After breakfast in Ljubljana we left in a taxi for Bled, which is famous for its beautiful lake and scenery.
Information on Bled:-
Bled is very tourism-orientated due to its historical landmarks and favourable geographical situation south of the Alps. The view of Bled with its castle, lake and little island in the middle of the lake is a globally recognised image. The Bled Castle, a silent witness to the former power, stands firmly and confidently on the cliff overlooking the lake. Lake Bled is well-known for its extraordinary beauty. The backdrop for this paradise are the wooded hillsides of Jelovica and Pokljuca, the mountain peaks of the Julian Alps with Triglav, their highest mountain and the symbol of Slovenia, and the Karawanks. A romantic island with the Church of the Holy mother of God (St Mary’s) stands in the middle of the lake. The island and the church boast a rich history. The famous wishing bell from 1543 is located in the church on the island.
We decided to walk to Vintgar Gorge today, which is some 4km to the northwest of Bled village. The highlight is a 1600m wooden walkway through the gorge, built in 1893 and continually rebuilt since. It criss-crosses the swirling Radovna River four times over rapids, waterfalls and pools before reaching 16m-high Šum Waterfall.
After exiting the gorge we walked through the tiny village of Zasip and through the beautiful countryside. All the houses have very neat and beautiful gardens and most have a good array of vegetables.
On our second day in Bled we cycled around the lake and out to the villages on the way to Bohinj. On the way back to Bled we stopped at Frida’s Old House and had a coffee. We talked to a lovely man who explained that the house had belonged to his family for years and was named after his grandfather Frederick (shortened to Frida!) and that he had been renovating the house since covid started. Luca was the mans name and he gave us so much information on the surrounding area.
After returning to Bled and having a lovely pizza for lunch at a cafe recommended by Luca, Margaret and I went on a boat called a “plentna” to Bled island. This is a hand-made wooden boat, which is driven by a pletnar, a boat rower, who oars standing up.
On arriving at Bled Island we wanted to hear the story regarding the famous wishing bell on Bled Island and this is it:-
The so-called “wishing bell” was made by Franziskus Patavinus in the Italian Padova in 1534. The legend says that a young inconsolable widow lived in Bled Castle at that time. Her husband was killed by robbers and his body was dumped in the lake, so she collected all her silver and gold and paid for the bell that would be put in the chapel on the island. But the bell never arrived there, since a heavy storm sunk it with the boat and boatmen. Some say that the bell can still be heard in clear nights. After the accident, the desperate widow sold all her belongings and went to live in a monastery in Rome. After her death, the Pope dedicated a new bell and sent it to Bled Island. Whoever rings the bell and sends a wish to the merciful “lady from the lake”, she fulfils their wish!!
And to finish our stay in Bled we went to dinner at a restaurant called Old Cellar restaurant recommended to us by Luca. The food was good. However the food outside of the big cities in Slovenia seems to be quite heavy with a lot of thick sauces and big slabs of meat. The restaurant was very quaint.
And so tomorrow our cycling trip begins!!!
