Our next destination was to head to the Slovenian side and towards the beautiful Lake Bled. The distance from Selce in Croatia to Lake Bled was only 200 km, and the journey passed by smoothly as we admired the scenery, with the border crossing being hassle-free.
This time, we didn’t need to purchase a new vignette, which is the road toll sticker in Slovenia, as we still had a valid one purchased for our initial drive-through Slovenia on our way from Finland to Montenegro. We had bought a 1-month vignette, which cost 30 €. The Slovenian vignette is electronic and can be purchased at gas stations or online. The options for the duration of the Slovenian vignette include 7 days, 1 month, and 1 year.
Camping site at Lake Bled
But let’s talk about Lake Bled itself! We absolutely had to visit this place, as it had been on our “Must Visit” list for a long time. You often see stunning pictures of the turquoise lake with a little church perched on a small island in the middle. Lake Bled is undoubtedly Slovenia’s most famous tourist destination, and for good reason.
We decided to stay at River Camping Bled. When we planned our road trip, we had decided to spend some of the time camping at campsites, and as we were looking for accommodations in Bled, this campsite caught our attention. The campsite was new, so it was really clean, and it offered amenities such as a nice swimming pool, clean showers, and toilets. Facilities included a small grocery store, bicycle rental, a restaurant, and laundry machines. Additionally, there was a small petting zoo, a billiards table, and a large playground for families.
River Camping Bled exceeded our expectations; the area was spacious, and all the facilities were included in the campsite’s price. The only things that were not included were the washing machines, which cost 5 € per use—a very reasonable price, in our opinion. It was a big plus that these facilities were available.
There were also various glamping accommodations and cabins available. The campsite extended to the riverbank, where swimming was possible. The campsite was a little over two kilometers from Lake Bled, easily reachable by foot, bike, or car.
We were the only campers with a tent at the campsite; all the other campers were caravaners, which surprised some of the other campers. The friendly people around us tried to offer us food and coffee because they were concerned that we wouldn’t manage without a kitchen. However, we explained to everyone that we had a camping stove (trangia) for cooking, and our car was stocked with plenty of food and drinks. It was heartwarming to see how kind and ready to help people are 🥰
Beauty of Lake Bled
Lake Bled itself was just as beautiful as we had imagined. The water was as clear as in the pictures, and there stood the island in all its glory. It was amazing to see this scenery with our own eyes.
It’s possible to swim to the island; the distance is about 300-400m. However, this wasn’t part of our plans, but it was interesting information we stumbled upon. There are several beaches around the lake, and at least two of them are located near the same end as the island. If desired, rowing boats can be rented to paddle out to the island independently, or alternatively, one can take a boat ride to the island.
Walking around the lake, you can admire the scenery, and we found the best spot to be a particular viewpoint where we could enjoy the view of the island with the mountains in the background.
On the other side of the lake was Bled Castle. Admission to the castle costs around 17 € per ticket, but when we were heading to the castle, it was already closed. However, we still got to walk up the beautiful entrance road to the castle, and next to the castle was a viewpoint from where we could see the lake and the village of Bled beautifully. The castle can be reached by car or on foot. If walking, it’s good to note that there is a fair amount of ascent from the lake level. There was ample parking space at the top, so we could park our car near the castle.
Bled village itself is relatively small, and there isn’t much to see in the center. However, there are plenty of shops, stores, and restaurants. We found 2-3 days to be a suitable amount of time to visit Lake Bled. Of course, there is much more to explore in the surrounding area, such as hiking trails and other attractions, so Lake Bled also serves as a great base for exploring the area.
