Slovenia – By Cacble Car to Vogel, Bled Lake, and Surroundings

A ticket to Vogel and back is quite expensive, prepare more than 20 euros, but it's worth it. You will complete the first part of the trip in a cable car, a veil is a condition of entry. The view of Lake Bohinj is really impressive. At an altitude of 1535 m this part of the road ends. You are at the starting point for various challenging hiking trips. One of the options is a pleasant walk to the lookout point Točka, expect about an hour of travel. We choose another ascent using the chairlift to the top of Vogel - 1922 m above sea level. You don't have to buy any other tickets, the same one is valid, mainly don't put it anywhere, you will need it for the return trip.

The light conditions are quite good, so we enjoy the trip properly and take pictures of the beautiful Julian Alps. Triglav National Park is beautiful. From here, you can continue to the highest mountain in the Julian Alps - Triglav, although most people choose this route to the most demanding routes. The boarding places are somewhere at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. We do not have such ambitions, we enjoy the views of the beautiful surrounding landscape and we are slowly getting back.

And now we are heading to Lake Bled. If I compare Bled and Bohinj, Bled is more commercial, more "laced" by the rules. You can swim here only in the local swimming pool under the castle, but the pools are powered by thermal water, which has ensured the place in the past (the Swiss doctor Arnold Rikli established a medical institute here in 1895). At the beginning of the 20th century, Bled was an elite resort, where members of the Romanian, Greek and English royal families spent their holidays, among others. Along the lake is a large promenade full of restaurants, cafes and attractions for tourists. For example, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride or take a boat trip on the lake.

In the vicinity you can go to Bled Castle. You can see them from a distance, it rises on a rock directly above the lake. In addition to the beautiful views of the lake, I recommend visiting the castle printing house, mint and wine cellar. I assume you won't leave without a bottle of quality local wine.

A place that cannot be missed is the island in the middle of the lake. You can choose from several options, for me the traditional boat called pletna wins. While cruising the lake, you can see Tito's Villa - the summer residence of President Tito and his distinguished guests, now an international hotel. As soon as you come to the shore, you will ascend about 100 steps to the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

If you come to Bled on Saturday, it will be very busy here, so maybe. Saturday morning is intended for local markets. There are lots of wooden shops with souvenirs, handmade traditional items on the promenade, but you can also sample many local specialties. However, whether Saturday markets will take place depends on current measures.

In the end, we kept the best, the Vintgar Gorge. Prepare 10 euros for admission. It is really charming, a walk along a wild river is not difficult at all. The predatory river has found its way in the rock gorge, breaking through the gorge by its own strength. At the very end you will enjoy the 16m Šum waterfall. You can only go along the water in the direction there, at the end you have to decide either for a return trip through the forest or longer with beautiful views. We recommend a longer one.

GPS: 46°22'08.0"N 14°06'05.2"E

Text and photos: Magdaléna Radostová