Local legend says that fairies created Lake Bled in Slovenia. When the shepherds let their sheep eat up all the grass in the beautiful valley where previously the fairies had danced under the stars, the fairies decided to retaliate. The fairies used their magical powers to completely flood the valley except for an island in the middle of the lake so that they could once again dance under the stars in this magical setting.
Bled Island in the middle of Lake Bled is the one and only island in the entire country of Slovenia.
Bled Island is less than an acre in size and with its beautiful church perched atop the island it is the centerpiece of this fairytale setting.
The church on Bled Island goes by many different names but my favorite is Our Lady of the Lake. Legend has it that a Slovenian groom has to carry his new bride up the 99 steps of the church’s beautiful Baroque staircase to ensure a long and happy life.
After walking the 99 steps up to the church you are allowed (for a fee) to ring the ancient wishing bell. It is said that the bell will grant a wish to whomever manages to ring it three times. With all the visitors going to the church we heard the bell rings echoing over the valley during much of our stay.
Plying the lake with an assortment of brightly colored rooftops are the lake’s pletna boats. These wooden, flat-bottomed boats date back to the 12th century and the stand-up rowers (no motors allowed on the pristine lake) are called pletnarstvo,
The pletna boats are hand-built, hand-painted and lovingly maintained by the pletnarstvo, many of whom come from families where the job has been passed down over generations.
Bled Castle perched on a rocky crag above Lake Bled is over 1000 years old and offers a great view of the lake.
Bled Castle, fall colors and the Julian Alps in the background make for a dramatically beautiful setting.
The clear, turquoise waters of Lake Bled are fed by thermal springs so in summer the water temperature gets up to 79 degrees and makes it a great spot for a swim.
As the sun moves across the sky or the winter snows blanket the surrounding Julian Alps the awe inspiring view of the lake takes on many moods. Seen above on our 2nd morning the island was shrouded in a misty fog evoking a very different feeling from the previous day’s sunshine.
Kremna rezina, a Slovenian cream cake is a regional specialty of the Lake Bled area and dates back to the 18th century. It’s a light-as-a-feather cake made with vanilla cream, custard, golden puff pastry and a coating of powdered sugar. The Kremna rezina has been granted protected status and is only available from the patisseries at Lake Bled. It was very tasty.
Lake Bled and it’s picture perfect postcard setting makes for a great day trip if you have plans in Northern Italy or southern Croatia. We highly recommend that you pop over to Slovenia and visit Lake Bled along with the beautiful capital city of Ljubljana.