15 Things to do in Lake Bled in Summer: A Complete Guide to this Fairy-Tale Town

The startling blue water of Lake Bled surrounded by mountains and complete with a castle is the perfect European destination. This incredible place is a popular destination, but less crowded then many of the mountain towns in neighboring Italy. We spent several days in Lake Bled in summer of 2022 and the area exceeded our expectation in everyway – it truly feels like you’ve walked into a fairytale.

Located just a short distance to the northwest of Ljubljana, Lake Bled should be at the top of your list of places to visit in Slovenia. Below you can find 15 things to do in Lake Bled in summer as well as some things to know to help you place your holiday in lake bled.

We visited Lake Bled as part of our 7 Day Slovenia Itinerary. If you want to get a printable and downloadable Slovenia Itinerary, you can find our Slovenia Itinerary on our Etsy Shop.

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Overview of Lake Bled in Summer

Below you can find more details on some of the best things to do at Lake Bled in summer. You can get a free printable list of things to do by clicking on the image below. Save this on your phone when you travel to Lake Bled.

15 Things to do in Lake Bled

Vintgar Gorge

Located just a short drive or bike ride from town, Vintgar gorge is a several mile walk that winds through a stunning narrow gorge with a striking blue river and finishes with a loop back up into the hills with views across the valley back towards Bled.

The walk follows a series of boardwalks and bridges through the gorge with views of the incredible river around every turn. This is one of the most popular activities in the area and you will need to purchase a ticket to enter the gorge. If you are visiting Lake Bled in summer, you should book your tickets in advance.

See more about visiting Vintgar Goge: Vintgar Kloof/Gorge, Slovenia: One of the Best Walks in Slovenia.

Walk Around Lake Bled

The walk around Lake Bled is well laid out with an easy to follow and mostly paved path. The entire distance around the lake is about 4 miles and offers stunning views of the lake, mountains and castle. This is a well traveled, easy path that gets use with runners, walkers and bikers.

We walked around the lake every day we spent in Lake Bled and not only enjoyed the walk but stopped along the way to swim and relax. There is no fee to walk around the lake and the path barely gains elevation.

Rent Bikes

Lake Bled is a great place to ride a bike – whether you are heading out for a casual bike around the lake or looking to get into the mountains on a long road ride. There a lots of small roads and bike paths through the area.

You can find a few places in town that will rent bikes and we got a bike for about 6 EUR/hour to ride around town. Another popular route is to bike from Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj.

Visit Lake Bohinj

Lake Bohinj is located about 30 minutes from Lake Bled. It is a beautiful drive between the two lakes and Bohinj feels more remote and quieter compared to Lake Bled. There are several beach areas and hiking trails in the area worth exploring.

You could easily spend a full day relaxing and exploring Lake Bohinj.

Hike in Triglav National Park

Triglav National Park is an incredible mountain region in northwest Slovenia right near Lak Bled. Lake Bled is one of the best towns to stay in if you are looking to explore Triglav. You can find many hiking trails and if you are up for an overnight, you should consider staying in one of the mountain huts.

See more about Hiking the 7 Lakes Valley – this is an incredible hike that can be done as a long day hike or an overnight.

If you aren’t up for hiking in Triglav, there are some excellent Lake Bled hiking hiking trails closer to the lake: hike around the lake, hike Vintgar Gorge, or hike to Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica Viewpoints.

Row out to the Island and Ring the Bell

If you are visiting Lake Bled in summer, you need to plan time out on the water. There are many ways to get on the lake (kayak, paddleboard, etc) but the best way is to rent one of the small rowboats for a few euros and take a row out to the island to visit Assumption of Maria Church. You can rent these boats by the hour. The best places to rent these rowboats are close to the island if you walk along the southern part of the lake – we rented a rowboat across the street from Restavracija Sova Bled.

Once you row out to the island, you can tie up your rowboat and walk around the island. There is a bell at the church that brings luck if you ring it, and you will here the frequent ringing of the bell from around the lake. It is free to visit the island, but there is a fee if you want to climb the stairs and ring the bell.

Visit the Bled Castle

Perched above Lake Bled on the north side of the lake, the Bled Castle. This is the oldest Slovenian Castle and is a popular place to visit. Dating back to about 1000 AD, and rebuilt in the early 1500s, Bled Castle can be reached by road or you can walk the steep trail up from the lake.

This is an incredible castle whether you view it from the lake perched on the precipice or visit the castle. In 2022, the fee to enter that castle was 13 EUR for adults and 5 EUR for kids.

If you don’t want to pay to visit the castle, you can walk around the outside and some of the trails surrounding the castle.

Taste Bled Cream Cake

If you’re visiting Lake Bled, you have to try the Bled cream cake. We weren’t too taken with the description, but we truly loved this cake. There is something to be said about eating this classic Slovenian treat while looking out across the lake.

Most restaurants in Bled serve this dessert and you might also see it called sweet queen of Bled or Blejska kremšnita.

Take the Train Around Town

If you are visiting Bled with kids, then make sure you take a ride on this fun little train that runs around town. The train offers a nice break from walking and is so cute. The train drives right around the lake and costs just a few euros to ride.

You can see more about this fun tourist ride.

Go Wine Tasting

Slovenia has a long and proud history of making wine and a few activity to try in town is to join a food or wine tasting tour. Slovenian food is delicious and simple and at least in Bled we found similar far to neighboring northern Italy with slightly more meat.

Pairing a wine tasting and food tour is a fun way to experience this side of Slovenia.

This wine tasting tour look incredible although we didn’t have time to do any wine tasting when we were in Lake Bled.

