Bled, Slovenia

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It was an adventure getting to Bled. There was only one direct train leaving from Venice and it wasn't until 11 at night (as it was a Sunday) so we opted for the more confusing route. We took a train to Gorizia on the Italian border then took a bus to the edge of town and walked across a road to Nova Gorica in Slovenia. We'd crossed borders by bus, car, train, plane but this was the first time we'd walked over the line. We waited another few hours for the next train and finally arrived in Bled by 6 pm.

The train station was on the opposite side of Lake Bled from the city so we hiked around the lake and checked into a hostel. Bled is our kind of town: small (around 5,000), quiet in the off season and tons of outdoor activities at your doorstep. The first day there we walked the circumference of the lake. Lake Bled is very cool, there is an island in the middle of the lake which holds the Church of the Assumption. There are boats you can rent to take you to the island but in the summer you can swim the 500m. I considered swimming but alas common sense prevailed.

The second day there we bought a topographic map so we could hit up the extensive trail network around the town. We went for a long hike through meadows and farm fields that criss-crossed an amazingly clear, turquoise coloured river. Another day we walked around the town and up to the castle on the hill. This was one of those places where we planned on 2 nights and ended up staying 5. Recharged from our time in the wilderness we headed back off into the city as we finally went to the capital city, Ljubljana.

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Photos

Bled
The Bled Castle across the lake

Bled
The small island with the big church

Bled
Contemplating the cold swim

Bled
A beautiful glacial river

Bled
Oh crap, a fork in the road

Bled
The town of Bled from the castle

Bled
A good view of the lake

Bled
Jay after the climb up the hill