Lake Bled is every bit as lovely as all the pictures you have seen…with its emerald green lake, picture-postcard gothic church nestled on an tiny islet at its centre, a medieval castle looming above from its rocky perch with amazing views over the lake and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps as backdrops… it’s a fairytale setting…even in the rain (again…how many times have I said that on this trip????).
Our BnB is like ‘grandmas house’ and has the most spectacular view over the island and, of course, a room with a view is always a good idea!
The weather has really changed in the last few days from sunny and 30ish° to rainy and cool and we can definitely feel the autumn crispness in the air. And there is mist… which Sue is very excited about…that really just adds to the magical atmosphere.
Everywhere we see massive woodpiles (even they are decorated with flowers)- a sign of the long cold winter not too far away.
Karen makes us a fire and our little house is toasty warm….
…maybe too warm and I struggle to sleep.
I rise early to watch the sunrise…
…and take in the crisp mountain air, the forest, mountains and gorgeous view of the island with a brisk 6 km long trail around the lakes edge… well it was supposed to be brisk but with stopping every few metres to take photos…perhaps a long leisurely stroll is more to the point.
We take a drive to Vintgar Gorge (also called Bled Gorge), carved through the vertical rocks by the Radovna River which has the most amazing unbelievably turquoise-green colour…I’m not sure I’ve quite seen anything like it.
The trail takes us over wooden bridges and galleries for 1.6km. The water is not only vivid turquoise, but also extremely clear and see through- every branch and pebble is perfectly visible. It squeezes through rocks and cascades creating a few spectacular waterfalls and crystal-clear pools along the way and ends with a beautiful stone bridge overlooking the mighty Sum Falls. The whole scenery looks as if it was copied from a fantasy film and we are in awe of the beauty of Gods creation which touches us deeply. We walk mostly in silence breathing it in.
We return to our lake for lunch and decide to go to a cute little restaurant we noticed yesterday but couldn’t find in the dark last night.
After not being able to find parking anywhere, we drive back home, leave the car and walk. Overlooking the beautiful lake and island we indulge in one of the best meals we have ever eaten…salmon with prawn ravioli, saffron butter and champagne foam…
…fresh seafood risotto…and of course, the inevitable chilled dry white. Even Sue is acquiring a taste for it as sweeter wines are hard to come by in this part of the world…and we sit for ages just soaking in all up.
So good…we decide to return later for dinner.
As we have already walked nearly half way around the lake circuit, we continue on stopping again for dessert/afternoon tea to enjoy a local specialty, unique to the area…officially called Cremeschnitte but affectionally known as bled cream cake… where it was originally made. Just yum!
Now we really need to get those steps up and we finish the circuit (second time today for me).
Sadly there is just not enough time here. Traditional wooded boats- pietnas- have been taking visitors to the island in the middle of the lake for centuries…and we had planned to be among them. These boats are operated by standing rowers known as pietnars. After landing, guests climb 99 stone steps to reach the Assumption of Mary church. On the island, which is the subject of legendary tales, listen to the church bells and ring it yourself. Legend has it that this will make your wishes come true. We also never made it to Bled castle which towers over the lake on a cliff. But my biggest disappointment was to not have made it up to Maja Osojnica. If you’ve ever seen breath taking photos of Lake Bled, I’ll bet they were taken at the Mala Osojnica where you can see the lake framed by the town center, the Bled Castle, the Alps and of course the fairytale like church island.
We planned to visit on our way out as we left for the long drive to the Dolomites, but realised too late that there was a hike involved and there was not enough time.
Just one more reason to return….
and I think to myself what a wonderful world 