Behind its romantic and picturesque facades, Lake Bled is teeming with amazing places. I live in Ljubljana and as Lake Bled is only 45 minutes from my home, I often go there. In this article, you’ll discover 9 secret places around the lake: natural attractions, an unspoilt village, a well-hidden shop selling great local produce and great places to eat, terraces for a coffee or a kremsnita (the must-try dessert on Lake Bled).
Discover a secret Lake Bled, far from the tourist circuit!
These secret spots are in corners of the lake where visitors don’t naturally venture and it took me a good fifteen visits before I finally unearthed them, like the view from Tito’s Belvedere pavilion, the fabulous budget SPA Riklikli or the good restaurant Triglav 1906.
During the summer months, this article will take you away from the flood of tourists and show you Lake Bled from an unusual and little-known angle. Venture into those places that very few visitors manage to find. You’ll spend a magical, unusual day in a picture-postcard setting.
Tito’s ceremonial villa
As a dictator, Tito appreciated secluded places where he could receive the crowned heads and world leaders of the time out of sight. As it is well hidden, I didn’t see this splendid architect-designed villa during my first 15 visits to the lake. Yet I regularly passed by not far away.
The Pavillon Belvedere: an astonishing building standing on 30-metre pillars.
The pavilion was designed by Jože Plečnik, the architect who gave Ljubljana its current face. Today, Tito’s ceremonial villa is a café overlooking Lake Bled. I urge you to look for it high above the lake. Push open the door of the building and you’ll take a leap back in time, some fifty years. You can sleep in one of the huge rooms in the Vila de Tito next door, a trip back in time that I highly recommend you treat yourself to if you’re on a romantic trip to Lake Bled.
What to do : Try a kremsnita with fruit. At €10, it’s a little more expensive than elsewhere, but you get what you pay for. Share it between two people. For me, Vila Bled and the Belvedere pavilion are the two most interesting and relaxing establishments on Lake Bled.
Please note: Belvedere only opens in high season and a little earlier than that at weekends. If you find Belvedere closed, go to Vila Bled, which is right next door (also great – very nice terrace with a view).
Pavillon Belvedere Bled – Cesta svobode 18
Vila Bled – Cesta svobode 18
The village of Selo pri bledu
Located just one kilometre from the lake but hidden behind a hill, this village is not frequented by tourists. It has a very pleasant, traditional Slovenian atmosphere. It’s a long way from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trade.
Selo, a traditional, unspoilt Slovenian village
There’s nothing special to do or visit here, but it’s certainly an excellent place to stay, a village in a bucolic valley where you can peacefully enjoy the beauty of Lake Bled.
For a hike with a great view, climb to Babji zob (1128 m)
For a hike close to Lake Bled, Babji zob is a great option. At the end of the hike, there’s a viewpoint over Lake Bled. It takes 1.30 hour to get there and around 1 hour to get back.
a 1:30 hour walk through the forest for a splendid view of the lake
You start from the village of Kupljenik. Park in the car park at the wooden sign along the Jama – Babji zob road. Then follow the red and white buttons and the red Babji zob signs. This is a 4×4 road and then a small footpath. Good footwear required.
A secret viewpoint without doing the hike
If you’re not doing the hike, there’s a bench in the little village of Kupljenik at the start of the hike where you can admire the valley and take a really nice photo by sitting on it. It’s the perfect place to feed your Instagram account with a photo that nobody else takes. Please remain vague about the location on your account so that this place remains a secret. When you’re there, you won’t see the bench from the road (I’m not exaggerating – it’s really secret and hard to find).
Tip to use when you’re there: use the church in the photo to find your way around and you’ll have no trouble finding the bench. Goats may come to congratulate you on your find. You’ll have to cross a fence to get there.
A panoramic walk on the hillside
I discovered this place in 2014 while trying to improve my article on the Vintgar gorges (splendid gorges 4 km from Lake Bled). While there, I was looking for an alternative way back and came across this hillside path. For a few years now, it has been one of the two paths recommended for the return journey. It passes through a cow field. Because of the geography of the area, you have a completely unobstructed and splendid view of the valley and the mountains.
A panoramic view of the Bled valley
How do I get there? Drive to the Sveta Katarina church and head south-west from the pizzeria car park through the barrier. After a kilometre and a half, as soon as the panoramic view disappears, turn back.
Alternatively, and most logically, you can combine this walk with the Vintgar Gorge (do the outward leg in the gorge and the return leg on the hillside along this path). The path is harmless but very slippery in wet weather. It should be avoided at all costs in these conditions.
