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We were gobsmacked with the view from our lakeside hotel room! Who wouldn’t be? It was aimed straight at Bled Castle, with the Julian Alps for a backdrop and beautiful Lake Bled sprawling at its foot. Mount Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain, was easily visible (far left below):
The Church of St. Martin and most of the town of Bled lie just to the right of the castle in this next photo:
St. Martin’s can be approached by a road or by a winding pathway. However, when we visited, the road to it was completely torn up to a depth of several feet. Were we ever surprised to find that neither the pathway nor the excavated road were illuminated after dark in any manner whatsoever. Attending 6 pm Mass on the day of our arrival in the pitch black was, needless to say, a groping experience. Much easier to find the entrance by day:
The town of Bled, which dates from the year 1004, is clearly Slovenia’s most popular destination, thanks to its peaceful fairytale lake and a small island crowned with a 17th century church. As both a summer resort and an Alpine winter sports area, this place gets very crowded. We were really happy to be here in the off season, with fall foliage still to be found, the air nippy and no snow in sight:
During a festive evening in a nearby village, our tour group was energetically welcomed to Slovenia and to the Lake Bled area in particular:
The talented local musicians, playing traditional songs, had our feet tapping in no time:
Their Slovenian tunes were so lively, some of us found it impossible to remain seated:
Ah, well, when in Rome ...