Lake Bled

Lake Bled

Lake Bled is located in the Julian Alps in Upper Carniolan, in north-western Slovenia. The lake has a mixed glacial and tectonic origin, with a length of 2120 meters, a width of 1380 meters, a maximum depth of 29.5 meters, and it has a small island. The lake is situated in a scenic location, with mountains and forests surrounding it. In the Bronze Age, Lake Bled was an important cult center. A site on the lakeshore has yielded gold appliqués dating from the 13th-12th centuries BC. The reliefs on the appliqués are believed to represent the solar and lunar years. In Switzerland, Bavaria and Hungary similar appliqués have been found, mainly in Bronze Age fortified settlements and in the tombs of wealthy women. On the northern shore of the lake, overlooking the lake, stands the Medieval Bled Castle, which has a museum, and at the western end of the lake lies the Zaka Valley. Bled Island, in the middle of the lake, has many buildings, the most important being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, which was built in its present form towards the end of the 17th century. The church is decorated with the remains of Gothic frescoes in the chancel dating from around 1470 and with rich Baroque furnishings. The traditional means of transport to Bled Island is a wooden boat called a pletna. According to some sources, the pletna was used as early as 1150 AD on Lake Bled, although most historians date the first boats to 1590 AD.