EASY TRIPS
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The Church of the Assumption on Bled Island hosts a bell, dating from 1534, that is said to grant a wish to whoever rings it
Take a bough in a Slovenian treehouse Slovenia’s Lake Bled has long been a site for ambitious constructions: be it medieval Bled Castle, teetering precariously atop sheer cliffs, or the Baroque Church of the Assumption, squeezed onto a tiny island in the centre of the lake. Added to this rich tradition comes a cluster of pine-built treehouses, set high in the canopy on the forested slopes of the lake’s southern shore. With spring sunshine beginning to peek over the snowy summits of the Karawanks mountain range (also
more politely spelt ‘Karavanks’), now is a perfect time to pay a visit to this corner of the country: to hunker down in blonde-wood interiors dotted with cast-iron lanterns, hammocks and ladders, and waking to see Slovenian squirrels skipping blithely about the surrounding branches. Take a five-minute walk down the hillside to experience one of Europe’s most celebrated views, with the church, castle and the jagged mountains aligning in perfect symmetry.
MAKE IT HAPPEN Ljubljana Airport is the closest to Lake Bled – easyJet flies from London Stansted and Wizz Air flies from London Luton (from £96; easyjet.com). From Ljubljana, regular trains take about an hour to reach Lesce-Bled station, which is a short bus ride away from the lake (from £6; slo-zeleznice.si). Regular bus services also connect Bled to Ljubljana (from £5), taking about an hour and a half.
Garden Village Bled offers six treehouses sleeping four – some have tree trunks growing through the middle of the rooms (from £120, minimum three-night stay; gardenvillagebled.com). Boats called pletnas – flatbottomed wooden vessels that date back to the 1590s, propelled by specially trained standing oarsmen– depart regularly for Bled Island from various points on the lake’s shore (from £10; bled.si).
May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller
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