I took the bus from Ljubljana to Lake Bled today, nestled in the mountains of Slovenia. It was absolutely my favourite place I've seen so far on this trip - and possibly in my entire lifetime too. I'd looked forward to paying a visit here ever since I first researched Ljubljana and found that it was really easy to take a lot of day trips from the city. Something that keeps on surprising me is the relief and pride I feel whenever I actually manage to do something that initially seems so overwhelmingly scary and unknown. I didn't know where the bus station or terminal was, where to buy my ticket or specifically what ticket to buy, I didn't know how far the bus station was from the lake or what amenities would be there but somehow I actually overcame all of these obstacles - on my own - and had the best day ever. I was happy to be out of Ljubljana for the day because as lovely as the city is, I know I would have ran out of things to do since it's quite small. The sight of this beautiful fairytale castle on a lake and the surrounding mountains and trees was a far prettier view.
I walked from the centre of the city of Ljubljana to the connected bus and train station, buying a return ticket from the ticket box office located in a small building outside the main train station beside the bus ranks. I bought a return ticket for about 13 euros. A tip for anyone hoping to visit Lake Bled from Ljubljana - particularly in the busy summer months - is to buy a single ticket each way. I had no problems with my outbound journey but coming back to Ljubljana in the evening was a bit problematic. When you buy a return ticket, you're restricted to just one particular bus per hour, even though there are many buses stopping in Lake Bled which pass through Ljubljana. Not only was this bus about forty-five minutes late, it was also seriously overcrowded and not everyone was able to get on it. The particular bus for a return ticket from Ljubljana only runs until 9pm (I believe) so if you don't want to run the risk of getting stuck overnight, opt to buy a single ticket back to Ljubljana from any of the buses at the station in Bled rather than buying in advance!
From the bus station in Bled, you can follow a short path down to the Lake. Prepare for your mind to be blown at that first glimpse. If you're reading this with the intention of arranging a visit, you will no doubt have seen plenty of photos already but no amount of pretty pictures can do justice to the incredible sight of the real-life thing! I was so lucky to visit on such a warm, sunny day. Everything felt very relaxed and easy and I was in no hurry to see everything all at once. The first thing you'll notice as you start your circuit of the lake is a really big platform with a bar, deck chairs and waterslides for sunbathing and swimming with pretty extortionate charges in place to use. Don't be sucked in by this tourist trap. According to the signs, this is the only location by the lake where swimming is permitted. Although on the other side of the lake, out of view, I found hundreds of people sunbathing comfortably and swimming with no problems from authorities for free. There are plenty of quiet, shallow spots to go for a swim and dozens of picnic spots to sit and take in the view!
I wasn't really timing myself so I can't really give an approximate time it took me to make a full circuit of the lake but it did take up my entire day as I kept stopping to sit and enjoy the view, lie at the water and have a sunbathe sesh and eat my packed lunch! There were tons of places to stop for a drink and something to eat, particular in the second half of the circuit, but I went for the budget option as I did on my entire trip abroad. There were also lots of opportunities to do plenty of activities around the lake, such as renting bikes, taking rowboats out to the church on the island and do watersports like paddleboarding and kayaking. I personally didn't do any of these but if I ever return here (and I hope I do) I would absolutely look into these activities and hopefully do a couple! I was also really surprised by the number of hostels dotted around the lake which made me kind of regret only coming here for a day. I imagine waking up with such a beautiful sight on your doorstep would be a really incredible feeling.
All in all, Lake Bled had much more to offer than I ever expected, even though my expectations for it were already so high. I'd love to stay here overnight and experience more of the watersports that it had to offer as well as making the treck up the castle and the boat ride over to the pretty little church in the middle of the lake. I can't praise Lake Bled enough. It's a day I'll never forget and a day that, now that I'm home and back in reality, I can't quite believe I ever really lived.
A final must-do while you're there is to sample the famous 'Bled cake' which originated there. I don't know how true the claim was but I ate mine at the Hotel Park restaurant which apparently serves the only true, original Bled cake. It was delish nevertheless. If anyone's planning their own trip and has any questions about visiting the lake I'd be happy to answer them if I can!
No comments
Post a Comment