If you’re spending any amount of time in Ljubljana, you should not miss out on a day trip to Lake Bled, one of Slovenia’s most beautiful places.
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Ljubljana, Slovenia is one of my favorite cities in Europe. It’s a beautiful, clean city that felt like home the moment we arrived.
Colton and I spent 5 days in Ljubljana, and by the time we left we had fallen hard for Slovenia’s capital city.
But very close to Ljubljana is another of Slovenia’s most popular destinations: Lake Bled.
You’ve probably seen pictures of Lake Bled, Slovenia even if you didn’t know that’s what you were looking at. The iconic scene of a small church with a terracotta roof set in the middle of a beautiful blue lake in the mountains is what draws thousands of people to Lake Bled every year.
When we spent a few days in Ljubljana, getting to Lake Bled was a top priority for us. We love outdoor activities while traveling, and love beautiful landscapes even more.
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What to Know About Visiting Lake Bled
Lake Bled is a mountain lake located in the town of Bled (as the name lets on). In the middle of the lake is a very small island where you’ll find the beautiful Assumption of Maria Church.
You can visit the island and the church either by taking one of the water taxi boats, or by renting your own rowboat and getting there the old fashioned way! Read a little further to get the info about how much this cost us and if I think it’s worth it.
The lake is rather small, and there is a walking trail that circles the perimeter. You could probably walk around it in about 2 hours at a leisurely pace. Plus, there are a few nice park areas along the trail as well!
In the summer, the lake is open for swimming, so be sure to bring your bathing suit and a change of clothes!
If you’re looking for more to do while visiting Lake Bled, looking out over the town and lake is Bled Castle, an amazing medieval castle that offers tours and great views of the surrounding mountains.
Should You Stay in Ljubljana or Bled?
If you’re wanting to visit Lake Bled, you really can stay in either Bled or Ljubljana, but there are some pros and cons to both.
Personally, I didn’t feel that there was a ton to do in Bled other than admire the landscape, walk or hike, and maybe visit the castle. Ljubljana is a big city and has so much more to do and see, then you can tack on Lake Bled as a day trip.
If you’re looking for some R&R, you certainly could get a nice hotel room by the lake and relax, but like I said it isn’t incredibly exciting around the lake. This is especially true when the weather doesn’t lend itself to swimming.
My personal recommendation would be to stay in Ljubljana and do a day trip to Lake Bled!
How to Get to Lake Bled
We used Flixbus to get to Lake Bled, and it was only an hour drive from Ljubljana. The bus was super comfortable, on time, and dropped us off in the perfect spot to explore from.
Our bus tickets cost us about $8USD each way, per person.
Just be sure to double check when the last bus of the day is and buy your tickets in advance so you don’t accidentally miss it!
If you like to travel by train, there is a direct line from Ljubljana to Lesce Bled Station. The train ride is basically the same amount of time as the bus, and may cost a few dollars more. So I think it really comes down to preference and maybe convenience!
I use Rome2Rio to find transportation while in Europe, so use their website or app to help you decide which would work best for you.
You could also rent a car if you’re planning to do that anyways while in Slovenia, but I don’t recommend doing so if you’re just going for the day. The bus is a cost effective and safe way to get to Bled.
If you arrive at the bus station in Bled, walk down the hill and you’ll quickly arrive at the lake. From here, you can get on the walking path around the lake
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Renting a Rowboat on Lake Bled
If you’re heading to Lake Bled, I highly recommend you rent a rowboat to get out to the church in the middle of the lake.
You can take one of the taxi type boats, but gosh the rowboat was so fun!
The day we went was pretty chilly, but we toughened up and went for it because we didn’t want to miss out on such a fun activity!
If the weather is very windy or cold, maybe pass on the rowboat, though.
We rented from a place called The Cârman Guest House, and we had a good experience! It’s a hotel where you can rent a boat from the lobby, even if you aren’t a guest. There are a few other boat rental spots, so don’t be afraid to shop around!
It cost us about €15 for an hour, which was enough time for us to row to the island, get a warm cup of tea at the cafe, and row back. We spent the rest of our time walking around the lake and then it was time to go back to Ljubljana!
If you’re looking to take the taxi to the island, it’ll likely cost you about €15 per person. You can find spots to take these boats on all sides of the lake, including right outside the hotel we rented from.
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