Let's get to know Bled!

Bled and its surroundings that will stun you with natural beauty are one of the most beautiful Alpine resorts. Bled attracts businessmen, sportsmen, researchers, people looking for recreation, old and young, people from all over the world. Everyone is charmed by its beauty, so much that they love to come back again.

Our tour with e-bikes is unique because not only do we get to know the touristy lake, but also the hidden, not so crowded surrounding – cute little villages, the Sava river, vast meadows and forests and nearby hills.  

We'll be starting our trip at the Sport center Zaka, turn towards Pristava and continue along side roads to the Sava Bohinjka river. The more experienced biking groups can take a trip on the forest path, otherwise we continue along the river to Ribno village.

We take the path through small village Koritno back to Bled and visit the mysterious Bled castle, which is one of the major attractions of Bled besides the island (the only Slovenian island!) with the church. It is said that if you ring the churches' bells on top, you will be very lucky in your life!

Bled castle, a silent witness of former strength, stands atop a cliff above the lake firmly and proudly. In its place there was an old Roman tower, secured by walls, in year 1004. The first castle was built in approx. year 1011. In the middle ages additional towers were built and the fortress system was upgraded. The castle was seriously damaged in the earthquake in 1511, but was later renovated to its today's image.

Today, the castle is an exhibition building, offering a magnificent view of the lake with the island, of Bled and broader Gorenjska region. On our tour, we will experience the picturesque architecture of the castle, enjoy the magnificent view and learn about the history of Bled, its culture and people, through the museum's evergreen exhibit.

The biking tour will then continue through village Zasip, and taking a nice forest path we will bike up to the Church of Saint Catherine on Hom. Its core is Gothic and it is dating from around 1400, its main attractions are masonry portico and frescoes dating from the beginning of the 16th century. In the 18th century, it was renovated in the Baroque style – it has a Baroque altar and the remains of fortified walls can still be seen.

There is an interesting story about the church – there used to be a hidden treasure underneath its threshold. When Napoleon's army withdrew from Russia, a French General buried a military chest at this place, which was full of money and gems for the French soldiers. The General was killed during the battles in North Italy, so a friend, who knew about his secret, dug out the treasure with some help from two locals. To this day, we are still unsure about the remainings which might await when you arrive.

After all this, we do need a short break! Then we go downhill back to Zasip and continue to the Bled lake. We follow the path to Regatta center, where Regatta boats annually compete for the prestigious awards, and we easily beat the last climb with our electric bikes to the railway station.

Now, after all the sightseeing and great experiences, we definitely need a treat! We'll  stop at the Triglav (named after Slovenia's highest mountain) hotel's restaurant, where we enjoy a stunning view and taste the local aperitif 'tepkovc' (pear liquor) or pear juice – both are made in the hotel from autochthonous pears called 'tepke'. And of course, indulge in the famous Bled Cream dessert - without it, the sightseeing of Bled would not be fulfilled.

On our way back down to the lake, we take our last stop at the boathouse under the Villa Bled, the former summer residence of the late Yugoslavian president Tito, that later became the guesthouse for numerous official state visitors – Nikita Khrushchev, king Husseini, Indira Gandhi, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kim II Sung and many other. Today, it hosts a charming hotel, elegantly decorated in the 50's style, as well as a congress center.

At the boathouse, we change our sports gear and hop into traditional wooden boats – and row to the famous Bled island. The island's most recognizable symbol is the Church of Mary the Queen on the lake with a long and eventful history. Even in the era of polytheism there used to be a temple of the pagan goddess of love Živa. After the Christianisation in 745, people were forced to accept the Christian religion and Živa was replaced by Mary. The ancient Slavic temple was replaced by church, and an additional chapel was built. In 1465 a new single nave Gothic church was built. Its specialty is a 52 meters high freestanding bell tower.

The present form of the church in Baroque style dates from the 17th century when it was renovated after an earthquake. There is also a chapel of Mary the Queen on the island, along with the famous staircase with 99 stairs. This place is a number one on wedding photography popularity, with the very traditional couples having the groom carry the bride through all 99 stairs to the very top!

The so called »Wishing bell« was made in 1534 in Padova, Italy. It is said that whoever rings this bell and tells their wish to the »Lady of the Lake«, gets their wish come true.

After visiting the island, we will go back to the boathouse by boats and ride our e-bikes for the last time back to the Sports center, enjoying the view of the lake on our ride.

Longer version: from Saint Catherine to Vintgar Gorge (1.5 to 2 hours, 5 EUR per person).

Shorter versions: shortened first part – more directly to Bled castle, we leave out Hum, we leave out Triglav hotel, we leave out rowing to the island.