (now Vila Bled) or a short walk to the trail head for Ojstrica. The return bus can be caught at either bus stop.
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