Lake Bled in Slovenia: An Island with a Lake, Church and Mountains

It is hard to describe the physical beauty that surrounds Lake Bled in Slovenia. Just a two-hour bus ride from the Slovenian capitol of Ljubjana and a half a day journey from Venice, beautiful Lake Bled is no big secret for the knowledgeable traveler. Still, this spectacular mountain lake draws only modest crowds. Perhaps, it is best that way. Or maybe there is so much to see and do is this heavily forested country that not every visitor makes in to the trendy tourist town found at the east end of the lake. So much the better for those that do.

Lake Bled, which translates in English to Whitish Lake, is a small body of water. There is a popular, paved, walking path that encircles the lake. It can be negotiated in a minimum of two hours, but you can visit the castle, row a boat to the stunning Church of the Assumption and go for a swim and make the trip an all day affair. Sample a restaurant or two, have some coffee and a piece of the famous Lake Bled crème cake and you might not make it back to your hotel room till after dark. Nothing wrong with that for you are just enjoying one of Slovenia's many fascinating natural wonders.

Another nearby attraction is the Vintgar. It is an engineering feat and a spectacular river gorge all rolled into one stimulating walk. Just the hour stroll through the pastoral farmland to get there is something of a novelty. On the way one passes by picturesque hayfields, quaint country homes, a church with a water trough for livestock and beehives enclosed in brightly painted wooden boxes.

At the gorge there is an admission fee, and then you get to walk along a wooden walkway that hugs the vertical walls of the Radovna River gorge. This goes on for close to a mile, while just a few yards below you is the wild and raging torrent, so close that at times you can feel the spray. In some spots deep holes have been blasted into the granite rock face so that a piece of railway tie can be inserted. On top of these girders a wooden walkway has been built. At the end of the canyon there is both regret and relief. Regret to be leaving such a beautiful place and relief that the precarious bridge did not fail during your trip over top of the river.