Local sightseeing

The History of Bled Castle

It is quite probable that in 1004, when German Emperor Henrik II gave the Bled estate to Bishop Albuin of Brixen as a gift, only a Romanesque tower stood in the place of the present day castle, protected by walls facing the gentle slope of the castle hill. In the late Middle Ages more towers were built and the fortifications were improved. The entrance through the outer walls, with a Gothic arch and a drawbridge over the now filled-in moat, is quite interesting. Other buildings, which were additionally constructed in the Baroque period, completed the architectural development of the castle complex. They are arranged around two courtyards: the lower one was surrounded by outbuildings, and the upper one by residential quarters. The two courtyards were connected with a staircase in the middle of the

Baroque wing. The most interesting of all the preserved buildings is certainly the chapel on the upper courtyard, which was consecrated to the Bishops St. Albuin and to St. Ingenium. It was built in the 16th century, and around 1700 it was renovated in the Baroque style and painted with illusionist frescoes. Next to the altar there are paintings of the donors of the Bled estate, the German Emperor Henrik II and his wife Kunigunda. Fragments of the rib vaults from the ruined Gothic arch are built into the wall of a room from the neighboring wing, nowadays the site of the museum. Numerous coats of arms painted in the fresco technique or carved in stone decorate individual castle buildings. At the edge of the upper courtyard there is a hut marked as a tower in the axial plan. In 1947 when the castle roof was destroyed in a fire and during the first post-war archeological excavations in Bled in 1948, the National Museum proposed the preservation of the castle complex. From 1951-1961 it was restored and embellished with certain architectural details under the leadership of architect Tone Bitenc and with funds provided by the Municipality of Bled.

Bled Castle Today

The castle is now arranged as an exhibition area. The display rooms near the chapel, the most interesting building, present the ancient history of Bled from the first excavations and the castle in individual stages of its historical development with furniture characteristic of those times. These pieces are not originally from Bled Castle, but are important as an illustration of the style of living in the historical periods it has lived through.

The Museum in the Bled Castle is in January, February, March, September, October, November, and December open every day from 8.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. From 1st April to 31st August it is open from 8.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m; tel: (04) 5741 230.

Lake Bled

The lake was formed after the recession of the Bohinj glacier. It is up to 2120 m long and up to 1380 m wide; maximum depth 30.6 m; tectonic in origin. After the last Ice Age, the Bohinj glacier deepened the natural tectonic hollow and gave it its present form. The basin was filled with water when the ice melted. The lake has no large natural tributaries, it is fed only by a few springs. The thermal springs in its northeastern part are led into three swimming pools - Grand Hotel Toplice, and the Park and Golf Hotels. The island on which there are 99 steps leading up to a church highlights the picturesqueness of Lake Bled. After young couples get married there is a tradition that the groom must carry the bride up these steps. If the groom survives this difficult feat then the couple can go into the church and ring the bell and wish for a happy life together.

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The Grimšice Manor

The manor in the natural park at Recica was owned by the Grimšic barons, among whom one Jurij Adam Grimschitz enjoyed a special reputation as the co-founder of the Carniolan Academy of Sciences, the "Academia Operosorum" in Ljubljana. The manor was built by Ahac Grimšic and was renovated around 1850. Baron Ivan Grimšic sold it to diplomat and secret counselor Baron Josef Schwegl, his compatriot from Gorje. It was renovated between 1887 and 1902, and after World War I it was inherited by the Slovene politician and diplomat, Dr. Ivan Švegel. He renamed it Wilsonia in honour of US president Wilson. Today it again bears the name Grimšice.

The Vintgar Gorge

This ravine in the immediate vicinity of Gorje, approximately 4 km northwest of Bled, was discovered by Jakob Žumer, the Major of Gorje, and cartographer and photographer Benedikt Lergetporer in February 1891. The discovery was accidental and it took place at a time when the water level of the Radovna river which flows through Vintgar was very low. They started their exploration in Spodnje Gorje and headed towards Blejska Dobrava. They made it through the otherwise impassable ravine with great difficulty and discovered so much natural beauty that they decided to establish a construction committee. The gorge was arranged for visits, especially by visitors to Bled. It was opened to the public on 26 August 1893. The 1.6 km long Vintgar gorge carvesits way through the vertical rocks of the Hom and Bort hills and is graced by the Radovna with its waterfalls, pools and rapids.

The path leads you over bridges and Žumer’s galleries and ends with a bridge overlooking the mighty 16 m high Šum waterfall. Due to its natural beauty, Vintgar was classified among the more important tourist sights in Slovenia and the number of visitors increases every year. From the Šum waterfall you can take the opportunity to walk up a picturesque footpath through Hom to St. Catherine (a historical church with a beautiful view). At the entrance and at the Šum waterfall there are cafes serving refreshments. Access by automobiles and buses is possible as far as the parking lot in front of the entrance to the ravine. I recommend that you cycle to here, although going there is uphill!!

Jože Ciuha Gallery

One of the most significant modern artists, Jože Ciuha, donated a representative selection of his work to this public collection, and in 1993, the Jože Ciuha foundation was formed. The foundation runs interdisciplinary programmes of cultural activities which are internationally orientated.

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