In Slovenia, the Alps are called the Julian Alps.
After a week on the bikes, we decided to see the Julian Alps the easy way.
We hopped in a shuttle, and in 45 minutes were in Lake Bled...in the heart of the Julian Alps.
Lake Bled was first inhabited 5,000 years ago.
The Romans mined iron ore there for armor and weapons.
In the Middle Ages, monks built a retreat on Bled Island.
In the year 1004, the Holy Roman Emperor gave Lake Bled to the Cardinal of Brixton, who ruled there for hundreds of years.
A succession of Cardinals built this castle on a rock promontory high above the lake.
The view of the lake from the castle is pretty spectacular.
Wealthy Viennese built villas all around the lake, and it became a prime vacation destination for the Austrian elite.
Much like Lake Tahoe for San Franciscans, Lake Bled offers boating and hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Today, small gondolas offer boat rides out to Bled Island.
A very pleasant place to relax.
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