The wishing bell
From 1534 — rung from the church by rope.
James Southorn — CC BY 2.0 · bmw3528 — CC BY 2.0 · Julien Maury — Public domain · David Blaikie from Hampshire, UK — CC BY 2.0
Slovenia's only island: a small rock in the middle of Lake Bled crowned by the white Church of the Assumption with its tower (1465, Baroque today), and a stone stair of 99 steps rising from the pier — tradition holds that a groom carries his bride up all of them, and that a visitor rings the wishing bell three times for a wish to come true. Reach it by the canopied wooden pletna boat rowed by a standing oarsman, a trade handed down in Bled families since the eighteenth century, or by hired rowing boat — twenty minutes from the shore. On the island are the church with its bell, the tower with clock and view, and a café with cream cake and traditional potica bread. An hour suffices, and the island's most famous photo is taken from the Ojstrica lookout, not from it.
From 1534 — rung from the church by rope.
A standing oarsman under a canopy — a centuries-old family trade.
Blejski otok, Bled
Lake BledSlovenia's most famous picture: an emerald glacial lake two kilometres long bene5 minutes walk4.3
Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica ViewpointsThe picture of Bled you have seen was taken from here: Ojstrica is a rocky looko12 minutes walk4.7
Bled CastleSlovenia's oldest castle on its highest rock: Bled Castle has crowned a 130-metr15 minutes walk4.3Possible for strong swimmers from the western shore (about 400 metres) in summer, but landing is only at the pier.