Adriatic Adventure: Slovenia, Part 2 of 3

After our drive through the Soča River Valley and Vršič Pass, as seen in Part 1, we checked in at Guest House Marco in Bled, Slovenia.  Our host Marco was an absolute delight with a warm and inviting personality.  He knew so much about his country and gave us great advice on what we should see and what we could probably pass on.  If you're ever in Bled I definitely recommend staying at his Guest House.  We were lucky and had the entire place to ourselves.  Perks of traveling right before summer tourism picks up!

Within walking distance from Guest House Marco is Lake Bled.  As seen in this photo, Lake Bled also has a little island on which perches the Church of Assumption.  It's apparently tradition for the groom to carry his bride up the 99 steps from the island's dock up to the church.  You can visit the island via the pletna boats or by renting a boat (or swimming or stand up paddle boarding!).  While a lovely option, we instead spent a good 1.5 hours meandering along the 3.5-mile (~5 km) path around the lake.

We also spotted some of the most gorgeous swan boats I've ever seen.  Lovely craftsmanship!

For those interested in castles, Bled Castle (Blejski Grad) is also nearby on a cliff.  One thousand years ago it was the seat of Austrian Bishops of Brixen, who controlled the town in the Middle Ages.  According to our Rick Steves' guidebook it has wonderful views (how could it not being on top of a cliff!?).  Sadly we didn't have time to see it as we opted for some hikes during our stay instead.

We took a short drive to the neighboring village of Koprivnik where we walked up to the Vodnik viewpoint.  You can easily follow the signs that say "Vodnikov Razglednik" to get to the viewpoint. 

 Once at the top you'll be able to see Lake Bohinj (not pictured) between Rudnica and Studor hills.  There are also wooden benches at the viewpoint, which make for great seats to enjoy a snack while admiring the views.

After our viewpoint adventure we took another short drive to the Vogel Ski Resort.  There we took the cable car up to the top of Vogel Mountain.

The view of Mount Triglav and the Julian Alps from the top of the mountain was stunning.

Our last stop of the day was a very scenic walk through the Vintgar Gorge.  This is perfect for anyone looking for an easy, level walk along some crystalline water views.  The walk itself is probably about 2 miles round trip.

The Radovna River, just north of Bled, carved this idyllic gorge into the mountainside.  The boardwalks make it easy to get around and there are plenty of shady spots to rest in on a hot day.

Towards the end of the walk (before you turn around) are some small "rapids"--great for practicing water photography!

And last, but certainly not least, we had to try the traditional Slovenian cream cake (kremna rezina or kremšnita) in Bled at Hotel Park.  Looks delicious, yes?  I can testify that it was quite tasty!  What better way to finish off our stay in Bled with some traditional food?