DAY 10
Arrival in Bled and a walk around the lake
We arrived to Bled by early afternoon and checked into our hotel, situated right off the main road that circles the lake. We had a spacious room on the top floor with nice views to Lake Bled and its famous island.
After dropping our bags, we decided to make the most of the daylight that we had left and get our first taste of the lake. There’s a well-maintained 6 km trail that follows the perimeter of Lake Bled. We picked it up right across the street from the hotel and walked about half an hour clockwise around the lake until we decided to turn back.
Bled is the most popular tourist attraction in all of Slovenia, so I’d seen many photos while planning our trip. Even still, the views of the lake with the mountains behind were even more beautiful than I imagined. The little church on the island looks like something from a fairytale.
Where we stayed: Adora Luxury Hotel
Back at the hotel, we put Luna to bed and headed downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner. The hotel occassionally has visiting chefs that cook for the hotel guests, and our first night there just so happened to be a well-known chef offering a four-course tasting menu.
It was a nice change of pace getting to have a fancy dinner just the two of us. A hotel with a nice restaurant is always a great way to get in a date night while on vacation.
DAY 11
Pletna boat to Lake Bled’s island, an unplanned visit to the emergency clinic, and an accordion festival
For our first full day in Bled, we decided to explore the island at the center of the lake.
We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to find a boat to take us to the island. The journey to the island is just as much fun as exploring the island itself. The only way to get there is by one of the many colorful pletna boats docked on the edge of the lake. The boats have no motor and are instead powered by a man with two long oars at the rear of the boat, similar to a gondola in Venice.
Once we reached the island, we climbed the 99 steps to reach the church while the boat waited for us at the bottom.
We paid to enter the Assumption of Maria Church, which on its own is fairly unremarkable. Following tradition, we took a turn ringing the church bell for good luck by pulling on a rope hanging just in front of the alter.
Our little Luna had been feeling bad for the past couple of days, and on our boat ride back to the shore it became evident that she was really in a lot of pain. We decided it was best to get her to a doctor. The receptionist at the hotel was really helpful in suggesting a clinic that we could go to. Unfortunately because it was the weekend, the closest option was an emergency clinic about an hour away by car.
As it turns out Luna had a double ear infection, so the drive was more than worth the time and effort. We picked up her prescription of antibiotics from a neighboring town and made our way back to Bled. While not ideal to have a sick toddler on vacation, it was fairly easy (and free with our Dutch health insurance) to get treatment, and we were relieved she had something treatable and would be feeling better soon.
Once back in Bled, we went out for another walk, this time taking the trail counterclockwise around the lake. We made it to the town where they were having an accordion festival with a main stage playing traditional Slovenian music. Even with her ear infection, Luna had fun watching the performance from afar.
For dinner we went to a restaurant just a short walk from our hotel called Sova Restaurant, which had great food and an even better view from the second-floor terrace. Unfortunately Luna was still feeling bad, so we took most of our dinner to go so we could get her to bed.
DAY 12
Bled Castle
For our second day in Bled, we ventured up the hill next to the lake to check out Bled Castle.
Just upon entering the castle, you have the most amazing view from the castle walls down to the lake below. From here you can see the entire lake. Even with the rainy weather and low-hanging clouds, it was quite the view.
We visited first thing in the morning in an attempt to beat the crowds. It was only 10 am, but I couldn’t resist the urge to compliment the view with a slice of Bled’s famous cream cake. The cake is mostly comprised of fluffy cream and custard with just a thin flaky crust on the top and bottom holding it all together. Very decadent but delicious.
We toured the exhibits and checked out the gift shop, spending around two hours in all at the castle.
For the rest of the afternoon we mostly just took it easy. The weather was still pretty dreary with a light rain keeping most people indoors. We still managed to go for a short walk around the lake. It was interesting to experience the lake from all different angles and in different weather. The water somehow seemed even bluer with the overcast skies.
Before heading back to the hotel for the evening, we swung by a LEGO exhibition that we’d seen advertised around Bled. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more between Dan and Luna.
We picked up a couple of pizzas from Pizzeria Rustica for an easy dinner back at the hotel.
DAY 13
Day trip to Lake Bohinj
For our last full day in the area, we took a day trip to another lake nearby.
We’d preordered a breakfast box from Bled Breakfast the day before and found it waiting for us just outside our hotel room. The crate was filled to the brim with all sorts of products from local farmers and bakers. We decided to avoid temptation and save our breakfast for a picnic by the lake.
We hit the road and half an hour later arrived to Lake Bohinj. We found a bench by the lake and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Everything we had was delicious. I was sad to have only discovered Bled Breakfast on our last day; otherwise, I definitely would have ordered a box for every morning we were in Bled.
Despite their close proximity, the two lakes could not be more different. Where Lake Bled is very developed with hotels and restaurants lining the shore, Lake Bohinj is much less crowded and feels more natural. Instead of hotels, camping is the primary accommodation here. Both are beautiful in their own way and have different things to offer depending on what you’re looking for.
We spent a couple of hours at the lake before making our way back to Bled. We attempted to take a different route back, hoping to see a remote shephards’ village, but ended up getting lost instead. At least the drive was beautiful!
By the time we reached Bled, the rainy weather and cloudy skies had passed. This was our first time seeing the lake with blue skies and sun, and it was beautiful.
Luna was also finally starting to feel better now that the antibiotics had kicked in. We walked over to the town and decided to play an impromptu game of mini golf with Dan and Luna partnering up in the front carrier.
Afterward we swung by restaurant Arroi to pick up some Thai food. Luna dozed off on our walk back to the hotel, so we grabbed a bench along the lake and enjoyed our dinner with a view.
Once back at the hotel, we spent some time reorganizing and repacking our bags before heading to bed. The next morning we were headed onward to start the final leg of our trip exploring Slovenia’s northern valleys.
Don’t miss it…
This post is a part of a larger two-week trip around Slovenia. Check out the full itinerary and an overview of the trip here!