Nice secret spots not far from Bled: the Pericnik and Gozd martuljek waterfalls
Ziva wellness SPA
A magical spa (especially in the snowy winter) with a view over the lake from the outdoor pool heated to 38°C. I’ve already talked about this beautiful, pleasant and affordable establishment. A not-to-be-missed spot on a winter visit to Lake Bled, and a pleasant one in summer. Children’s slide in the pool area of the SPA.
Address: Thermes Ziva – Hotel Riki Balance – Cankarjeva cesta 4 – 4260 Bled
The cooperative for good, inexpensive local produce
An inexpensive cooperative with plenty of good produce from local farms.
Walking through the little streets around Lake Bled, I passed this cooperative shop for DIY enthusiasts, gardeners and farmers. I had the intuition to go and have a look because I know that these shops sometimes also sell produce from local farms. Bingo! This is the case. The shop has all the hallmarks of a large garden and DIY shop and therefore doesn’t attract tourists at all (they have no reason to enter).
Stock up on good Slovenian products without paying too much for them
There is a small corner with local products at local prices (which is not the case with the products on offer in the shopping area next to Lake Bled). On four shelves, you’ll find delicious products from the farms around Bled: honey, many types of pasta, some smoked sausages, pâté, pumpkin seed oil, garlic, onions, yoghurts, tea, apple, peach and pear juices, flours, etc. Fill your trunk for the week or bring back culinary souvenirs to France.
Address: Gozd Bled – Kmetjo gozdarski center – Za žago 1a, 4260 Bled (Parking right in front of the shop)
The postcard view
Would you like to go up to the hill where photographers take their best shots of the lake? Climb up to Osojnica to enjoy a postcard-perfect sequence: lake – church – island – castle, with the Julian Alps in the background. I explain how to get up there in an other article on Lake Bled.
A secret restaurant at the foot of the castle
The Gostilna and Pizzeria Grajska Preža doesn’t look like much and doesn’t catch the eye. It took me ten years to discover it. Since then, I’ve been there three times, and all three times the value for money was excellent. At lunchtime, the restaurant offers a menu for local workers.
For very little money, you get a dish and a salad for lunch!
In general, despite the low price, the food is good. Cheap menu available until 1pm only (intended for workers, not tourists. Not sure if it’s available in high season). Rustic atmosphere inside. Terrace with a view of the mountains (not Lake Bled) but also of an area being excavated for a future museum.
In short, not everything is perfect, but in my opinion, in Bled, this is an excellent place for lunch or dinner. Small car park nearby. Even if you don’t have to have the “local worker’s menu”, it should be good and not very expensive.
Gostilna Grajska Preza – Grajska cesta 59 – 4260 Bled
The Stol hillside walk
We’re moving away from the lake for a while with a hike I discovered recently. You drive up a gravel path halfway up the big mountain you see behind the lake in the photo above. Reach Valvasorjev Dom (pay road, €10). Park and follow the Stol signs.
A short hike with spectacular views
You’ll reach this small mountain pasture, which I’ve indicated with the white arrow.
Follow the path for 40 minutes on the outward journey. It climbs, but not straight up, and you’ll pass through some beautiful mountain pastures with superb views. This is a totally secret spot that no tourists know about. If you want to be alone in the world in August, this is the place to go. If you’re a sporty type, continue to the summit of Stol, which is superb (5h30 round trip – memorable hike – you can eat near the summit in summer).
The 1906 gourmet restaurant on the shores of the lake
On the shores of Lake Bled, in the beautiful 4-star triglav hotel, the 1906 gourmet restaurant serves good food in an authentic atmosphere. 1906 is the opening date of the hotel and also of the railway line that linked the Italian city of Trieste to Lake Bled, which brought in a lot of people in those days. With a room that’s not too big, a view over the little island and the mountains, authenticity and good food, you won’t be disappointed if you sit down here.
Tip: ask to reserve the tables in the corner with a view of the lake.
The only snag is that the restaurant sometimes welcomes dozens of customers from an Asian tour operator, which takes away some of the authenticity of the place. Magnificent view. For a special occasion. Menu between €40 and €60. Wine bar with bay windows overlooking the lake in the basement. For fine dining, you can also try the restaurant at Bled Castle (also expensive, unfortunately).
Address: Restaurant 1906 – Kolodvorska cesta 33 – 4260 Bled
The old station at the end of the lake
At the end of the lake, hidden away in the hills, lies an old railway station. Because of its idyllic location, Milka chose it to film the poetic and bucolic advert to be discovered below. From the lakeside, I wouldn’t advise you to go up just to see the station, but if you’re visiting Lake Bohinj just after Lake Bled then this station is very useful.