A Lot To Be Said For Lake Bled
- Carys Reid-Davies
- Sep 20, 2019
- 11 min read
Updated: Aug 20, 2020
Lake Bled (Slovenia)
14 - 18 September
DAY 16
We had a slightly stressful start to the day (it turns out that navigating your way to Budapest Kelenfoeld Station at 8AM in the morning via a metro that is broken and a bus that takes you three stops in the wrong direction, isn’t the funnest experience). However, Ellis came to the rescue by flagging down a taxi which got us there in time for the one train that was running to Ljubljana that day (cue big sigh of relief). We hopped on and ended up sharing four seats with two Finnish men who were on their way to watch the Volleyball in Ljubljana. With a ten hour journey, time seemed to fly by as they told us about Finland (did you know that it used to be traditional to give birth in saunas, and every household in Finland owns one)! They even started teaching me magic which hugely excited me as I’ve always been a sucker for card tricks and this guy was seriously talented. We found ourselves being invited to their woodland cabins anytime we wanted to visit, so it looked like next Summer we’d be going to France and Finland!
We were sad to say goodbye, but as the train arrived at Ljubljana they went off to watch the match whilst we gobbled up sweet and sour noodles. The train to Lake Bled wasn’t long at all and after a short taxi ride to our hostel, we found ourselves finally here. Budapest by morning, Slovenia by night.
The Garden House (the hostel we were staying at) was amazing, with a chill out area, hammocks, and cute tables and chairs lit by candles for those wanting to cook. We were glad to be here for four nights. After dumping our bags we walked two minutes to the Lake and my God was it stunning. As it was dark the lake itself was hard to see but the reflection of the castle shimmered in the water, creating a spectacular mirage. We tucked ourselves into Devil’s bar for Pina Colada’s and knew that this was to be unlike anywhere we’d been so far.
The Garden House
DAY 17
We were desperate to get out and see Lake Bled in the daylight (or at least I was), so we popped down and nothing could have prepared us. The most utterly stunning, turquoise water with an island shooting up from below and mountains surrounding it all. It honestly looked like a painting. We grabbed breakfast from The Market on The Lake and sat by the side soaking in the view. I still could not believe somewhere like this existed. It was absolute paradise. We walked the entire lake (which is bloom’n huge) and then came back to our spot for lunch.
We felt we deserved a cocktail after our morning efforts so we went to Pub Bled, which had caught our eye last night. It was a really funky spot and did some great drinks (we decided to choose for each other and this time Ellis did far better than when we had the whole limoncello fiasco in Berlin)!
We watched others out on the lake, and having seen people paddle boarding, we couldn’t miss out. Besides, with the temperature near 30 degrees, we were seriously wanting to get out on the water. I’d mastered this activity before in Mauritius, but Ellis was new to it all so I was convinced he’d end up in the lake. To my disappointment, and despite a few hairy moments, we managed to successfully stay dry. However, it was so fun and such a treat to be on still water; I’d have done it all day if I could!
On our way back we decided to check out a hill, just two minutes walk on from The Garden House, which had tobogganing on offer. As soon as we got there, I knew we’d be doing it, so up we went on a chairlift and down we sped on a toboggan. The view from the top was breathtaking and the speed we gained going down did have my tummy doing butterflies at points.
We’d decided to make the most of the hostel so we came back, cracked open a bottle of wine (for only €1.90 might I add), and cooked up some salmon pasta. We ended up having a ‘interesting’ conversation with another girl staying there, but it was a coincidence that she, like Ellis, came from Nottingham and now working in school finance, she knew some of his old teachers.
We decided to call it a night, but it didn’t quite feel like the night had been fulfilled so I grabbed Ellis and marched him into town for a cocktail. We went back to our favourite; Pub Bled, and got a couple in there whilst playing a few rounds of cards and scattegories (another of our favourite games). It had been a fabulous first day and tomorrow only promised more excitement and exploring!
DAY 18
Clearly the hike up Petrin and Gellert Hill, the multiple steps at the towers in Wroclaw and Krakow, and the stroll round Lake Bled hadn't satisfied me, so our first activity today was to climb up to Bled Castle. We had a running joke that I had a way of finding all steep ascents (but views are notoriously better from a height so can you really blame me)? As we got to the top, sweaty and out of breath, we were in awe of the view of the Lake below. There was a Slovenian Museum of Natural History which we popped our heads into, then it was back down we went.
