"The Beauty of Bled" – Lake Bled, Slovenia

This is the view from a hill called Ojstrica that overlooks Lake Bled. From here, you can see the charming island in the center of the lake. Behind it, you can see Bled Castle and the town of Bled – and way off in the distance is the Karawanks mountain range. From the top of those peaks, you can look one way into Slovenia and the other into Austria.

I caught the tail end of the fall colors during my time in Bled, and on this particular afternoon I hiked all the hills immediately surrounding the lake. This viewpoint has a bench where you can stop and have a picnic, enjoying the panorama before you. I had the area to myself – a common theme when traveling in the offseason – and spent the afternoon overlooking the entirety of Slovenia’s most famous region.

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