Making Each Day Count

My fascination with Slovenia began when I saw a photo of Lake Bled in social media. I was captivated by the lake’s emerald-like color, the little chapel in an island, and a castle perched on a hill. Subsequently, the internet algorithm showed me more photos and videos, which led me down a rabbit hole of research and planning. I was determined to see it with my own eyes.

Fast forward to May this year, D and I finally made it. Ljubljana, Slovenia, was our base for three nights, and on our second day we scheduled to set off early to see Lake Bled.

From the Boutique Apartments where we stayed, we walked to the Ljubljana Bus Station (Avtobusna Postaja) and boarded a bus bound for Bled Central Station. One-way tickets for two cost just €3.80, and the ride took about 45 minutes. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we followed our instincts and found ourselves at the lake.

It was surreal because as soon as I saw the lake, a horse-drawn carriage passed us by. The surroundings were quiet except for the sound of chirping birds, and it was a relief to see everyone maintaining the serene atmosphere. D and I were easily lost in awe. From where we stood, we saw the Bled Castle (Blejski grad) overlooking the lake, and in the middle of the water stood the iconic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Cerkev Marijinega Vnebovzetja).

We had planned to attend the 12 noon mass at the chapel, but since we arrived early, we decided to make the most of our time and rented bicycles to explore. The weather was kind that morning, and pedaling around the lake felt like one long exhale.

At around 10:30 AM, we returned our bikes and made our way on foot to the port, where a traditional wooden pletna boat was waiting to ferry mass-goers to the island. The ride to the chapel was free for us mass-goers, and it took less than 15 minutes. When we arrived at the island, the chapel doors weren’t open yet, so D and I wandered over to the souvenir shop and then treated ourselves to coffee and the famous kremsnita (Bled cream cake) at the island café. That cake blew me away, and to this day I rave about it to anyone I describe our Slovenia trip to.

Soon after, the chapel opened and the holy mass began. Later D would ask me how I found about the schedule of the mass, and I explained to him that months before the trip I contacted the church through their website, and they were quite responsive when I asked them the schedule for that Sunday.

After mass, we took the boat back to shore. As if the day wanted to give us all kinds of weather, the skies opened up unexpectedly and it started to rain. Thankfully, I had packed our foldable umbrellas. The rain passed quickly though, and within minutes the sun came back out like nothing ever happened.

We spent more time capturing photos and videos of the lake. I’d say no matter what angle, Lake Bled is consistently photogenic.

At around 2 PM, the number of tourists began to grow, and we took that as our cue to wrap up. Before we headed back to the bus station, we had Asian fusion lunch at ARROI Restaurant, where we enjoyed pad thai noodles, maki and beer.

Lake Bled was everything I had dreamed of. It was scenic and magical, and I’m so happy we were given the chance to go.