Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption

Tiny lake island with a 17th-century pilgrimage church

The only natural island in Slovenia, a small forested teardrop in the middle of Lake Bled crowned by the white walls and slate roof of the 17th-century Church of the Assumption. The church incorporates fragments of an earlier 11th-century building, and its baroque bell tower is the most photographed object in the country.

To reach the island, take a traditional pletna — a flat-bottomed wooden boat rowed by a pletnar — from the landings at Mlino, the Bled rowing centre, or Velika Zaka. The round trip including 30 minutes on the island costs around €18. Adventurous visitors can also rent a small electric boat or swim out from the southern shore.

things to do sight story
A story
The 99 stone steps from the boat landing to the church are by tradition climbed by the groom carrying his bride — a ritual that has produced the postcard photograph of Bled for at least a century. The church bell rope inside, the "wishing bell", is rung by visitors who believe the Virgin will grant their wish. The earlier sanctuary on this site was built on what archaeologists have shown to be an Iron Age cult site.