Last autumn, my family and I travelled to Europe, as the kids had a school exchange in Italy (more on that in future posts). After a few days in South Africa, we spent 5 days travelling around Slovenia and Croatia before settling down in Italy for a few weeks. Today I will share with you my Ljubljana – Slovenia Guide.
After leaving the beautiful Ljubljana, we made our way towards Bled. I had always wanted to visit this little town, famous for its lake and castle.
SIGHTSEEING
Bled is really beautiful. The residential areas as well are nicely kept, with traditional Alpine style houses with plenty of flowers on the balconies and yards.
Bled Castle
For more than 1000 years this castle has sat on these cliffs, enjoying one of the best views of Lake Bled. This is the oldest castle in Slovenia, dating back to 1011.
The views from the top are spectacular.
We climbed all the way on foot, however, you could get there by car.
The castle also houses a museum, a wine cellar, and a restaurant.
Church of St. Martin
The current neo-Gothic church was built in 1905 at the site of the former Gothic church from the 15th century.
The artistic and architectural pieces in the church and its surroundings feature various styles and periods. The interior of the church was painted with frescoes from 1932 to 1937 by academic painter Slavko Pengov.
Before the Second World War, the greatest Slovenian architect, Jože Plečnik, designed the garden wayside shrine that stands in front of the church. The preserved walls of the church date back to the 15th century and remind us of the times of Turks invasions.
Bled Island
Bled Island is the centerpiece of Lake Bled. To get there, you will have to get out on the water. As the weather was not very good, we could not do it.
However, if you can go, I recommend you hire a pletna, a wooden flat-bottom boat designed according to the concept of the Venetian gondola. These larger boats hold up to 18 people.
FOOD
Teatime
If you go to Bled, you MUST try the symbol of Bled cuisine: the Cream Cake.
You can find it in many patisseries across Slovenia, but there is only one original Bled cream cake: the one served at Hotel Park’s restaurant – Kavarna Park since 1953.
The Cream Cake consists of a golden crispy buttery crust, a delicious vanilla cream of the perfect texture so that it does not collapse after cutting, topped with whipped cream and another of crispy dough dusted with icing sugar.
A fun fact about Kavarna Park… they serve very interesting “dog food”, so you may want to bring in your canine friend!
Dinner
We had dinner at Vila Ajda. It is a restaurant that also offers rooms. The food was really tasty and the ambiance rustic and hearty! We all loved it. Also, the portions were VERY generous, so keep that in mind when ordering.
My eldest daughter and I had some HUGE Wiener Schnitzel, which was AMAZINGLY good.
My younger daughter and husband had Ćevapčići with ajvar. YUM.
Highly recommended!
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed in a beautifully appointed apartment a 10-minute walk from the lake: Viktoria Apartments. This place is a gem.
Our apartment was huge. We had a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom.
It is very clean and practically new. Highly recommended!
CONCLUSION
Bled is a beautiful town and I absolutely recommend a visit, even a short one. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will be happy to help out!
Don’t forget to pin this post!
RESOURCES ON MSM
TRAVEL IN SLOVENIA AND CROATIA
Izola and Pula – Slovenia and Croatia Guide
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