{"id":16967,"date":"2017-12-24T11:25:37","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T10:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=16967"},"modified":"2022-10-24T11:17:25","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T09:17:25","slug":"bled-slovenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/bled-slovenia\/","title":{"rendered":"Bled: 9 things not to miss in the Pearl of Slovenia"},"content":{"rendered":"

An atmosphere, frozen in time, among snow-covered peaks and quiet landscapes. A romantic castle on the mountain, where ancient myths and modern soap-operas take place. A boatman tells us the stories of the place while paddling towards the enchanted islet in the middle of the lake. Bled is the perfect destination for green tourism, and according to Lonely Planet, it is in third place in the “locations to visit in 2018” list. We couldn’t go and tell you the 9 best things not to miss this Alpine Pearl.<\/h2>\n

As soon as we arrived in Bled<\/strong>, in the heart of Alps Giulie<\/strong>, we breathed an atmosphere of silence that seemed almost surreal and frozen in time. Just a little bit more than an hour away from Italy, Bled is perfect for those who love sustainable tourism<\/strong> and want to have a romantic getaway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In the past, Bled has always been an inspiration for poets and\u00a0men of Letters and today it is one the most beautiful destination that promotes green tourism<\/strong>, and the third location to visit in the world according to\u00a0Lonely Planet<\/a>!<\/p>\n

When we arrived in Bled, it was surrounded by autumn warm and bright colors, by the smell of Saint Martin’s Day’s wine, music, and traditional songs. We discovered Bled’s landscape and treasures together with the Alpine pearls’ friends and we were delightfully surprised.<\/p>\n

What were the most surprising things about Bled<\/strong>? There are at least 9 things<\/strong> which left us mesmerized, 9 good reasons to visit it, 9 reasons not to miss this wonderful Alpine Pearl, and here they are:<\/p>\n

1. Sailing on the lake aboard a “pletna”<\/h2>\n

\"Bled<\/p>\n

First of all, we get aboard a “pletna<\/strong>“, Bled’s traditional boat<\/strong>. The boatman tells us that the boat has German origins and it is famous for its shape, quite flat and not very deep, which ensures that it has a great balance on the water. We are actually 8 people on the boat, so when one moves a bit the whole boat starts to swing. Fortunately, the boatman knows exactly how to arrange our positions in order to distribute the weight.<\/p>\n

While driving the boat on the\u00a0lake’s still waters with two big wooden oars, he tells us the real stories of Bled, such as the one about his job, passed down through generations of families. He inherited the job from his grandfather and the families who can drive a pletna in Bled are now 25 in total.<\/p>\n

We leave dry land behind and the islet becomes bigger and closer, surrounded by a fairy blue sky<\/strong>, with grey and white shades, typical of the autumn fog.<\/p>\n

And now it is time for the story of the 5 villages from which Bled was born. One of these is Mill<\/em> village, between the mountains and the river that enters the lake. Since the inhabitants of this village didn’t have much land to cultivate on, unlike the other villages, they were allowed to fish in the lake or to drive the typical boats.<\/p>\n

\"Typical
Typical wooden boats on Bled’s lake, photo by Silvia Ombellini<\/div><\/div>\n

Clearly, we appreciated the fact that boats with engines and made of plastic are forbidden on the lake, and only wooden and electrical boats are permitted. Not polluting the environment and respecting nature<\/strong> is a priority for the development of sustainable tourism in Bled. You can also go through the lake with a canoe, but only if you own one as there are no canoes to rent.<\/p>\n

2. Discover the island and ring the wishing bell<\/h2>\n

\"Bled,<\/p>\n

There is something magical about this island<\/strong> in the middle of the lake<\/strong>. Legend<\/strong> has it that a long time ago a young widow used to live right there on the islet. Her husband had been killed and thrown in the lake. The woman put together all her gold and jewellery and made a bell out of them, that was going to be installed in the little chapel on the islet. Nevertheless, a sudden storm made the boat carrying the bell\u00a0sink, and everything in it got lost in the lake.<\/p>\n

People in Bled tell that still nowadays, who passes through the lake at night can hear the bell<\/strong> ringing from the deepest water of the lake. But how did the story end? After losing the belt, the woman decided to donate all her havings for the construction of a new church on the island and afterward she retired in a convent. However, her father made a new bell that managed to reach the island and became the wishing bell<\/strong><\/em>: you can\u00a0ring the bell, and one of your wishes may become true.<\/p>\n

We have now arrived at the island. We go up the stairs and reach the chapel, where\u00a0each one of us rings the famous bell and makes a wish, hoping it’ll\u00a0become a reality. We also discover that every year on Christmas’ Day<\/strong>, a luminous bell is installed on the lake, as a symbol of this ancient myth.<\/p>\n

The most charming aspect of the island is its silence<\/strong>: every sound is perceptible, even the smallest ones, such as birds flying or boats floating on the lake. We find out that the island was inhabited since prehistory and that during the 18th century the women of Bled protected the islet from invasors. The last people living on the island left about 40 years ago, leaving behind their pretty houses made of light stones and their barns where each one of them kept their cows.<\/p>\n\n\t\t