Lake Bled: Fairy Tale Travel Expedition

Lake Bled shimmers with alpine charm—emerald waters, medieval castle, island church, and sunrise views inspire wonder.

Lake Bled appeared on the cover of National Geographic Traveler in 2011. When I saw the Slovenian Alps surrounding the turquoise blue lake, I shuddered. Was it real? It looked like Walt Disney invented Lake Bled for one of his amusement parks.

Fourteen years later, I finally visited this iconic lake. It reminds me of other magical mystery tours, like Cinque Terre and Ha Long Bay.

My Train Trip

There is something about traveling alone by train that sets the tone for discovery. My journey to Lake Bled began at Železniška Postaja Nova Gorica, Slovenia’s border-side station, where the Italian and Slovenian borders meet at a traffic light. (No passport needed to walk over the Italian border to Slovenia!)

As the train rattled eastward, I watched the countryside unfold—vineyards, stone villages, and alpine peaks that seemed to stretch closer with every mile.

My two-hour journey followed the Soča Valley and the Sava River basin. Leaving Nova Gorica, the line roughly parallels the Soča River for stretches, a river famous for its striking emerald-green color. In certain sections, especially near Kanal ob Soči, the train runs close enough to catch glimpses of the water rushing below.

Closer to Bled, the train followed the Sava Bohinjka River, a tributary of the Sava. This river meanders through alpine valleys. I saw meadows and forested hills.

I would depart Lake Bled via the Lesce Bled Train Station.

Bled Tourist Train

Arriving at the Lesce-Bled railway station, I didn’t see any taxis, so I decided to walk to my hotel (a 50-minute walk). I quickly learned that I would be pulling my carry-on suitcase across gravel and dirt. Grueling!

When I reached the bottom of the mountain path, I saw a children’s choo-choo train idling at the curb. (Check out my link on my YouTube page.) I rushed over to ask the conductor if his train might stop at my hotel. He didn’t speak English, but he nodded yes when I showed him the hotel’s name on my iPhone. I handed him the eight-euro fee and jumped on the last available seat on the train.

Suddenly, my mood shifted. I had stepped into a fairytale complete with a castle rising in the mist above the lake.

“It (Lake Bled) lay like a sapphire in the hands of the Alps, its surface burnished with whitecaps in the late-afternoon breeze. From one steep edge rose a cliff higher than the rest, and on this, one of Slovenia’s great castles roosted . . .”—Elizabeth Kostova

The open-air tourist train allowed me to take photos of Lake Bled as we sped past the walkers. We clattered past groves of trees and glimpses of the famous lake, its waters flashing silver in the late afternoon light. (Check out my link to my train journey on my YouTube channel.)

(Tip: The Bled tourist train makes its way around the lake every day, starting at 9 a.m. and running until 9 p.m., with departures every 45 minutes. I highly recommend it!)

Lake Circuit

After the conductor dropped me off at the Hotel Park, I quickly checked in and asked the registration staff if I still had time to walk around the lake. “If you walk fast, yes!” he answered. I raced up to my hotel room, dropped off my luggage, and ran outside.

No visit to Lake Bled is complete without circling the lake itself. The path is 3.7 miles—just long enough to unwind after a day’s travel, but short enough to see the sunset at the end. (You can take a virtual walk with me by clicking this link to my Instagram page.)

I set out in the golden hour. Families pedaled by on bikes, couples strolled hand-in-hand, and I paused often to photograph the island church floating like a storybook illustration in the middle of the lake. Bikers raced around every curve to complete their circuit.

Ducks trailed ripples across the water while the Julian Alps framed the horizon. By the time I returned to my starting point, twilight had draped the shoreline in soft purples and pinks. I saw so many couples relaxing on a bench and watching the sun exit the stage.

Lake Bled Sunrise

The next morning, I rose at 6 a.m. and climbed one of the trails leading up to Mala Osojnica, one of Bled’s scenic overlooks. Solo travel has taught me that the best moments often come when I’m willing to rise early, lace up my shoes, and hike in nature.

It turned out that the ground was slippery, so I struggled to climb up the steep path. The steep, rocky, and exposed sections make it more challenging than I anticipated. I watched a young jogger race up the incline like a mountain goat. The climb takes 30 to 45 minutes.

At the top, I settled onto a rock as the world woke up. The sunrise spilled gold across the water, illuminating the island church, the medieval castle perched on its cliff, and the still-sleepy village below.

“The most beautiful views of Lake Bled and its surroundings, the Karavanke, Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe mountain ranges and the Ljubljana basin await you.”—Visitor’s Bureau

(Tip: Bring a thermos with hot coffee for an al fresco breakfast in the clouds.)

Second Lakeside Walk

Eventually, I decided to leave the overlook so I could walk around Lake Bled again for my sunrise walk. (Check out my link on my YouTube channel.) At 7:30 a.m., tourists didn’t clog the paths so that I could commune with nature. I stopped often at junctures to look at the castle and the church across the lake.

Near the end of my walk, I looked up to see a hot air balloon floating above Lake Bled. It drifted silently across the lake, carrying its passengers in slow, dreamlike arcs above the mirrored surface. Up, up and away! (Check out my link of the hot air balloon’s flight on my Instagram page.)

Writers Who Came Before

I wasn’t the first solo traveler to be enchanted by Lake Bled. Lake Bled has long drawn writers seeking a place to write. Agatha Christie, Slavoj Zizek, and even France Prešeren, Slovenia’s national poet, once found themselves captivated by Lake Bled.

But Christie told a reporter in 1967 that she would never write a novel about this fairytale place in Slovenia.

“Bohinj is too beautiful for murder,” said Christie, when interviewed by a national TV journalist during a holiday there in 1967.

Things to Do in Lake Bled

I had less than 24 hours to see Lake Bled due to a missed train connection. But if I stayed an extra night, I would recommend the following activities:

·  Rowing – Lake Bled is a world-famous rowing destination, with clubs and rentals available.

·  Boating – Rent a rowboat or paddle to Bled Island for a self-powered adventure.

·  Biking – Cycle the 3.7-mile loop around the lake or take on mountain trails nearby.

·  Hiking – Trails lead to Ojstrica, Mala Osojnica, and Bled Castle for panoramic views.

·  Swimming – Designated swimming areas let you cool off in the lake’s clear waters.

·  Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) – A calm way to explore the lake while working your core.

·  Running/Jogging – The lakeside path offers a scenic 6 km route.

·  Canyoning & Rafting – Available in nearby gorges and rivers like the Soča and Sava.

I Love Lake Bled.