Where We Be
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| We also managed a second circuit around the entire lake on our last day, when it was misty but not rainy |
| Lake Bled, Slovenia |
Lake Bled with its blue-green waters and island
church in the middle is nothing short of breath-
taking when seen from above. But to enjoy this
famous view with your own eyes, you'll have to
put in some effort first. Two observation points,
known as Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica, are linked
together into a single loop hike that involves a
steep climb up (and down) from two adjacent
trailheads at the southwest corner of the
promenade that circles the lake.
The less steep approach takes you to Ojstrica
first, and we recommend going up this way (it's
still plenty steep, trust us). Most of the hike is
through trees, but then you reach an overlook
with a bench that is said to be the most famous
bench in all of Slovenia. The second overlook,
at Mala Osojnica, is even better in our opinion.
The Ojstrica bench view has become somewhat
overgrown over the years, but the panorama at
Mala Osojnica is wide-open and truly amazing.
We suggest going in the afternoon for the best
photos. The hike is said to be 3.7 km (2¼ mi)
long with about 700 feet of elevation gain, but it
felt longer and harder than that to us. That said,
the views are just as excellent as advertized.
church in the middle is nothing short of breath-
taking when seen from above. But to enjoy this
famous view with your own eyes, you'll have to
put in some effort first. Two observation points,
known as Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica, are linked
together into a single loop hike that involves a
steep climb up (and down) from two adjacent
trailheads at the southwest corner of the
promenade that circles the lake.
The less steep approach takes you to Ojstrica
first, and we recommend going up this way (it's
still plenty steep, trust us). Most of the hike is
through trees, but then you reach an overlook
with a bench that is said to be the most famous
bench in all of Slovenia. The second overlook,
at Mala Osojnica, is even better in our opinion.
The Ojstrica bench view has become somewhat
overgrown over the years, but the panorama at
Mala Osojnica is wide-open and truly amazing.
We suggest going in the afternoon for the best
photos. The hike is said to be 3.7 km (2¼ mi)
long with about 700 feet of elevation gain, but it
felt longer and harder than that to us. That said,
the views are just as excellent as advertized.
| This is the stellar view of Lake Bled from the Mala Osojnica observation point |
| That didn't keep us from enjoying the heated pool and hot tub at Hotel Kompas |
| St. Martin Parish Church -- a notable landmark on the lake -- is free to visit |
| We hiked up to Bled Castle and found the views (free) to be pretty good -- but the castle tour itself is expensive |
| Another popular activity is taking a boat out to the island church to ring the bell. You can also rent a rowboat and row yourself out there. |
| The views from the east side -- the side of the lake closest to town -- are especially good in the late afternoon |
| If steep climbs really aren't your thing, you can also get fine views just by hiking around the lakeside promenade |
| Bonus tip -- you can get this pretty awesome view by hiking just partway up the Mala Osojnica trail -- a short but steep climb |
| Bled Castle perches at the top of a sheer cliff |
| That said, the view from Ojstrica is nothing to sneeze at, especially if you forego the bench and take a photo from the higher-up rocks |
| This is the famous bench at Ojstrica, the second overlook point. As you can see, the view is somewhat obscured by shrubbery, and the bench itself tilts downward. An annoying sign has also been added that detracts from the overall effect of the bench, in our opinion. |
| And this is the view to the right, where most of Bled township's hotels, restaurants, and shops are located. Buses from Ljubljana arrive here. |
| This is the view to the left |
| Zooming in on the island, you can see oared boats and rowboats going to and from the island to visit the church |
| From the "Mala" overlook, the island church and Bled Castle in the background line up almost perfectly |
| The promenade is about 6 km ( 3½ mi) long, and it takes about 1½ hours to circle the entire lake at a relaxed pace |
| We were blessed with one good day out of three at Lake Bled. We suggest postponing this hike if the weather's bad, as parts of it are steep and slippery. |
| Mala Osojnica Overlook |
| Ojstrica Overlook |
| Lakeside Promenade |
| What a difference a day can make! This was the misty, rainy view from our Hotel Kompas balcony over the following two days. |
| Did we mention the castle is lit up at night? Magical! |