Thanksgiving in Lake Bled, Slovenia

Whenever you mention Slovenia to someone, most people don’t even know where it is! This proved to be true when my sister, husband and I were telling our family and friends back home where we were headed for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Some even asked us “Why?”. Well I have no doubt after reading this post, you’ll understand why Bled, Slovenia is a must-see in Europe!

Where We Stayed

One of the benefits of visiting this popular tourist destination in November is the cheaper and more budget-friendly prices for lodging. We drove to Slovenia and also brought Hudson, our pup, so it was important for us to find a place with free parking and green space. Apartments Patricia provided just that. It was quiet, clean, and provided a perfect place to relax after a day of exploring the sites. It was also right around the corner from a local market – perfect!

What We Did

We decided to spend 3 nights in Bled and this turned out to be the perfect amount of time. I would recommend at least 2 if possible!

Day 1

Bled was only about 5.5 hours away from our home in Amberg. We picked up my sister on the way in Munich and off we went. We drove straight through Austria which was beautiful and provided some amazing views that made the drive seem less daunting. We arrived and checked into our apartment around 3pm. With little daylight during the winter, we wanted to head straight to the lake to get a quick picture. It was just as amazing in person as I had imagined! We wrapped up day 1 with some local food at a quaint little restaurant for dinner followed by the infamous Custard Cake. DON’T skip dessert while in Bled – this cake is amazing!

Day 2

We were gifted with the most gorgeous weather this day! Sunny skies and a comfortable 50 degrees fahrenheit was just perfect for a day around the lake. We woke up early and headed straight to Vintgar Gorge. Unfortunately the trail was closed partway through so we didn’t get all the way to the gorge, but the short little trail that was open was beautiful!

I’ve said this before, but any time you get a chance to get city views from above, DO IT! The Bled Castle was the perfect spot to see the lake and mountains. There is an entrance fee, but it’s totally worth it – It was truly breathtaking! If you have time, grab a tea or coffee and relax and enjoy the view.

After a quick stop for some delicious beer and pizza, we went to the lake to explore. We rented the cutest little row boat and rowed our way to the center island to see the church and have some tea, coffee and cake. I highly recommend doing this! It gives you even more amazing views from the water. You can either row a boat yourself or pay for someone to row you across. (Rowing yourself is cheaper and more fun I think! Although Casey did all the rowing, hehe.)

After a full day of exploring, we went back to the apartment to rest and refuel (with Slovenian wine and beer of course!). We then drove to the country capital, Ljubljana, for a fun food festival my husband found. This ended up being even better than expected! We were able to try so many kinds of Slovenian dishes with a modern twist. Always look up what events are going on in each place you visit for something new and different!

Day 4

Day 4 was unfortunately rainy and cold, but this didn’t stop us. We decided to head back to the capital for a Union Brewery tour – their local brew. For a small fee you can tour their brewery and museum and even sample some beer along the way. We also received a small gift at the end! Well worth it! Their restaurant is also delicious!

Ljubljana also has a pretty large market with local produce, honey, bread, meats, clothing goods, flowers, etc. I imagine this place is packed in the summer months!

And now for the highlight of our trip – the Wine Tasting. Yes, we did a beer tour and wine tasting in one day! Don’t judge. If you’re looking for a unique and worthwhile experience, book this tasting! It’s even for newbie wine tasters like me. Borris will teach you all about Slovenian wines, how to properly taste wines, what to pair with each, and more! You will also get small food pairings throughout. I loved this tasting so much that I’m writing up a separate blog post about it! (Be on the lookout!)

Where We Ate

• Pizzeria Rustika – try the Primorka pizza and the Cevapcici (grilled minced meat)
• Oštarija Babji zob – this is where we had traditional Slovenian food and the first place we tried custard cake
• Union Pivnica Pub – the goulasch is the perfect (and filling!) dish to warm up on a cold, rainy day

As you can probably tell from this semi-long post, we LOVED Bled, Slovenia! There is even more that we didn’t even get a chance to do or see. I would love to go back in the summer time to see this place in action! If you get the chance, make your way to Slovenia for some unforgettable experiences!