Persuasion at it’s best

Difficult as it may seem, there are times when Doug and I have difficulty deciding on where to go next. Not that there aren’t places we desire to visit, but it can be hard narrowing where down from an extensive list of possible adventures. Sometimes our desires don’t necessarily match up. And here is where the challenge lays.

I found myself with a deep seated desire to spend time in Eastern Europe. Initially I thought of Romania. I have a sister who traveled there and gave the country glowing reviews. Doug was not convinced. So I did what any self respecting wife does. I turned to Pinterest. Poked around. Created a board of spectacular things to see, conveniently located in Eastern Europe. And showed this to Doug. With all of these temptations, images of Lake Bled captured his attention. He wanted to see this gorgeous, pristine lake. And so did I. Slovenia and its magnificent Lake Bled it was. Sometimes, it helps to show why we should venture to a certain location. Don’t be fooled, I’m just as easily swayed with the allure and promise of natural beauty.

Getting there…

There are four main options on how to visit Lake Bled. I will go on the assumption one is starting from Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital.

Option one: take a bus. Great option here. The only problem is being limited to bus schedules. Primarily on the return. Especially if done as a day trip. The evening buses are very crowded and maxes out, meaning you might get left behind. Not a great option and we wanted a full day.

Option two: take a tour. Excellent option for those who don’t want to think at all. Nothing greater than being shuttled around and told what and where to be and do. Unless you don’t like tours (ahem, myself and Doug). We prefer to explore and do as we choose at our own pace.

Option three: hire a driver or taxi. This one simply cost quite a bit. If going with a driver you are limited to their hours/time and a taxi can be exceptionally difficult in the evening. Especially if you’re competing for one with people who did not make it on the bus.

Option four: get a vehicle. Slovenia is rather fun to drive in. Narrow lanes in quaint towns. We love the freedom of having a car and chose this option for the majority of our time in Slovenia. Actually, we stayed overnight in Bled and loved it.

Lake Bled

Lake Bled lived up to its online representation. It truly is stunning. Complete with an adorable petite island adorned with a church and the Julian Alps as a backdrop, what’s not to love?

Along the shore there are row boats available for rent if one wishes to row merrily across the water. We chose to take a pletna boat to and from the island. These are traditional wooden boats that are rowed by a single oarsman while standing. This specific vocation is inherited and passed down in the family. One can’t just apply for this job. Regardless, it’s a lovely way to cross the lake and a rather fun experience.

Once docked at Bled Island (yes, that’s its real name), one can stroll on a path around the island or head toward the Church of the Assumption and climb the 99 steps from the lake to the church. As the church dominates the island, you can’t miss it. Simply go up.

Inside, you’ll find a “wishing bell.” For a fee you may pull the rope to ring it. Supposedly ringing it three times will grant your wish. I have my doubts on that, but it was entertaining hearing the bell ring and watching people heave on the rope.

There was a delightful ice cream stand on the island. I suppose it could have been gelato. I don’t really recall. Either way it offered delicious treats. I chose a combination: fig and a berry. Definitely a different taste but pretty dang good.

A better vantage point

The Lakeside Loop Trail encircles the entirety of Lake Bled. It is relatively flat and makes for a pleasant way to stroll along and absorb the views. One can walk, bike or roller blade.

We took this path to find the Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica trailheads on the far side of the lake, opposite the heart of Bled. Why? To find one of the famed overlooks of Lake Bled. At this point, I will comment on the weather conditions. It was cloudy and taking turns between flat out raining and light misting. Rain jackets were a pure necessity. However, we were not to be deterred. So up we went. The hike up was not too bad. The ground not yet fully saturated.

The view was spectacular, despite the clouds and damp. There’s a bench and a clear opening in the trees where one can gaze out across Lake Bled. Exactly what we were hoping for. Perhaps a tad more wet than desired, but otherwise quite spectacular.

After soaking in the view it was back down the hill. This time it resembled a slip and slide, caution required with footing unless one wanted to be coated in mud. After safely returning to the Lakeside Loop we continued on. And here is where it became a tad interesting. For one it quit raining.

Picture this. Two very soggy, clueless tourists on the loop trail who had popped out of the woods after a brief hike. The trail is EMPTY. Not that it was ever overly crowded. We thought nothing of it, presumed all the sane people were avoiding the rain shower that we hiked in. We are walking along the lake and see a group of people coming toward us. Ahh. There’s all the people. We continue walking, shoes a squelching with every step. In the front of the group are a few guys on bikes, lazily leading the way. We moved to the side of the trail (think single lane road width) and the bikers eyed us and passed overly close by. I mean really close. Rude, but whatever. Next came a whole passel of people on roller blades. Middle aged persons. Some were naturals, some obviously not so much. (No judgement here, I’d be in the latter category.) I remember thinking they were awfully well dressed to be roller blading around a lake. Chalked it up to Europeans being Europeans and I a soggy unrefined American. We passed by without further ado. Later that evening we found out the group entailed one of the higher up Slovenian government officials and a bunch of foreign dignitaries. Pretty sure the bikers were Secret Service types. Oops. Does explain the side eye from the bikers. To be fair, we saw no “path closed” signage. I’m not sure the path was even closed at all. For that matter I’m still uncertain on who those people were.

What else?

The town of Bled is relatively small and quaint. There are a variety of shops and restaurants to partake in. We had a delightful dinner at Restavracija Steakhouse Berc, formerly Finefood Berc. It’s situated in what appears to be a house with a “rustic charm” decorated interior. The food was fantastic and offered traditional dishes and meat forward options. They certainly don’t skimp on the truffles. I believe it tends more toward a steakhouse now, but I could be mistaken. It was not inexpensive. Definitely worth it. Besides food, If you’re able to wander a bit out of town, Bled Castle is a short distance from town and overlooks the lake and town.

We found Bled, Lake Bled and the surrounding region charming. The outstanding scenery certainly helped. The food was tasty. The people may have been a tad distant initially but we found they warmed up relatively quick and were, generally speaking, kind natured people. Would love to return someday.