Lake Bled

On my last free weekend before school started I decided to join a couple of kids from North Carolina (David and Meredith) that were staying at the hostel on their trip to Lake Bled.

It was about a 90 minute bus ride through the countryside which ranged from flat and sparse to positively scenic.


Here is one such scenic town we drove through. You can tell we're very close to Austria by the look of the towns.

The bus stop in Bled doesn't give much indication you're arrived anywhere special but once to find the right direction to walk in you're greeted by the lake and this castle and church sitting right above it.


The three of us decided to picnic beside the lake before we ventured up the hill to the castle.

The steps up to the castle. I was a bit winded by the end of it.



Once we got to the castle instead of heading straight in we hiked around the back and found some spectacular views.


From the back to can see how sheer of a cliff side the castle rests on. I was a little wigged out by how unsupported some of the lookout terrace felt.


Looking back towards the city of Bled from inside the castle. The lake is the wedding and tourism capitol of the country so there are many hotels, spas, and a casino lining the lake. There was a hefty admission price to get into the castle but it was filled with a fairly interesting museum on the geology and archeological history of the area as well as the castle.

The island in the middle of the lake has a church on which is a local favorite for marriages. There are 100 steps leading up to it that according to local custom the groom has to carry the bride all the way up in order to get married. On our return trip to Ljubljana we took a taxi van that was hanging out by the bus station that offered a faster drive (40 minutes) for just 1 euro more than the bus (as long as the van was full) it was a stuffy ride but worth it for the time savings. Back in town I finished up the evening with a riverside dinner with my new American friends, it was quite lovely.

Next: school starts and more bits around town