A drink was desperately needed so we settled at Devil's Bar where, to my delight, a young flat-coat puppy was playfully jumping onto a gorgeous white husky and toppling off again. Having two flat-coats myself, I was so taken with the adorable dogs so that was a nice little bonus.
The sun was beating down onto our skin and it seemed ironic that we were having our energy sapped by the heat when water was just a few feet away. There was only one thing to be done. With costumes (and in Ellis' case, trunks) on, we bombed into the water, refreshingly cool water engulfing our bodies as we relaxed in the glistening lake. Both of us did have a swim, but mine was fairly short as I realised I wasn't actually the most capable swimmer (the lake was deep so after treading water for however long, I was done in)!
Throwing a rugby ball back and forth to make the walk back a little more entertaining, we returned to where we'd hired a paddle board the day before, but instead asked for a rowing boat. For only €10 we had our transport for the next hour and a half (it was only an hour hire but the guy was lovely and said we could have an extra 20 minutes). Today we were determined to get all the way to the island and back, so with high hopes we set off ... very slowly. It took half an hour of Ellis going "we must be doing something wrong", until we finally realised that yes, we were doing something very wrong. We were rowing with the boat backwards! After a quick manoeuvre, we were back on track and actually moving faster than 2km/h.
As we approached the island, we realised we needed to dock up, so Ellis began making his way to the front of the boat as I sat back and sipped my mojito (I thought moral support was best here). There were a lot of boats already, so he stepped onto one to try and help squeeze us in, and slowly the two boats began moving in the opposite directions. He held out for as long as he could, doing a splits that was worthy of a gold medal, before eventually he let up and fell backwards. Remarkably, his shoes and socks were bone dry, as for the rest of him; soaked. Somehow he'd submerged his whole body underwater but kept his feet firmly in both boats before bouncing back up again. I was in hysterics, as was a boat load of American tourists.
Ellis laughed it off as I cracked him open a beer and we began exploring the island. It didn't take long so we were glad we hadn't paid €15 each to get across on a tour boat, and instead got our own. It was back into the boat after than, with Ellis taking extra care, and we navigated our way around the professional rowers which were now out on the lake. We made it back to land without any more incidents and after a quick change, we went in search of pizza.
The Garden House recommended Rustica and it was a great tip off. With a large pizza and chips between the two of us, we were happy as could be in the rustic restaurant. We decided to split a dessert and oh my it was one hell of a dessert. Honey chocolate cake with whipped cream painted around it, it turns out, is the best concoction I have ever tasted. It had sweetness oozing from the sides and a chocolate dusting which left a cocoa aftertaste. That, alongside the fluffy cream was beyond heavenly. All that was left now was a nice stroll back round the river to our cosy little room.
DAY 19
It was up and atom as we had booked to go zip lining this morning, so after a quick bowl of cereal, we were being taken up into the mountains. There were seven of us, including Ellis and I, plus the two most fantastic tour guides. We were shown what to do on a small 10 meter line, where we were clipped on and talked through how to stop by putting our hands flat on the wire line (we had gloves on though, otherwise it would have been goodbye to our skin)!
Next it was time for the really heart pumping stuff. I was attached and pushed off on what was hands down the most incredible few moments of the trip. Flying through the air, I observed the gorgeous valley below, with crystal blue water running in between countless trees that blanketed the mountain. The longest zip line was over a minute and it sent your adrenaline through the roof. Both Ellis and I were gobsmacked at what we’d done, and all before midday! You'd think that would be enough, but of course I was straight onto thinking what we could do next . . .
When we had gone tobogganing, I'd noticed a slide with a rubber dingy and inflatable at the end to land on. Ellis looked at me in disbelief and reasoned that this would hardly be worth doing having just flown through the sky at one hell of a rate. I wasn't having it though, and when I found out it was only €5 for three goes, there was no stopping me. I persuaded Ellis to have a go and, he had to admit, it was good fun. I had a ball and now I felt like we'd done everything, well, almost everything.
Everyone says that Ojstrica is a must when going to Lake Bled. It's effectively a 20 minute climb up a mountain to see yet another perspective of Lake Bled (this is where all the generic Lake Bled photos are taken). On route we came across a man, Bobi, selling watercolour paintings of the lake for €4. It was a nice memory and I wanted to support the artist as we'd walked past him when we initially walked the lake. It appeared that he sat here all day every day (what a trooper)! I picked my favourite and he got us to sit down so he could draw a caricature of us on the back; what a bonus! As he laughed away at his creation, it appeared he got Ellis spot on, whilst I was a little more ... abstract. It was lovely though and I was so glad I'd got it.
