#336: Bled and the Julian Alps

 

Oct. 2024

When we first got to Lake Bled, we hiked all the way to the top of Bled Castle for incredible views.

Tip #1:  It's pricey to pay for admission to the castle (17 euros/adult).  We paid it and walked around for ~15 minutes and took some great pictures, then started making our way back down...

And realized we could get very similar views and pictures for free!  So, if you're only going to the castle to see the view from above, save yourself some dough and just walk around the outskirts of the castle.

Of course no trip to Lake Bled is complete without rowing out to the island in the middle.  There are several ways of doing this at various price points.  We rented a row boat (that fit six people) for 30 euros/hour (which is plenty of time to row to and from the island and have a quick look around), so it was only 5 euros/person.

Keep on rowing, keep on rowing...

Then you find yourself a nice parking spot.

And then you climb to the top of the 16th century church belfry and you ring the bell while making a wish!

Then make your way back to the lake perimeter.

And head over to the alpine slides where you can take a gondola to the top and a super fun alpine slide all the way down for just 10 euros/person!

And then wrap up your afternoon with some Bled cake!

The kremma rezina was delish!

Verdict: Yes!!  You should absolutely go here!  It was beautiful!  You can be as active (lots of hikes, walks, rowing, etc) or as inactive (you can easily drive to the top of the Castle) as you want to enjoy all the beautiful scenery and sites in and around this area.  It's beauty is all around and totally unique - I've never seen anything else quite like it, which is why it definitely deserves a spot in the 1000 Places to see Before You Die!  Of note, this wasn't in the first edition, so I'm glad it was discovered and added to it's well-deserved spot in the 2nd edition!