Close to the border with Austria lies the cute Slovenian town of Bled. I had always wanted to visit Slovenia and last summer I was lucky enough to go there for a short visit. Now I just want more. Even though Bled is only a small town, it is an amazing place to be. You’re in the middle of the Julian alps, so if you’re in for an active holiday, this is the place to be.
One of the best ways to get an introduction to Bled is to walk around the glacial lake. A 6km multi-use path goes all around lake Bled. In winter this lake can freeze over, but in summer the water is a pleasant temperature so you can go for a swim. Starting from the Park hotel, where you could taste the original Bled cream cake, I followed the path along the edge of town. Here you can find a nice park with benches and the starting point for the traditional Pletna boats that go towards the tiny island in the middle of the lake. The path keeps going to the other side of the lake. There are some campsites where you can get a drink or ice cream. They also rent canoes and SUP boards so you could explore the lake.
If you want a bit more of a challenge, you can climb up to Castle hill, which is 100m higher and can be reached by stairs leading away from the lake loop. For a small fee you can then visit the castle. The exhibition is not super interesting, but it is just great to sit on the castle walls, getting a birds eye view of the lake and the mountains. There are many more walks around Bled, but the loop around the lake cannot be missed.
