Address
Bled
GPS
46.369185539303, 14.110457897186
Level of difficulty 2 paddles | Gastronomy 3 pitchers | Length 5.5 km | Time 1.5 - 2 hours
Bled is not only known for its Bled cream cake (“Kremšnita”). It is also an interesting and at the same time romantic destination for paddlers with its island in Lake Bled and the historic villas on the lake shore.
General information
Navigation rules
The lake is heavily frequented, so that paddlers, rowers, swimmers, divers and wooden boats share the water at the same time. It is best to only paddle close to the shore outside of the bathing season and give priority to swimmers. In addition, a sufficient distance to the other watercrafts must always be maintained.
Dangers and risks
The lake itself is not big, but there is a lot going on in the water, especially during the high season. Rowers, wooden boats (pletnas), swimmers and stand-up paddlers share the lake and must therefore act considerately.
The region is very susceptible to strong winds and wind forces of 6 Bft or more can occur at the lake in a flash. Then it becomes insanely difficult, even for experienced paddlers, to complete the loop without going ashore prematurely. Therefore always check the wind forecast in advance!
The lake is drained towards the south, which is why there is a slight current from north to south, which is intensified by the common north and north-west winds.
At many possible entry points, the bank is walled with stones, so that from the edge of the bank you climb about 30 cm down to the water. It is best to put the SUP in the water first, sit on the edge and then get on the board.
Directions
Bled can be reached via almost all transport routes. The most flexible route is of course by car, most busses stop at the bus station in the town center. Trains stop at Bled Jezero station a little out of town or at Lesce-Bled station in Lesce.
Parking
You can easily park in the public parking lots around the sports hall behind the (northeast) city park. The parking fee is 2 € per hour (as of 2022) and applies all year round from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. With the Easy Park App you are more flexible here, because you can save money if you end your parking session early. Of course, there is no change when paying cash.
There are also parking spaces behind the bathing beach in the southwest bay, but the fee here is 3 € per hour. However, the start from here is just as recommendable as from the city park in Bled.
Swimming
As one of the warmest bathing lakes in the Alps (up to 25° C), Lake Bled also offers plenty of free bathing spots away from the fee-based lido. The nice park including a bathing lawn in the south-west is also recommended. The lake is also very popular among diving and rowing enthusiasts.
Lido Grajsko kopalisce
Veslaska promenada 11, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)4578 0528
Worth seeing
The only inland island in Slovenia is located here at Lake Bled. It houses a pilgrimage church with a wishing bell, completed in 1495, which can be visited. However, the island can only be reached either by SUP or by wooden boats, which are also operated by muscle power. These boats called Pletna are strongly reminiscent of the Plätten, which are found on the lakes of the Austrian Salzkammergut where they have been operated for centuries.
The medieval Bled Castle (Blejski grad) rises 140 m above the lake and houses a museum and a restaurant. The way up towards the drawbridge is steep, but can also be completed by bus or taxi. The distinctive view alone is definitely worth the effort.
Also worth seeing is the former residence of the famous Yugoslavian Head of State Tito at the lakeshore. The villa is now a hotel with a café. Here you can also marvel at the huge murals, which used to depict socialist propaganda and are now a tourist attraction.
Southwest of the lake you will find the two vantage points Ojstrica as well as Mala Osojnica. The forest paths there, which are not well signposted, are a bit strenuous, but you will definitely be rewarded for your efforts at the top. The view over the shimmering turquoise lake and the region is beautiful.
Extra Tips
You can comfortably circle the lake along the 6 km long shore hiking trail. It offers ideal conditions for walkers, runners and cyclists. At a leisurely pace, the recommended time for pedestrians is around one and a half hours.
Wine fans can join a two-hour interactive wine tasting and learn more about Slovenia's wine culture and seven wines from all parts of the country. Wine experts lead through the program, which also offers typical Slovenian appetizers.
The Dino Park located just before Bled invites children and parents to experience prehistoric adventures. In addition to the countless life-size dinosaur models, there is also a dinosaur cinema and regular entertainment programs for the kids.
The Bled Cream Cake (Kremšnita) tastes delicious, especially when you consume it looking out over this romantic lake. It feels like this regional specialty is available in every restaurant and it's worth a sin even for guys and gals who try to avoid sweets.
Anyone who is already in the region should also make a detour to the Triglav National Park. It is the only national park in this small, friendly country and offers outdoor aficionados a lot of varied landscapes on its almost 840 km².
If you prefer paddling on the lake with guidance, just book an entertaining two-hour SUP tour. The lake and the region also offer a variety of other water sports activities, such as rafting on the Sava and paddling in a transparent kayak.
Tour
From the town's central park head left along the shore down to the south bay. From there loop around the island and paddle back on the opposite west bank.
Length
5.5 km
Time
1.5 - 2 hours
Start and landing
In the city park along the promenade at the heart sculpture.
