Lake Bled Slovenia

The area forming a triangle between the two Sava Rivers is called Bled Corner. Characteristic of this area are solitary hills rising out from the plain and encircling Lake Bled (altitude 475 m, area 144 ha, depth 30.6 m). The lake is of glacial origin and lies in a depression surrounded by moraine. The lake, dominated by a steep cliff with a medieval castle on its summit, is celebrated for its breathtaking beauty. In the middle of the lake is an island rising 20 m above its surface. The shores of the lake have been transformed into a beautiful park dotted with tourist villages, hotels and villas. Towering in the background of this romantic paradise are the forest-covered slopes of the Jelovica plateau with its steep cliffs and the easily recognizable peak of Babji zob, as well as the Pokljuka plateau, with the snow-capped peaks of the Julian Alps towering above and shining on clear days.

The first traces of human settlement at Bled date from the Stone Age. More intensive settlement occurred in the Iron Age. Until the 19th century the inhabitants of the villages surrounding the lake were engaged solely in farming activities. On the spot of present-day Hotel Toplice there once stood a wooden shed housing a thermal bathing facility. In 1855 Dr. Arnold Rikli of Switzerland introduced treatment with sun, air and water baths at Bled. Following the construction of the railway line, Bled developed into a fashionable resort. Bled Castle was once the administrative seat of the estate of the Brixen Lords, who became its owners in 1004. The Bishops of Brixen ruled over Bled for 800 years.

Bled was already a famous resort in the period between the two wars. On the spot of present-day Vila Bled there once stood a manor house of the Princes of Windischgrätz (built at the end of the 19th century). After 1918 it was sold to the Karadzordzevich royal family, who had it torn down in 1938 and in its place built the present-day Vila Bled. Its’ construction was completed in 1947 with the help of war prisoners.

Today Bled is an elegant resort town with many fine hotels, private lodgings, a first class campsite and a superb offer of culinary specialties. It is also reputed as a rowing center and is an ideal starting point for many tours and excursions to the surroundings. The nearby golf course, opened in 1938 is considered one of the loveliest in Europe. There is a well-maintained ski piste on a nearby hill in the very center of Bled. Only 8 km from Bled, on the slopes of the Pokljuka plateau, is another ski center with 19 km of well-maintained ski pistes. At the edge of the plain, set in the triangle at the confluence of the two Sava Rivers, are several tourist villages. On the north side is a starting point for trips to the Víntgar, one of the greatest natural wonders of Bled and its surroundings. Vintgar is a picturesque waterfall carved by the Radovna River. The Radovna flows from a long valley which ends in two fascinating blind Alps` valleys.