We carried on to the mountain and started up the rocky path. After a while we realised no one was around us and we were in the deepest depths of a forest. It didn't seem right, and it wasn't. We'd completely bypassed the turning to the viewpoint and carried on up a monumental mountain (because obviously the hike wasn't hard enough as it was). After making our way back to the correct point, we soaked up the view as Ellis pointed out that we had now walked Lake Bled and seen it from three different high points; the toboggan hill, Bled Castle and Ojstrica. We'd quite literally covered it all!
As it was our final night, we wanted to have a special last meal so we settled down at Park Restaurant, a fancy spot right on the lake. As the sky turned from blue to pink, we ate schnitzel and prawns before sharing the traditional Bled cake (after all, we couldn't leave without trying that)! It was lush, not as good as the dessert our previous night though (nothing was beating that)! There was a casino next door so we prayed for luck and decided to give it a go. After multiple rounds of roulette, we came out having broken even. It had been a right hoot as others had joined (most of them with masses of money) and placed big bets on the numbers. We had only sacrificed €20, and although we were up €30 at one point, we were happy to be walking away without a loss.
The Park Restaurant; you can also stay at the hotel here
We returned to our chill area in the Garden House, cracked open a few drinks and listened to music as the night ran away. We went up for our final nights sleep, and I couldn't help but feel like it had all gone too quick. Three weeks sounds like a long time, but I could have easily done another three. As I drifted off, I reasoned that this was the best outcome of a holiday; to be hungry for more as opposed to being ready to leave. Slovenia, I was going to miss you desperately.
DAY 20
It was as if Lake Bled knew we were leaving and wanted to replicate our emotions. As rain spitted, we made a solemn last walk down to the lake for coffee and breakfast (Ellis also decided to hang up his wet clothes on the line ... outside ... whilst it was raining ... genius)! An airport transfer came and picked us up, so all of a sudden we were hurtling towards Ljubljana airport. You’d have thought this would be the end of our journey, but there were still antics to come.
As we checked in our bags, mine came up as 8 kilos too heavy (brilliant). I was determined to get it on, though, so out came almost every item of clothing until I was wearing multiple tops, hoodies, jumpers and coats. Ellis said I looked like a homeless person, but hey, it worked!
The flight was relatively smooth but as we got to passport control at Luton, they were having none of Ellis’ passport. “Do you have another form of identification”? Asked a stern and intimidating officer. On presenting his provisional (yes provisional) driving license, the official compared it to his passport. After some huffing and puffing, he was let through so we reconvened to get our bags.
My suitcase came round first so as Ellis waited for his, I decided to undress myself down to one layer (I was boiling by this point). Flinging my clothes and bag into the suitcase, I forgot I’d also put my precious present from Cos Tattoo in Wroclaw in my carry on bag as it was a heavy item. Crash, shards shattered all over the airport floor as I let out a squeal of despair. A woman took pity on me, clearly aware I was devastated, and picked up the broken pieces. Ellis, on the other hand, returned and let out a huge belly laugh; he said it made his holiday. Four flipping countries that had been safely transported and it was Luton where it came to its demise - typical!
As I grumbled to the car, thinking that nothing else could possibly go wrong, Ellis put his hands to his head in horror. “I knew I’d forget something”, he exclaimed. And so, it was one all. I may have crashed my souvenir but Ellis, it turned out, had left his clothes on the washing line in Lake Bled (I still think it’s karma for laughing at me over my smashed gift). Thankfully, that was the last of our trials and tribulations. All in all it had been a wonderful three weeks which was topped off by celebrating with champagne and reliving all we’d done with my family that evening.
Top Tips
- Walk Lake Bled
- Climb Up Bled Castle for the view
- Hire a Paddle Board for an hour
- Hire a boat and row to the island
- Have a swim in the Lake (there’s no better way to cool down)
- Go Tobogganing down the hill and do the rubber dingy jump
- Get a painting of Lake Bled from Bobbi and he’ll do you a caricature on the back
- Climb up Ojstrica (ideally for sunrise or sunset)
- Do the 4KM Zip Line over the valley
- Put €20 aside for the Casino
Best Place to Eat: Rustica
Best Place to Drink: Pub Bled
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