SUP rental
SUP Bled
Triglavska cesta 41, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)40 659 899
Bananaway
Podmilščakova 46, 1000 Ljubljana
Phone +386 (0)40 238 756
Let's Paddle
Posavec 53, 4244 Bled
Phone +386 (0)41 349 302
Pletna - Rent a SUP
Cesta svobode 37,4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)41 393 899
RD Bled Boat & SUP Rental
Veslaska promenada 7, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)40 121900
Overnight Stay
Garden Village Bled
Cesta Gorenjskega odreda 16, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0) 838 99 220
Sovica
Kolodvorska cesta 45, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)41 514 530
Central Bled House
Ulica narodnih herojev 3, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)40 885 783
River Camping Bled
Alpska cesta 111, 4248 Lesce
Phone +386 (0)40 344 324
Gastronomy
Bled Castle Restaurant
Grajska cesta Jezersek, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)4 620 34 44
Old Cellar Bled
Zagoriška cesta 12, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)40 412 556
Restavracija 1906
Kolodvorska cesta 33, 4260 Bled
Phone +386 (0)4 575 26 10
Circumnavigating Slovenia's only inland island
Bled is located south of the Julian Alps which is very favorable, because the cool north winds largely get caught in the mountains and therefore the bathing season on the lake extends into autumn. But due to its proximity to the Julian Alps, there is also a lot going on in winter in probably the most famous spa town of this region Upper Carniola.
What visitors appreciate besides Lake Bled is on the one hand the Slovenian gastronomy with its local flagship - the Bled Cream Cake - on the other hand, the town center with its park and the preserved old buildings and villas. Whether you look up at Bled Castle from town or down at the town from the castle makes no difference - the view from both directions is priceless.
However, for us paddlers, Bled is mainly interesting for its water, because Lake Bled has a number of eye-catchers to offer on and around its 1.45 km² area. Not only the view of the castle is impressive, the many villas and nice wooden houses along the shore are just as delightful as the island Blejski Otok with its pilgrimage church and the rich turquoise water.
Due to the fact that it is fed by several thermal springs, the lake warms up surprisingly well and can maintain this heat well into the second half of the year. This is particularly interesting for water sports enthusiasts of all kinds, especially since there is a lot of paddling, swimming and diving going on here. Rowing world championships and the world championships in ice swimming have already been held here several times.
It's no longer icy on this Easter weekend, but in between the wind freshens up from the north and north-west, which promises an interesting tour despite the beautiful weather. In principle, you can set sail at many points along the lake shore, but it will also be important for most paddlers to find a suitable parking space. There are two ways to do this:
You either park in the town center and then get on the lake via the park. Or you drive down to the campsite behind the southwest bay, park there at the public parking lot and start the tour from the south via the public beach. I choose the first variant because the parking fees in town are cheaper (2 euros/hour instead of 3 euros/hour) and because with the tourist rush you should take every parking space you can get.
So within a few minutes I carry my board down to the north bank and put it in the water near the heart sculpture, which is popular with tourists. The weather on this Holy Saturday is wonderfully sunny and pleasantly warm. As soon as you turn left and paddle through the center of Bled along the shore, you will notice the slight current towards the south. The lake is also fed by thermal springs here on the north-eastern shore and it is drained on the southern shore.
I pass magnificent flower beds and hotels, while the waterfront promenade is very busy. The view towards the island is repeatedly crossed by the tourist boats - the pletnas. These not only remember the Austrian Plätten by name, which you'll find in the Austrian Salzkammergut region, they also look quite similar to them. They are also hand-operated, i.e. paddled, and can bring up to 18 people over to the island at the same time. You can quickly get through the town center and continue paddling along the green promenade overhung with weeping willows. With a light breeze, the wind and current do the paddling work. Again and again isolated old villas and wooden houses appear and in no time you have already reached the outriver of the lake.
In addition to the piers for the boat rental companies, you will also find a beautiful and spacious park here. Behind it are mainly accommodation and catering establishments and the area is at least as busy as its counterpart in the north. From here I paddle towards the island, which takes me off the shore and onto the open water. As soon as I have left the shore behind me, a noticeable north wind comes up, which forces me to paddle mainly portside until I reach the Blejski Otok Island where I can enjoy some slipstream.
There has been a pilgrimage church on the 0.8 ha large island since 1465, which was last modified in the 17th century. If you climb the steep stairs almost eight meters above the lake level, you can also marvel at medieval excavation pieces and enjoy the view of the lake. As romantic as it all sounds, one must not forget that the wooden boats dock and depart here almost every minute, so it can be correspondingly lively on this small island.
There is even a small riverside path, which allows a circumnavigation of the island. I do that on my SUP and then point my nose at the west bank. Lake Bled can also be circumnavigated on foot and many visitors take the opportunity to relax along the 6 km long route. Since the lake lies in a wide depression, stronger winds are to be expected again and again, including today. On the way back to the north, I am slowed down significantly and also have to assert myself against the swell.
The western shore of the lake is wooded and almost car-free, since the lake bypass road no longer runs directly on the shore. This part of the lake shore belongs, so to speak, only to residents, pedestrians and cyclists. Again and again you will find nice little houses while you paddle to the lido and the castle steeply above.
Especially the view up to the castle is impressive and invites you to get your camera out of the drybag. The history of this monument probably begins in the 11th century and tells of several earthquakes and reconstructions. Today you can eat well up there and visit the castle museum.
In the meantime, I paddle back to the town's central park, pass the popular and well-attended Vila Preseren and cruise around the ducks and swans, which are generously fed by passers-by. The conclusion of this tour: pack your camera, count on wind and waves and enjoy the unique scenery with the Alps in the background.