Visit Slap Savica Waterfall

Located close to Lake Bohinj, Slap Savica is a beautiful waterfall right at the edge of Triglav National Park. The waterfall flows out of a karst spring (similar to Slap Boka) in a cave and travels down some small rapids before dropping vertically into for about 80 meters.

To reach the waterfall, you will need to hike uphill up a series of stairs. You will need to climb over 500 stairs to reach the view of the waterfall. This trail is well maintained and steep and will take you about an hour total.

There is a small fee to visit Slap Savica that you can pay right at the gate.

Try the Alpine Slide

Just over Lake Bled on one of the nearby hills, the summer tobogganing route is a fun and exhilarating ride with views across Lake Bled to the islands and the castle. If you’re looking for a high adrenaline-inducing activity in Lake Bled in summer, this is a fun one for kids and adults.

The track is 520 meters long and you can also visit the Adventure Park. See more about this fun attraction and a complete price list.

Go Mini Golfing

If you are looking for a fun and simple activity in Lake Bled in summer – you will find several mini-golf spots. We let our kids pick one activity and this was what they chose. We ended up having a great time and it was a perfect break in our site seeing activity.

Go Swimming

If you are wondering whether you can swim in Lake Bled, not only is it allowed, but it is one of the best things to do in the area.

If you enjoy swimming, Lake Bled a dream come true. The water is gorgeous, accessible and a comfortable temperature. We spent plenty of our time simply walking around the lake and swimming when we felt like it.

There are a few beach areas as you walk around the lake but you can swim from most of the shoreside. You will also see people swimming distance for exercise.

Go Ziplining

Not far from Bled, Dolinka Zipline is the longest zip line in Europe and covers 4 km and 7 zip lines. This is a fun activity and gives you a unique perspective of the Lake Bled area.

Learn more about visiting Dolinka Zipline.

What to Know About Visiting Lake Bled

Lake Bled is surprisingly easy to visit. We rented a car in Italy and drove into Slovenia for the week, but you can also rent a car in Ljubliana or take the train to Bled. If you are traveling by car from Italy, you will need to buy sticker to cover tolls in Slovenia – you can simply do this at a travel stop once you cross the border.

How to Get to Lake Bled

Driving is the easiest way to get to Lake Bled and will give you the most flexibility for visiting the best things to do in Lake Bled in summer. Below are some of the driving times from nearby destinations.

• Ljubljana to Lake Bled: 1 hour
• Vienna to Lake Bled: 4.5 hours
• Trieste to Lake Bled: 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Bovec to Lake Bled: 1.5 hours

You can also get to Lake Bled by train from Ljubljana. The train takes about 1.5 hours and connects you to the western side of the lake. Since the area is easy to walk, this can be a great option if you don’t plan to do some of the activities outside of town.

How many Days do you Need in Bled?

We recommend at least 2 days in Lake Bled and the surrounding area. With 2 days you can visit Triglav National Park, Vintgar Gorge, walk around the lake, and take a boat ride out to the island. If you have more time you could easily keep busy for 3 or 4 days or even a full week. We spent 2 and a half days in the Bled area and an additional 2 days hiking in Triglav National Park hiking the 7 Lakes Valley.

When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Lake Bled?

Lake Bled is a wonderful year round destination, but since we haven’t spent time in Lake Bled in the winter we can’t recommend specific activities, but we highly recommend visiting Lake Bled in summer. See recommendations for visiting Lake Bled in winter.

In the summer, Lake Bled is a comfortable temperature. High temperatures hover around in 80 in the summer with lows around 60. We visited in early July and highly recommend this time as summer is in full swing, but it’s not as crowded as August. September can also be an excellent time to visit Lake Bled.

Where is the Best Place to Stay in Lake Bled?

One of the best things about Lake Bled is that you can find a range of lodging options for every price. We staying in Apartments Kapus Center – this was an incredible location close to everything and had all the basics for our family of 5.

Below are a few options based on our visit to the area.

Low Budget

• Camping Lake Bled: This is a cute looking campground right near the Lake and if you’re visiting Lake Bled in summer, camping is a great option.

High Budget

• Adora Luxury Hotel: This is a stunning hotel in a beautiful location.

The Best Restaurants Lake Bled

There are plenty of great places to eat in Lake Bled, although we found food to be slightly more expensive compared to Ljubliana and Bovec. Most of the restaurants are located right in town, so it’s easy to wander around and find a place to eat. Several places overlook the lake, and you can find more spots is you walk up to the east from the lake.

Below are a few restaurants we enjoyed:

• Old Cellar Bled
• Mega Burger Bled
• Arroi Restaurant
• Tavci Kuhna

Common Questions about Visiting Lake Bled

Can you Swim in Lake Bled?

You can swim in Lake Bled and it’s one of the best things to do in the area. The water is a beautiful color and a comfortable temperature. One of our favorite thing to do in Lake Bled is to walk around the lake and jump in along the way.

Is Visiting Lake Bled in Summer worth it?

Lake Bled is a gorgeous destination in Slovenia and is one place we would love to return to for even longer. We highly recommend visiting Lake Bled in summer or winter!

Why is Lake Bled so Famous?

Lake Bled is a fairy-tale like lake and castle that if you believe the legends was created by fairies. Lake Bled is a tremendous destination for a Slovenian vacation with a gorgeous lake, nearby mountains and plenty of activities for everyone.

Is Lake Bled a day trip from Ljubljana?

You can easily visit Lake Bled from Ljubliana on a day trip. Ideally you will want more days in Lake Bled, but if you are short on time, you can visit and walk around the lake, stop at Vintgar Gorge, and take a boat ride out to the island.

See more on visiting Ljubljana.