Greetings Internet Stranger and welcome to a perfect Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip. Slovenia is a smallish but beautiful country, and as nice as its capital city, Ljubljana, is, you should spend some time in the Slovenian countryside. How does the medieval town of Skofja Loka sound? Then we’ll head to the flabbergastingly pretty Lake Bled, and finally feast on pizza and ice cream in Ljubljana. Follow me!
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I am utterly unable to drive, and I was coming from Zagreb, in the north of Croatia, so I chose to hire a private driver to take me on this Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip. That way I could get from Croatia to Slovenia and see tons of sights along the way.
However, you can also easily do this Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip from Ljubljana, Slovenia by booking this fabulous tour.
Check rates and availability right here!
Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
Where to Stay
I’m assuming that you’ll end the Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. That means we’ll want a convenient, affordable, and pleasant hotel right in Ljubjana’s City Center.
I recommend the City Hotel Ljubljana. The staff is extremely friendly, and the breakfast included every morning is quite tasty. The hotel organizes tours and events as well, which is very helpful. Plus their rates for doing laundry were reasonable, which is important to someone who is traveling all around Europe for several weeks, like I was.
If you’d like to try a great deal on this hotel, click here.
And if you’d rather explore tons of other hotels in Ljubljana, click here. I’m sure you’ll find something right up your alley! This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay for your Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip. With hundreds of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.
Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
Morning: Skofja Loka
I was so happy that this tour didn’t only include a stop at Lake Bled because there are so many other wonderful places to see in Slovenia that I could never see in the United States. And one of those gems is the remarkable town of Skofja Loka.
Skofja Loka is the kind of adorable European town that it’s easy to miss if you travel by bus or train. That’s why it’s so convenient that we have our own car today! The town dates all the way back to the 10th century (!!!!) which for an American like me is so old, it might as well be a setting on Game of Thrones. I was half expecting to see dragons roaming the streets.
We don’t have time on this Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip to see everything Skofja Loka has, but we do have time for…
Three Fun Facts: Skofja Loka
1) What’s the Most Famous Sight in Skofja Loka?
That would almost definitely be Loka Castle. I mean, I haven’t literally asked every single citizen of Skofja Loka what the most famous sight is, but I’m sure this must be the correct opinion. There has been a castle on this spot since at least the 12th century, but this castle only dates back to the 16th century. So basically it’s just a baby castle. It’s home to a Slovenian history museum, so please do check that out if you have the time.
You might not have time to tour the castle because we only have enough hours to spend the morning here before continuing on our Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip. Also, you might visit on a Monday, as I did, in which case the castle will be closed.
However, if you are able to go inside, please write to me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know all about what it’s like inside a medieval Slovenian castle.
2) Is There Anything to Do Near the Castle?
Yes! Even if the Loka Castle is closed or you don’t have enough time to go, you should still walk up to the castle for the amazing views of Skofja Loka. Plus there are lots of fun little attractions near Loka Castle and they are free of charge. I especially recommend the little wooden houses that cottagers would have lived in. Let’s not only remember the kings and queens, Internet Stranger!
There’s also a playground near the Loka Castle called Igrisce Zamorc. This playground has a sign that explains why there is a Black man on the Skofja Loka coat of arms. According to the legend, this man helped a bishop when he was being attacked by a bear. I wonder if he knew the gentleman was a bishop when he was rescuing him. Probably he was more worried about fending off an angry bear.
In thanks, the bishop told him that he would be famous and future generations would remember him. And now we’ve made that prophecy come true on this blog because you and I both know the story! Although if I ever rescue a bishop from a bear, I hope he rewards me with money, not fame. I mean, a kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
3) Does Skofja Loka have a real town part?
Of course! We’ve been up above by the castle, but please don’t forget about the actual town, which houses more than 10,000 Slovenians. In fact, the entire Old Town has been preserved as a cultural monument since 1987. So visiting here is like seeing a museum that people actually live in. Real people, not just children who have run away from the suburbs to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
There won’t be enough time on the tour to see all the buildings in this quaint village, but you can’t visit Skofja Loka without stopping at the Cappuchin Bridge. This is the oldest bridge in Slovenia, so when you walk across it, you’re stepping across history!
After that, don’t miss the lovely St. Jacob’s church, right near the Cappuchin Bridge. People can get “churched out” touring Europe, but how many Slovenian churches have you seen? Probably none, right? So get excited about this one! It might be closed, but at the very least, you can explore its exterior.
There’s one reason to be grateful for modern amenities in this historic Old Town: clean public toilets! You can tell Skofja Loka is ready and willing to welcome tourists because these babies are always kept fresh and clean. There are signs for the toilets, so you won’t have to look hard to find them. I’m sure your guide will also help if you get lost.
Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
Afternoon: Lake Bled
All right, now it’s time for the star of the show: Lake Bled! This is arguably the most beautiful place in all of Slovenia, as I’m sure you can see from my photo above. Once you arrive, you’ll see why people call it one of the most beautiful lakes in all Europe.
Visiting Slovenia without seeing Lake Bled is just sick and wrong. But there’s more to do in Lake Bled than just stare at some water. I’ll point you in the right direction with…
Approximately Top 5: Lake Bled
1) Bled Castle Exteriors
There’s two ways to see Lake Bled and you’re going to want to experience both of them. The first way is from the high-up vantage point of Bled Castle. If you take the guided tour that I suggested, your driver can drop you off and set you down here for an hour or so.
