Bled Castle

Bled Castle stands on a cliff above Lake Bled and is one of the oldest castles in Slovenia. King Henry II transferred the estate to the Bishop of Brixen in 1004; in 1011 the castle is first mentioned in writing as “castellum Veldes”. It remained under Brixen's rule for about eight centuries, until 1803. An earthquake in 1511 caused severe damage, and in the 17th century lightning strikes and fires damaged the complex. In 1561 Baron Herbard von Auersperg hosted the reformer Primož Trubar here.

After falling into decay in the period after the Second World War, the castle was comprehensively restored from 1952 under the architect Tone Bitenc and was declared a national cultural monument in 1999. Today it houses a museum. From the terraces you look out over the lake, the island and the Julian Alps. Come at opening time or in the late afternoon to avoid the biggest crowds; from the car park it is a short uphill walk.