What You Need To Know

Lake Bled Travel Guide

Embark on a journey to the enchanting beauty of Lake Bled with my comprehensive travel guide. Your ultimate resource for discovering everything this picturesque destination has to offer.

Lake Bled Unveiled

Your Lake Bled Travel Guide for a Picturesque Escape

Even if you’ve never heard of Lake Bled, I can almost guarantee you’ve seen pictures of it all over social media, and for good reason too. It’s a natural beauty surrounded by mountains. With its turquoise waters and breathtaking views, this serene lake is very picturesque and beautiful. It’s arguably the most famous attraction in Slovenia.

Vanessa's Insider Tips

My Travel Tips for Lake Bled

Here are some helpful Lake Bled travel tips to know before you go:

Where to Stay: I wanted to stay in the town center, next to the lake, but it was crazy expensive! Instead I stayed at a hostel in Lesce, a town a few minutes away. There was a free shuttle bus to the lake provided by the hostel, so that worked out perfectly. If you can afford it, stay at one of the hotels by the lake. Otherwise, you can do Lake Bled as a day trip from Ljublajana or just stay in one of the neighboring towns.
How to Get Around: Everything within Lake Bled is within walking distance. If you do end up staying in a neighboring town, then you can either take a bus or taxi to the lake itself.

Discover Lake Bled

My Recommended Itinerary for Lake Bled Travel

You can see all Lake Bled has to offer in a short amount of time. If you’re short on time, you can come on a day trip from Ljubljana. But if you have the time and want to soak in the beauty of the lake and just relax, then definitely spend at least one night! Here’s what I recommend for Lake Bled:

Visit Bled Island:

The church that sits on this island is called the Church of the Assumption of Mary. To get here, you need to take a boat. A lot of people rented them and rowed out themselves but as a solo female traveler, one of the pain points was that I had no one to row with! No worries though, there were pletnas (large boats) that I got on with other people and a guide (boat guy? I don’t know what you call them) that took us.

Once on the island, you’ll need to climb some pretty steep steps to get up to the church. The church is cute but nothing remarkable. I got some gelato at the top and that was delicious. Other than that, there’s really nothing else to do on the island.

Crazy story: while I was on the steps waiting for my boat to pick us back up, a random guy dressed in a black suit with an earpiece in came up to everyone on the steps and said we needed to clear the area. At the same time, another guy in a wetsuit jumped in the water and disappeared. Everyone was so confused, and I was dying to know what was going on! I asked around and apparently the President of Iceland was coming, so they were checking for bombs! I lingered around for a bit to see if I could catch him, but my boat came, and I had to leave. Maybe next time!

Walk around Lake Bled:

The path around the lake is easily walkable and can be done in about an hour. Definitely do this because you get different views depending on where you are on the lake. Make sure you bring your bathing suit too – there are certain parts of the lake where everyone swims!

Hike to a Viewpoint:

I know it might seem like I’m trying to get people to hike on every trip, but this is a must in Lake Bled!

There are three main lookout points: Ojstrica, Mala Osojnica, and Velika Osojnica. You can check out all three if you plan it right. I started with Velika first, which is the highest one. It was a struggle for me, but I made it! The view was just okay in my opinion. Afterwards, I went to Ojstrica which in my opinion was the better view! And then by that point I was so tired, I didn’t check out the other one.

To reach the trails, go to the part of the lake “behind” the Church of the Assumption. You will see markers indicating where to go; the trails are well marked.

Enjoy the lake:

It is a lake after all! You can go swimming (only swim where you see everyone else swimming), do water activities, or rent a boat around the lake. Oh and I am super bougie when it comes to water – I was able to see my feet when I was swimming so don’t worry!

Lake Bled Castle:

This castle is the oldest castle in Slovenia, dating back to 1011. It’s probably most famous for its sweeping panorama views of the lake. I actually didn’t go because the reviews I read said it wasn’t really worth the price, but you can check it out and decide for yourself!

Flavors of Slovenia

My Recommended Food in Lake Bled

The food in Lake Bled was fine. I usually only try to recommend places that are exceptional or unique to an area. For that reason, I only have one recommendation on what to eat in Lake Bled:

Park Hotel:

Lake Bled has its own regional dessert, called Bled Cream Cake. It’s a puff pastry with custard cream. When I did my research, they said the best place to get it was at the Park Hotel, because that’s where it was originally created. Honestly, it was good, but it wasn’t anything out-of-this-world for me. Maybe next time I need to try it from another place?