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.