No brochures or guidebooks could prepare me for just how beautiful Lake Bled is. It is almost too perfect with its tiny island and Bled Castle guarding over it protectively one hundred metres above on an ominous looking crag. There have been settlements on the island and around the lake for centuries but it was an enterprising Swiss doctor who made Bled what it is today. He managed to save the lake from being drained (the keeper wanted to extract the clay from beneath the lake to make bricks!) and developed Bled into a spa resort for wealthy Europeans, exploiting the thermal springs. It quickly took off and even the Yugoslav royal family summered at Bled.
The lake itself is quite small, measuring 2 kilometres by 1380 metres, so an easy walk around it only takes about an hour. However, with breaks to stop a while to take in it's beauty and more breaks for liquid refreshment, it can fully occupy a whole morning or afternoon. There is plenty of interest as you circle the lake - pretty houses, swans and scores of handsomely coloured ducks and a lovely canopy of trees overhead. In Mlino, a hamlet on the south shore, there are a couple of cafes and bars and a small supermarket if you rather pick up a picnic and eat beside the water. Further round on the western shore there is a bar and restaurant at the Zaka Regatta Centre with indoor and outdoor tables. Even in February we sat outside and enjoyed a beer and a hot fuit tea overlooking the tranquil lake.
Rowing is a popular pastime in Slovenia and nowhere more so than at Bled. A competition is held on the lake each June and the locals are understandably proud of their local boys who won a medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 - not bad for a little-known country tucked away in the heart of Europe!
If you visit Bled in summer you will find the lake very popular with swimmers: there are a couple of "beaches" dotted around the lake and on the north side there is a lido with a waterslide. You can also visit the Castle Baths which has separate enclosures within the lake which means safer swimming for children and an indoor pool too. The Castle Baths are open from mid-April until October. Apparently in summer some people swim over to the island but be warned that if you do so you should take with you some clothes in a waterproof bag because entering the church in swimming clothes is not permitted (as you would expect).
For a touch of luxury, contemplate staying in - or spending a day - at Hotel Gran Toplice - this top class spa hotel has it's own private jetty for sunbathing!
The best way to see the lake properly is from the water and you could hire a rowing boat or take a trip out to the island on a by hand-propelled gondola. On our first visit in winter the lake was partly ised up so we went on a small motorised boat.
Those with walking problems (or who simply don't wish to walk) can easily find an alternative way to tour the lake. There are horse and carriage rides (pricey), a frequent land train (only €3 for adults) or you could hire a bike from any of several places in town. Pension Pletna right by the lake at Mlin has bicycles to rent if you are at the other end of the lake.
No trip to Bled would be complete without seeing the Lake - I can't imagine why you'd go if not to see this beautiful little corner of Europe!