When the morning mist burns off, the Gothic Church of the Assumption, perched atop tiny Bled Island, emerges from Lake Bled like some kind of mythical freshwater creature surfacing to breathe. It’s an inspiring sight, which Iztok Čop, a Slovenian gold medalist rower who’s competed in five Olympics, has seen on “his home lake” many times, he says.
On my first visit to Bled, a small town tucked away in Slovenia’s verdant Julian Alps (named after Julius Caesar), we arrived late at night and were unable to find a hotel, so wound up sleeping in my Volkswagen (not recommended) near the lakeside. Awaking before dawn, we caught sight of the picturesque island materializing out of the fog. Chills, meet spine and run along. The island and lake are the centerpieces of this town, which was once a favorite destination of Yugoslav dictator Tito and is now an occasional locale for Bollywood shoots. The neo-Gothic Church of St. Martin, and the impressive mansions dotted along the shore, add to Bled’s majestic charm.
Čop, who saw much of the world during his Olympic career, doesn’t take his home for granted. “I realize what we have here,” he says, happy that more and more Slovenians appreciate the “need to take care” of the region’s nature and clean drinking water. That nature includes Straža Hill (with a small ski slope come wintertime), with wonderful walks and views of Bled Castle — an ancient cliffside fortress suspended high above the town. Maja Lakota, from the Bled Tourist Board, recommends hikes through other high hills as well, including Dobra Gora (Good Mountain) to the south, Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica to the west and Castle Hill, with its towering limestone cliff.
When it comes time to fill your belly, dig into Bled’s scrumptious kremsnita cream cake, which the Park Hotel whipped up (the original recipe, that is) in 1953. I wolfed down several while there, but worked those extra calories off — or so I imagined — on long hikes.
“Local small farms produce their own meat and milk products,” Čop says. People on the street and hotel staff can point you to spots where you can sample traditional farmhouse fare. If you want to dine outside Bled, Radovljica, a medieval town only a few kilometers away, boasts a small but worthwhile restaurant scene (Čop suggests Lectar, Kunstelj or Augustin for a good meal), with lots of affordable Slovenian wines to boot.