The price of admission isn’t included with the tour, so visiting here is optional. When I went, admission was 11 Euros, which was definitely worth it. Bled Castle itself is beautiful, but the most beautiful part is the views of Lake Bled below. Observe:
See what I mean, or do you still need to be convinced? Fine, I will keep going.
Pretty enough for you, or do you need one more? OK, you’re a tough crowd, but I always aim to please my internet strangers!
There. If you’re not convinced now, you’re truly dead to all feeling. Even my stoic Slovenian driver kept babbling to me about how special Lake Bled was, and now that I’ve stared into its blueberry-blue waters, I understand where he was coming from. I thought lakes like this only existed in obscure Swiss villages being ravaged by Frankenstein’s monster.
There are several floors to Bled Castle, so try to take pictures of the spectacular lake on each floor.
2) Bled Castle Interior
But you don’t want to spend your entire time at Bled Castle taking pictures! You paid admission, and gosh dang it, you should get your money’s worth. That means exploring the castle’s interior, like this lovely chapel, which I assume was dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Cupcakes.
This chapel used to be done in the Gothic style, but after an earthquake it was renovated in the Baroque style. I didn’t need a pamphlet to tell me that. Anything this pink and gold has got to be Baroque. But as Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast says, “If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it!”
The other can’t miss sight at the castle is the vine crawling the walls, which they claim is the oldest vine in the world. If you’re in Slovenia in the fall, you just might be lucky enough to see them harvest the grapes, which are used to make a most rare and delicate wine.
If you want some cheese to go with that wine, you can also get a snack at the castle restaurant. But save room for dessert…
3) Cream Cake at Zima
This baby above is the reason I told you to save room for dessert. My driver dropped me off here and told me that Bled was famous for cream cake and this place Slascicarna Zima had the best one in Bled. Normally when a driver does something like that, I assume he is being paid in under the counter cake money, but this cream cake, known in Slovenian as kremna rezina, is actually completely divine. So even if the driver was paid money to recommend this cake, I don’t begrudge him that honest commission.
I can promise you that you won’t be able to find a cake like this outside Lake Bled. In fact, technically you are not allowed to call cakes outside of Lake Bled kremna rezina. It’s like Champagne, only cake. Well, one bite of this cake and you’ll want to snarfle the whole thing down. You’ll feel like this should have been your only meal for the day. (But don’t worry! We will still have dinner.)
4) Take a Stroll Around Lake Bled
Ugh, look at that water. It’s as blue as the eyes of my 7th grade crush, who probably still doesn’t know that I was ever born. Perhaps the water is so blue because we are enjoying our Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip in the Alps and melted glaciers are involved? I wish I knew for sure, but I am not a lake water scientist.
What I do know is that even with summertime crowds, this is a beautiful and peaceful place to go for an afternoon walk. I mean, I can’t imagine a more spectacular place to walk off the calories from a Champagne cream cake.
Really, when you look at this photo, you can imagine that you are completely alone at Lake Bled. Just you, the Alpine Waters, and Heidi yodeling the background. Hmm, but since we are in Slovenia, I should come up with a Slovenian children’s story, not a Swiss one. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can think of a Slovenian children’s classic.
One popular activity at Lake Bled is renting a boat and going for a spin for an hour or so. I met a fellow solo female traveler who invited me to rent a boat with her. Sadly I did not have enough time, but if I did, I would have been happy to join her.
So if you are an avid boatist, keep that in mind when planning your itinerary. I’m sure there’s no better place to take a boat out for a spin, and if your boat sinks, at least you would go down in such a glorious spot.
24 Hour Tip
That’s all the secrets of this excellent Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip that I can share with you at the moment. If you want to experience this amazing day for yourself, just go ahead and book the tour.
Check rates and availability right here!
Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
Evening: Pinsa and Ice Cream in Ljubljana
In the late afternoon, your driver will drop you off at your hotel in Ljubljana and after a little freshening up and digesting of cream cake, you’ll be ready for dinner! Fortunately I know a wonderful place where we can get a tasty light dinner: Pinsa Rustika, for some justly famous Slovenian pizz.
Pinsa is a kind of Roman style pizza with a crust as fluffy as an infant cloud’s hair. I chose to have mine topped with fresh tomatoes and a spicy bresaola. The ladies at Pinsa explained to me that bresaola is like proscuitto with beef. But we don’t need to be told what bresaola is, do we, Internet Stranger? Of course, not. We are experts on all Italian cured meats.
Part of the Very Difficult work I do for the loyal readers of this blog is to test out as many different ice cream shops all around the world to find the best. And from what I could see, the favorites in Ljubljana are Vigo and Cacao. We will hit up Cacao another day, but for now we stop at Vigo. Get ready to wait on line but it will be worth it.
They have plenty of flavors, but I chose the Vigo flavor because I always get the house flavor because I saw Ocean’s Eleven and I know the house always wins. It was the best I am sure because it had tons of Nutella in it. That’s just science.
Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
Tools For Travel
- A portable cell charger so that your phone won’t die a miserable death during your Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
- The best international travel adapter because if you’re American like I am, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics during your Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
That’s a Perfect Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
What would you do on a Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip? Did I convince you how beautiful Lake Bled truly is or do you need more photos? And can I get my grandmother’s chocolate cake recipe trademarked and make it international law that you can only sell it in her home in Dalton, Georgia? Email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know.
Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend one day on your Ljubljana to Bled Lake day trip
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