Explore Bled Castle

Lower courtyard

Perched atop a cliff towering 130 metres above Lake Bled, the castle rewards visitors observing the countryside from its lower courtyard with stunning views of Bled, its lake and the island. The views extend across the Straža and Babji zob hills, the Karavanke Mountains, and further towards Lesce and Radovljica and, on clear days, over most of the Gorenjska region.

Castle printing works

The castle's printing works contains a replica Gutenberg wooden press, which the printer uses to demonstrate printing on hand-made paper using blocks with historical images and loose lead letters. If you wish to have a souvenir certificate, turn into a castle master printer for several minutes and after some hard work you will learn to appreciate the "black art".

'Stolp' (Tower) Gallery

The gallery inside the round tower of Bled Castle houses monthly exhibitions and regularly displays works of photographers, painters and masters of contemporary applied arts.

Bled Castle Café

Come to the castle café and relax briefly before continuing your tour or after you have already paid a visit to the castle printing works and seen the current exhibition at the gallery.

Middle courtyard

Although the earliest visitors were pilgrims, the enchanting nature of the area and the healing springs of thermal water found along the eastern lake shore soon began to attract other tourists. The beauty of Bled has also been glorified by many Slovenian writers and poets. The most famous among them, France Prešeren, called it 'an image of paradise'. We like to say that Bled opens the door to Slovenia's only national park. Triglav National Park covers the area northwest of Lake Bled and is one of the earliest national parks to be established in Europe.

Upper courtyard

The upper courtyard offers spectacular views over the lake and island, historical villages and middle-class villas, including Vila Bled. To the south lies the Jelovica plateau with the Babji zob hill. To the north-west, the Pokljuka plateau slopes gently, passing into the Julian Alps with Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain being prominent. Bled Island has been a popular pilgrim destination since the Middle Ages. Sitting in the middle of the island is the Church of the Assumption, which was probably built in the 9th century. In the 15th century it was rebuilt in the Gothic style and the 17th century renovations gave the church its present Baroque appearance. 

Chapel

The Gothic chapel, oriented exactly east, is dedicated to the patrons of the Diocese of Brixen in Tyrol, St Albuin and St Ingenuin. After the second major earthquake of 1690 the chapel was increased in height and Baroque vaults were added.

Souvenir shop

The museum shop features a number of replicas of museum exhibits as well as practical souvenirs that will make the memories of your visit to Bled Castle last forever.  

Museum

The museum in the Baroque part of the castle houses a permanent exhibition that celebrates the eventful history of Bled from the time when the first settlements in the area appeared to the present day. The furnishings of the museum reflect the culture of living in various periods.

Bled Castle Restaurant

Famous for preserving the culinary traditions of Gorenjska and Slovenia, Bled Castle Restaurant offers local and regional dishes with a contemporary twist.

Castle wine cellar

The castle wine cellar hosts regular tastings of selected wines and demonstrations of the bottling of wine aged in oak barrels. Visitors are invited to fill, cork and wax their own bottle of wine and those who do are also presented with a souvenir certificate. Come in and let the richness of colours, smells, and flavours overcome you.

Castle walls

The castle wall offers impressive views of the plains around Radovljica, called Dežela, and the village Zasip, which France Prešeren, Slovenia's greatest poet, referred to as 'the altar of Gorenjska'.   

Arnold Rikli's room

A renovated room on the third floor of the round Renaissance tower houses a permanent exhibition about the life and work of the famous Swiss naturopath Arnold Rikli. 

Beehouse

 The boutique shop called Castle Beehouse offers visitors honey products and souvenirs from Slovenia. The shop is open every day. 

Knights' hall

The hall, which can accommodate up to 80 people, is a perfect venue for business and political meetings and wedding ceremonies, or viewing of video documentaries about Bled.

Museum hall

Above the museum there is another hall perfect for professional or social gatherings of up to 20 people. The room has an OHP and a screen. 

Ceremonial room

The eastern tower of Bled Castle houses a fully-renovated room which can be used for business meetings or preparations for the wedding ceremony. 

Lapidarium

The castle lapidarium with its stone table is the perfect setting for a wedding ceremony, a small banquet or a romantic dinner.  

A memorial plaque of Primož Trubar

Under the leaseholder Herbard Auersperg of Turjak, the castle became a stronghold of Protestantism and, in 1561, it was visited by the leader of the Slovenian Protestant movement, Primož Trubar, the author of the first two books written in Slovene, Katekizem, or Catechismus, and Abecedarij, Abecedary. 

In October 2020, a memorial plaque in honour of Trubar's visit to the castle was unveiled on the lower courtyard, near the entrance to the printing works. 

The tombstone of Sir Gašper Lambergar

Sir Gašper Lambergar was famous across the country as the greatest 'sportsman' of the time. He won 85 tournaments in a row, and the only battle he lost was to a king.  

The well

At the lower courtyard, a well intended for collecting rain water was cut into live rock. The well is ten to twelve meters deep.