Bled was today’s journey. It was a bus ride about 1 hour and 45 min it was towards the ALPS!!!!! Bled lies between the Karavanke and Julian Alps ranges. The bus ride was even beautiful :)
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| From the bus window |
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| One of the country houses |
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| One of the cities on the way to Bled |
We decided we wanted to walk around the entire lake so as to get a view of the whole thing. It was said it would take 1 – 2 hours to walk around and we decided it was time well spent. The city of Bled is famous for its castle on the hill and the island in the middle of the lake. The beauty is spoken about all around, but getting to see it all in person was more than breathtaking.
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| Bled Castle |
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| Me with Bled Castle in the background |
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| Bled Castle closer |
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| Bled Island when we started our walk |
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| Walking around the lake- there is the castle again |
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| Same angle- just closer |
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| The water was a beautiful color too! |
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| Close up of the Island looking west |
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| Looking back towards where we began |
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| Castle - yet another angle |
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| Bled Island and Bled Castle |
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| Southeast corner of the lake |
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| Looking from the southeast corner |
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| South end of the lake |
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| Looking back from the south to the northeast |
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| One portion of the path |
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| Bled Island |
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| Bled island from the other side |
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| Me with Bled Island and the Alps in the background |
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| Lizzie and I |
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| A walkway along the lake |
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| self explanatory! |
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| From the back |
Bled had more that makes it famous, it is the home of the Olympic training center for the Slovenian Rowing team! I am an Olympic enthusiast, I love the games and unity that it promotes. To see the training center was really amazing. In the ground outside of the center they have placed ground stones with the different Olympics locations and years engraved in them- I took pictures of a few, as well as the place that the London 2012 will be placed. A board of the route the team takes across the lake, and a board with the pictures of the teams that have won Olympic medals. There was a grandstand grand stand for the people to watch the rowing team by the end of their route. I was thinking how cool it would have been to get to see them practice…
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| Olympic Training Center |
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| Olympic games in the ground |
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| Where London 2012 will be placed :) |
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| Slovenian's Olympic Rowing Medalists |
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| The rowing team's practice route around the lake |
Around the lake there were many buildings that were architecturally noteworthy!
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| Built up on cement columns |
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| All glass |
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| I just want to live in this one :) |
Also around the lake was a camping center and a shoreline where campers could swim. Then further down an actual swimming area complete with a water slide.
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| Camper's area |
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| Camper's swimming area |
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| WATER SLIDES! |
We had seen a trail on the map that you could hike up for a great viewing point. Once we found the spot that we believed to be right, we started our hike… Lizzie is in better shape than Cassidy and I, so when we had made it a ways up and realized it was the wrong trail, Lizzie continued, Cassidy and I did not. But we did get to see the lake from a bit of a higher elevation!!
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| On our way up the mini-hike |
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| worth the hike! |
When we were about ¾ of the way done with the walk, we approached the walkway up to the Bled Castle. I also took a picture from right beneath it. The castle had quite the walk up to it… some trail and the rest was stairs! We got to the top, paid for our tickets in and immediately took pictures of the first view. Bled Castle was first mentioned on 22nd of May, 1011 when the then king of Germany, Henry II awarded it to Bishop Albuien of Brixen. The castle has two courtyards at different levels. On this level was the winery, the ink print shop, and the gingerbread shop. To give you a picture, this part reminded me of a theme park- there were people dressed in period attire giving demonstrations and selling goods. We then went up to the next level and courtyard. The view from this castle was breathtaking. The sun was just starting to go down behind the mountains on the other side of the lake causing beautiful reflections and sunrays. We were able to see the island to our southwest, and the alps behind us to the north. We continued to the Chapel and then to the Bled History Museum, including the history of the castle. I took some pictures out the windows to show the view the people that lived in it would have had. I really can’t imagine waking up each day 1. In a castle and 2. To that amazing view!
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| Looking up! |
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| Part of the trail up |
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| Bled Castle |
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| The Entry gate |
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| The Alps from the bottom courtyard |
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| Bled Island |
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| The ferry to the island- from the castle |
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| The upper courtyard |
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| Upper courtyard |
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| In the upper courtyard |
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| View from inside the castle |
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| Another view from inside |
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| View of the island from inside the castle |
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| The chapel |
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| Celling of the chapel |
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| Walking out of the castle |
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| The stairs going down |
From the castle we took the ferry out to Bled Island. We had been looking forward to this all day! This island although small, was first inhabited in the 7th century BC. We took the 99 stairs up to the Church of Mary the Queen that were built in 1655. Inside the church you could ring the wishing bell. Legend says that a young widow who lived in Bled castle was morning the loss of her husband who was killed by brigands. She gathered all her gold and silver and had it cast into a bell for the Chapel on Bled Island. As it was being transported there, a tempest caused the boat to overturn, the boatmen drowned and the bell sank to the bottom of the lake. Even more devastated than before, the widow went to Rome and joined the convent. After her death, the Pope donated a bell in her memory. The legend continues that those who ring the bell to honor the Blessed Virgin and make a wish will see it come true. I rang the bell! Here is some more information about the church: underneath the church are large limestone deposits, the alter is in dedication to St. Michael in 1687, and the pulpit is baroque style. In the 16th century the church that stands there today was completed and above the door is written: “Blessed be Ye who stay awake by my door.”
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| Ferry view of the castle |
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| First thing off of the ferry- Blessed Mary |
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| The Ferry |
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| The 99 stairs up |
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| The church |
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| Cassidy, Lizzie and me in front of the church |
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| The doorway |
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| The front of the church and alter |
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| Ringing the bell |
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| The view with the Alps |
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| The bell tower and church |
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| The stairs on the other side of the island |
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| The stairs on the other side of the island |
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| When we got back to shore- sun setting |
We had 2 more stops in Bled. First was to a Chocolate shop with delicious Slovenian chocolates. When we went into the shop, the man asked us where we were from. This is always an interesting question for the 3 of us to answer since we live in Macedonia but are from the US and all of us live in different places in both countries. We started our explanation, and the man lit up sharing that he too was from Macedonia! He had moved to Slovenia during the Yugoslavia times to join he Army. You could see the pride in his face that we lived and studied in his country. Our last stop was for the famous Bled Cream Cake. It was worth the hype! It had a flaky crisp top and bottom with cream layers in between. So tasty!
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| The Cream Cake |
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| Bled Castle at night |
Lesson: Take time to appreciate the beauty on this grand earth… look through another persons eyes and perspective… take time to listen.
WOW..... WHAT A GREAT TRIP!!!!! I'D LIKE TO TAKE ONE OF THE BOATS FOR A SPIN ON THE LAKE..... AND WHAT A GREAT CASTLE....WITH A VIEW.....
ReplyDeleteLOVE,
YO DADDY O