Bled is one of the most interesting towns in Slovenia's Julian Alps. It boasts a medieval castle that was the seat of South Tyrolian bishops for more then 800 years. Later the Yugoslav royal family had its summer residence there.

Bled's castle sits atop a steep cliff, high above the eastern end of Lake Bled and offers great views over the area. Inside the castle is a small museum, where you can learn more about the area's history.

The glacial Lake Bled in front of the city features a scenic island with the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. The church was built on the location of an earlier temple consecrated to Živa, the Slavic goddess of love and fertility.

You can get to the island by raditional flat-bottomed wooden boats known as pletna. Once you get there, you will have to climb 99 steps to te church.

A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent. The island has been inhabited since ancient times, as human traces from prehistory have been found there.

Bled is a good place to stay if you want to visit the Triglav National Park, or climb Mount Triglav.

Some 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Bled is Lake Bohinj. The area around that lake is undeveloped and very beautiful. There are numerous high mountains and lovely valleys. Nearby are the Savica Waterfall and the town of Stara Fuzina, where hiking trails to Mount Triglav start.

There are many hotels and restaurants in Bled. The town is 45 km northwest of Ljubljana and has good bus and train connections with many other places in Slovenia.

Bled ©Veni

Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church ©Martin Katler

Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church ©Neven Krcmarek

Vintgar Gorge ©Pavol Svantner

Bled ©Guido Sorarù

Bled ©Alai Photography