At the end of July 2023 we flew across the world to a small country and visited a picturesque town with a castle on the hill. Bled is a small town about an hour outside of Ljubljana (add link to pronounce). (Don’t worry I still don’t think I pronounce it correctly!) With the Julian alps to the south and the church on a tiny island in the middle of the lake and don’t forget the castle on the hill, it is like stepping into a movie! The views from almost anywhere in the town are breath taking and the air is so fresh. Able to walk everywhere you want to visit, or just stroll and absorb the outdoors into your body. This is the place to go and do outdoorsy stuff you may normally do or might not, either way you’ll love it!
To get here we flew into Ljubljana a tiny airport and the main airport of the county. We took a bus (don’t sit in the front if you scare easily as drivers break last min and come so close to cars/people/buildings! & the streets of Bled are nothing I have seen! It is kinda one lane with 2 bike lanes and cars going in both directions and bikes going both directions and they all weave in and out like an elaborate choreographed dance. It was amazing and scary at the same time. You have been warned!)
Once we arrived in Bled we walked everywhere! Strolling the town and stopping at whatever bakery we stumble upon was a delicious adventure. There are so many cute little shops selling honey (they are known for their honey in Slovenia) and lots of items made from wood. We looked for souvenirs but didn’t discover a whole lot worthwhile beyond the consumables and jewelry (I just really wanted a sweatshirt from Bled as I collect one from each trip). We did find this tiny shop that had been in a family for generations. The owner is a metal worker and makes miniature bird of paradise replicas of the peacock found at the bled castle from the 6th century. The shop was the size of a large closet and was packed to the ceiling with tools, it was unlike anything you would see in the U.S. and I loved buying something directly from a local artist. Visit his shop and learn the story about the bird of paradise for yourself. Huberto Siroka Hubertos.com
Slovenia is one of the safest countries and we really felt it! Even when walking around at night we felt safe. Everyone seemed to speak English also! It was so easy to navigate the town as it is not too big and when in question, we just used our maps app. We did sign up for the international roaming while there so we would have our phones. It is not cheap, but very convenient. The town was clean and although I had read all about the graffiti I did not see any in Bled. People were mostly nice and helpful.
There are so many things to do! Most everything is outside! But I also have a list for what to do when it rains, just click here (coming Link)!
Visit Bled Castle– The Castle is not far, but it is a good hike up the hill, so be ready for that (there is car access, we did not use it). This Castle is 1000 years old and has magnificent views from it’s perch. It is a museum with artifacts. Has a small café where the kids bought ice cream to cool them down while we sat overlooking the lake with a drink. A couple adorable shops selling locally made jewelry made out of wood (which we discovered later is very common in this area) along with other locally made items and pictures. It is worth a visit for the views, pictures and we enjoy learning about the history. Every nook of the castle had something new to see and check out. Click on link for admission price and hours. www.blejski-grad.si/en/opening-hourso-and-price-list
Toboggan at Straza bled– This is like an outdoor roller coaster that you get a couple rides on (depending on which package you choose). This is good for many ages as the rider controls how fast they go. It can get very busy though and waits are up to 1.5 hrs for your first ride, but after your initial ride you skip the line. We were told the best times to catch a short line is the first hour it is open or an hour before closing. This ride is only open in summer since it is on a ski slope. See link for more information www.straza-bled.si/sl/Poletje
Bled Days Festival– At the end of July each year, Bled’s month long festival of concerts (so I read as we were not there till the end of the month), has a magnificent event. They have music, food, wine/beer tastings, and crafts to purchase. You buy a glass, that becomes your souvenir at the end of the night, and you visit the drink stands and try the different available wines/beers for a fee. Arrive on the early side to snag a bench as there isn’t much seating and discover your fav drink before the lines get long. The festival starts before the sun goes down, but don’t leave early or you will miss the magic. The lake is illuminated with thousands of floating lights. As dusk descends you will notice the floating lights slowly being lit. The process takes a while, but it is worth the wait to see them all lit and glittering off the water with the castle lit up on the hill above! This is just so magical to see! We braved a bit of rain while eating ice cream to enjoy this unique experience. I did not know about this festival prior to our arrival, we did not need to buy a ticket. www.bled.si/en/events
White Water Rafting with Adventure Rafting– This year they had more rain than usual, and the guide said the river was much higher, so before you book do a little research and make sure it makes sense to go. The guides both educated us on the river/area/campsites we passed and entertained us with antics (I don’t want to spoil the fun, you will have to see for yourself). They also took a lot of pictures for us! www.adventure-rafting.com
Vintgar Gorge-Take a free bus to the gorge for the most beautiful, serene stroll. You walk along a wooden walkway attached to the side of the cliffs over the Radovna River. Since you are down in a gorge it is a bit cooler as you are in the shade and have some water mist at the several waterfalls. The beautiful views provide great photo ops. At the end of the gorge is a snack shack (bathrooms too) with a small outdoor area to sit and eat while you enjoy the large waterfall. This was one of my favorite parts of our trip! For information on the free shuttle click here. www.vintgar.si/free-transfer-from-bled/?lang=en
Grajsko Koalisce-Outdoor water park for the Lake. You must be okay with lake water and lake water temperatures to enjoy it! Swim, dive, take the water slide or try the water obstacle course. Everyone must pay to enter and the obstacle course is an extra fee that you need to get a ticket for when you buy your entrance ticket. To go on the obstacle course there is usually a wait and they stop taking tickets about 1 hour before close. There are bathrooms, dressing rooms and even lockers. We brought our own towel, but they might have had some and we missed them.
All the listed activities can be fit into 3 to 4 days. Ljubljana is also worth a visit for 1 to 2 days. Click here (link coming soon) to learn what to do in the city. After our time in Slovenia we stopped in Paris for 3 days before returning home. We felt like we should make more than one stop on our trip as it’s quite a flight from the US and we want to see as much as we can. Click here for our Paris trip.
Hotels and restaurants are quite important so click here to learn about those! To be updated soon.