Adriatic Cruise Chronicles – Lake Bled, Slovenia

The one day we ventured outside Ljubljana was to visit one of the most picturesque spots in the country. Our hotel was a short walk to the main train/bus station. We got a bus ticket to Lake Bled and after the 1.5 hr. ride (including a few stops), began a leisurely walk around the 6 km (3.7 mi) perimeter.

Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

Lake Bled may be Slovenia’s most popular attraction and this perfect autumn Saturday brought out many people. The national rowing organization is headquartered here and multiple world championship events have been staged on this course. You can see one of the rowing lanes on the mirror-smooth lake here. Slovenia has placed several Olympic medalists in the sport.

St. Martin’s Church, Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

St. Martin’s Church is in the town of Bled and was completed in 1905. To the left of the altar is a fresco of the Last Supper.

The Last Supper by Slavko Pengov [1930]

St. Martins Church, Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

The painting was done in 1930. A sign of the times will note

that the artist chose to portray Judas as Vladimir Lenin.

Blejski Grad (Bled Castle), Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

Bled Castle is another popular attraction. On this high promontory since the 11th century, it housed royalty and bishops for eight centuries. Imagine the effort it must have taken to move all the building materials to this location.

Pletna Ferry, Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

We saw no motorized craft on the lake. The traditional boat is a wooden ‘pletna,’ German for ‘flat-bottomed boat.’ They are used primarily to ferry people to Bled Island and the church there…20 Euros round trip.

Bled Island (25 October 2025)

Bled Island features a Gothic pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Originally, the site was occupied by an eighth-century Slavic pagan temple.

Bled Island (25 October 2025)

Today, it is a popular wedding venue and tourist destination. At the center of this shot is a 99-step stairway from the water’s edge to the church. Tradition has it that the groom must carry the bride up all the steps if they want to marry in the church.

The perfect day ended in a classic ‘record scratch’ moment. We were half a kilometer from completing the walk around the lake when we came to a major road work area that eliminated all walking in that direction. We were foot-sore and tired and lacked the energy to go back around. Fortunately, after failing to find taxi service, a kind hotel concierge told us that buses came this way AND the one that stopped for us returned our sad bodies all the way back to Ljubljana. Nice save.

On to Zagreb, Croatia next.

Adriatic Cruise Chronicle – Ljubljana, Slovenia

Having taken a memorable vacation with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) in 2024, we booked another small boat tour in late 2025. The sailing part would be on the Adriatic Sea, the body of water that separates the Italian peninsula from the Balkan peninsula. Before sailing the Dalmatian coast from Croatia to Greece, we booked an earlier flight to spend a few extra days in Slovenia.

With the exception of a day trip to Lake Bled, featured in the next post, we stayed and noodled around the charming, walkable capital city of Ljubljana.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, View from Castle Hill (24 October 2025)

Slovenia is a small central European nation. New Jersey is bigger. It was part of many empires and then Tito’s Yugoslavia before declaring its independence in 1991. Ljubljana (“Loo-blee-ana”) is a delightful city within sight of the Julian Alps.

Ljubljanica River (26 October 2025)

Our hotel was a few blocks from the Ljubljanica River which is the hub for shopping, eating and people watching. Restaurants line both sides of the river.

Castle Hill, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

This was a typical first day in Europe, meaning the day before was busy getting ready for an overnight flight that involved NO sleep, a second flight from Amsterdam after a four-hour layover and immediately hitting the streets after checking into our hotel. One needs to stay awake and active to quickly adjust to the new time zone.

Later in the day, we decided to walk up ‘Castle Hill’ to see the medieval fortress and view the city from above. This stunt certainly ensured that we would have no trouble getting to sleep that night. Only after we were most of the way up did we see a funicular that effortlessly glided folks to the top. We rode down, giving our legs a much-needed reprieve.

Castle Hill Funicular, Ljubljana, Slovenia (24 October 2025)

 

On the Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

Dragons are everywhere in this enchanting city. The Greek hero Jason is said to have killed a dragon when he passed through this area after stealing the golden fleece. The beast has since become the symbol of the city.

One of the river bridges is called the ‘Dragon Bridge’ because there are four of these big boys on each corner. Smaller versions decorate the streetlamps.

Dragon Magnets, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2026)

The morning after the Lake Bled excursion was a Sunday and we wandered the less busy city streets.

Sunday Entertainments, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

It wasn’t long before people filled the popular places. On one of the bridges, we paused to enjoy a lively band that played everything with a rocking beat.

Ljubljana is a charming, easy city. While I appreciate that I’ve seen the major historic European capitals like Rome, London and Paris, they are now too crowded with visitors. Getting almost anywhere is a hassle. The Slovenian capital was the perfect way to begin our Eastern Europe adventure.