Bled Castle is one of the most visited destinations in Slovenia and it is incredibly picturesque to look at and commands fabulous views. This 11th century fortress was remodelled in the 16th century to give its current look and then restored in the 1950s.
Visiting Bled Castle
We walked to the castle from the lakeside, which was quite a steep climb but a good path through the woods. There are plenty of options and different routes and the one we chose was most direct but had lots of steps rather than just a slope. Deb persevered and managed it and then we got to the top to find a car park! Although driving is obviously an option – or even a tour if that’s your thing – the approach up the hillside makes you appreciate the situation of the castle a bit more!
My Experience
Our visit here was as part of a larger road trip through Slovenia, Crotia, Italy and San Marino, detailed in my blog here. Bled Castle is quite small, but old. It dates back to the 11th century and was damaged by earthquakes in the 16th century before being restored in the 20th century. The Bishops of Brixen owned the castle for 800 years until the 1848 year of revolutions saw the castle sold to an industrialist and then became state property with the communist take over after WW2. Inside there the National Museum of Slovenia which has a comprehensive museum on the history of the area and wider geopolitics, economy, mining, railway, health spas etc!
There were lots of areas to walk around and incredible views, helped by blue skies! The 16th century chapel was quite beautiful with some wonderful frescoes on the walls and ceilings. We found the viewpoints crowded but the museum, battlements and chapel were all almost empty when we visited.
It is a major tourist attraction, at €17 entrance it is probably quite a boost to the local economy too, so was very busy but we just did our own thing and kept away from the groups. We then sat on the terrace and had a slice of Kremsnita, Bled Cream Cake – this was rather nice but the local story is that for each slice you need to run round the lake once to burn the calories off! We found a different path to walk back down the hill that came out by St Martin’s parish church before we continued on to the lakeside.
Bled Castle Photo Gallery
History
The castle’s history dates back to 1004 when the German king Henry II conferred the estate of Bled on Bishop Albuin of Brixen. At that time, only Romanesque tower protected by the wall stood at the place of the current castle. The first castle was built by the bishops around 1011 for defensive purposes. The bishops of Brixen never lived in the castle; therefore, it did not have any exuberant rooms.
In the Middle Ages additional towers were built and the fortification system with the wall and lifting tower above the ditch were upgraded. The ditch has been covered, but the scene still stirs up our imagination.
Double structure is typical of the castle – the fortified main part, intended for the residence of feudal lords, and the exterior part with the walls and facilities for servants. In 1511, the castle was strongly damaged by and earthquake, but it was rebuilt in the image as it is today. The castle buildings are decorated with the images of coats-of-arms, painted in fresco technique, some are engraved in stone.
The castle was restored in the period from 1951 to 1961, whereas the Bled Castle Printing Works was integrated in the building for servants at the lower courtyard, and the castle wine cellar has also been added slightly higher. A 12-metre deep well was carved in rock in the lower courtyard, and the castle also hosts the tower gallery featuring monthly exhibitions, a memorial room dedicated to Arnold Rikli and a room dedicated to museums in Gorenjska, as well as the Castle Beehive with souvenirs also.
There is a museum in the upper courtyard, where you can delve deep into the distant past of Lake Bled, from the early excavations and the castle to the individual steps of its historical development, and see period-specific artefacts. The artefacts do not originate from Bled Castle, but are important for illustrating the residential culture in all the periods the castle has faced so far. A path leads from the upper courtyard to the castle chapel, souvenir shop and restaurant. In the past, grapevine thrived in this area, and since 2011 the descendant of the oldest grapevine in the world grows here, prospering in Maribor for more than 400 years.
Many cultural events take place on the castle’s courtyard, especially in warm months. Special attention is given to the Medieval Days when knights show visitors how people lived in the Middle Ages.
References
The best site for visiting information about the castle is the official one, in English: https://www.blejski-grad.si/en/
There is a very comprehensive history of the castle on the same site, here.
The summary history above is copied from the Bled tourist site here.