Ljubljana and Lake Bled Weekend Escape
- Irene
- Aug 4, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: May 31, 2024
Definitely this is one of the best weekend escapes to do in Europe. Ljubljana is lively and fun and Lake Bled is just a mix of calm vibes and a relaxing nature. We actually went for 3 days but I believe you can also do the trip on a weekend.
When to go: definitely during the summer. We were there in June and it was just perfect. We loved the atmosphere in Ljubljana as there are so many terraces near the river and also how pretty the trees and mountains in general were around Bled.
Where to stay: I would recommend to split your stay and even though there are a lot of organised day trips from Ljubljana to bled, I think it is worth staying one night so you can do more activities around the lake.
In Ljubljana, we stayed at “Unique apartments”, which is a very cute apartment in a great location right in the city centre. If you prefer a hotel, “Hotel Heritage” is in a privileged position overlooking the river.
In Lake Bled we stayed at “Vila Alpina” and it was very nice. If you want something more fancy with lake views, I would recommend “Adora Luxury Hotel”. One tip here is that I would not recommend to stay near “Bled city centre”, that area was super busy and it doesn’t have any charm. It is also further from the island in the lake and other attractions.
General advice: rent a car! Bled is just 40 min drive from Ljubljana and I would definitely recommend going by car as the lake area is quite big and it is also the best way to get to the castle. If you rent a car note that you need to pay the toll fee vignette online to drive through the Slovenian roads (there are no physical tolls in the country). You can pay the toll vignette using the following link https://evinjeta.dars.si/selfcare/en/email-verification;eventId=9
Day 1: Ljubljana
For me the best part of Ljubljana was the riverside walk with all the bars and terraces.
What you shouldn’t miss in Ljubljana:
Dragon Bridge: this bridge is interesting because there is a legend that says that Jason (the founder of Ljubljana) and his Argonauts killed a dragon. This is one of the four dragon statues on the bridge. According to the legend, when a virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails.
Ljubljana Cathedral: also named Saint Nicholas's Cathedral, it was a Gothic church in the early 18th century, that was replaced by a Baroque building. It is easily recognizable for its green dome and twin towers and stands at Cyril and Methodius Square.
Town Square: a major square in Ljubljana where the townhall is located. In front of Town Hall stands a copy of the Robba Fountain. Near the square stands Ljubljana Cathedral.
Ljubljana Castle: built about 900 years ago and stands on a hill above the city. The castle offers views of the city, while housing a museum with an exhibition on Slovenian history, a puppet museum, and a number of historical rooms. In my opinion, paying for the ticket is not worth it. You can enter the castle grounds for free and the ticket only gives you access to the rooms mentioned previously that are not mind blowing compared to other castles that we have visited in Europe. To get to the castle you can either walk or take the funicular. The walk takes around 10 min from the bottom but is obviously a steep climb. The funicular tickets for adults is 4€ return or 2.20€ for a single ticket.
Triple Bridge: as the name indicates, it is a group of three bridges next to each other across the Ljubljanica River which connects the historical medieval town on one bank and the modern city on the other.
Prešeren Square: the central square that is part of the old town's pedestrian zone and a major meeting point where festivals, concerts, sports, political events, and protests take place. Prešeren Square gained its current appearance in the 17th century, when the baroque-style Franciscan Church of the Annunciation was built.
River tour: even though this is a very touristic attraction, we found it very relaxing! You will see many companies offering their services alongside the river but pretty much all the tours cost 12€ per person and take between 45 to 30 min.
For dinner you can go for dinner to “Robba” or “Julija” but make sure that you book well in advance as these are very popular places. If you feel like having an ice cream after dinner, you can go to “DiMatteo Gelateria”.
Day 2: Lake Bled
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, it will take you just 40 mins to drive to the lake. On our first day at the lake we did the following activities:
Hike to a viewpoint so you can enjoy the views from above: we hiked to the view point called “Ojstrica”. I would not recommend to do this hike if you are not in good shape and I would not do it with kids either. Even though the distance is not very long, it is very steep and the terrain quite challenging full of rocks, therefore it would be ideal if you wear hiking boots. However, once you get there you will be mind blown by the view!
Swimming in the lake: there are few spots assigned where you can swim in the lake, just make sure you are going to the free ones and not to any of the ones where you have to pay. We went to Velika Zaka and it was great and super relaxing, take with you your aqua shoes (similar to diving or snorkelling neoprene boots) as there are some pebbles and small rocks.
For lunch you can go to “Restavracija Sova” and after lunch have a walk around the lake or cycle around it. The walk is very easy to follow and it is very well paved so easy for everyone to do.
For dinner, the restaurant “Ostarija Peglez’n” is a good option serving Slovenian food in a very cosy atmosphere with a cute terrace as well.
Day 3: Lake Bled
During our last day we took a rowing boat to the island and went to the castle.
In terms of the boat you can choose between rowing yourself to the island, or go in one of the traditional pletna boats that you will see at many points which are navigated by the pletnar (local rower). The price of the traditional boat is 13 euro per person and you can take it opposite Penzion Mlino hotel. We decided to do it ourselves and rented the boat at “B&B Carman” that costed 15 euro for one hour. For us one hour was enough to get to the island, check out the church and come back. I recommend these spots to rent the boats as they are closer to the island and it is therefore quicker to get to there.
In the island you will find the Church of Mary the Queen, also known as the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, or Our Lady of the Lake. Of special interest in the church is a bell of wishes, made by Francesco Patavino from Padova way back in 1534. The legend says that those who ring the bell and make a wish, will see their wish come true. But there’s one rule: you can make only one wish.
If you have a car, I highly recommend going to the castle. Bled Castle is one of the best-preserved and maintained citadels in Slovenia. The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1011. The entrance ticket to the Bled Castle costs EUR 13.00 per adult.
I found it very charming and I liked it more that the Ljubljana castle. The views of the lake and island are also incredible so a very good option if you don’t want to/ cannot do the hike of the previous day.
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