In the midst of the crystal waters of the lake in Bled is the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. The island is a site where the faithful have flocked for years to ring its bell, considered a harbinger of good luck. The island itself is said to date back to the prehistoric era. In times before the church was built here, locals worshipped the Slavic goddess of fertility and love - Ziva, at her temple on this very island.

The little church is said to have existed since the 10th century. While the building one sees today was constructed in the 17th century, an earlier structure stood in its place well before that. Local lore says that if a husband can carry his new wife up the 99 steps of this church, the couple is assured a happy married life. Ringing the church bell is believed to bring good luck and make your wishes come true!

To get to the island, you will need to hop on board an old fashioned wooden row barge called a Pletna. If you'd rather not get on the barge, then you could hire yourself a kayak and explore the lake on your own. A reasonably fit person can easily get himself to the island by kayak and follow it up with a day of exploring on foot. The kayaks are also useful to explore the lesser known parts of the lake, which are difficult for bigger boats to reach.

This red and white castle is nothing less than a fantasy. Perched upon a rock near the northern end of the town is this delightful castle that will capture the fancy of young and old alike.

Visit the castle's museum with its displays of weaponry and costumes and watch history come alive before you. Take a detour to the wine centre run by a monk and learn how to perform Sabrage, or Sabree - to slice the top of the bottle off with a flourish! All you need to do is pick up a bottle of champagne for around 15 euro, to practice on. If you'd like to take home a bottle of wine with a waxed label you put on yourself, and perhaps even helped bottle the contents for, then just ask the monk to help you out.

Just next to the wine cellar in the courtyard are a set of wooden steps that lead up to a lovely little store that sells fascinating oils and herbs with heavenly perfumes.

The castle itself has been laid out as an exhibition venue with display rooms. The chapel is an interesting area as are the rooms nearby, where visitors can get a feel of ancient Bled from the early excavations and historic recreations of furniture from the times. Not all that you see here was originally from Bled Castle, but they are fair representations of styles from the periods recreated.

Bled is blessed with an abundance of historic and spectacular churches. Some of them are:

Parish Church of St. Jacob in Ribno

This old church dates back to the 1400s when the basic structure came up. The Baroque style architecture of the presbytery harks back to the latter part of the 15th century, while the Gothic frescoes are believed to be from the 1500s.

Succursall Church of St. Lenart in Bodešče

The Succursall Church of St. Lenart has a distinctive star-shaped presbytery created in the Gothic style as well as frescoes that date back to the early 15th century. The nave is adorned with some beautiful frescoes from the early 16th century.

Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in Zasip

The earliest references to this church seem to date back to the 13th century but many believe that this parish church is far older. The building, which was originally Gothic, was later modified to the Baroque style around 1778. The most celebrated patrons of this church were the Lambergar family. They lived at the Kamen Castle close to Begunje. Art lovers will enjoy seeing the work of artist L. Layer. Also worth seeing is the tombstone of Count Lamberg.

Succursal Church of St. Catherine in Hom nad Zasipom

This Gothic style church from the 1400s has been the site of many pilgrimages. The church's frescoes and portico are said to have been added in the 16th century. The 17th century presbytery had been renovated in the 18th century to the Baroque style. The altar itself is again in the Baroque style. Fortified walls can be seen at places on the premises.

Near the boathouse is a road that leads up to the castle bathing area. Here you will find a lovely little park by the parish church with a monument to Dr. France Prešeren. This was built in 1883 by the Ljubljana Reading Club and is said to be the first monument created by the Slovenes to honour their most famous poet.

The manor within the park in Recica was once owned by the Grimšic barons, hence the name. Baron Jurij Adam Grimschitz was a co-founder of the Academia Operosorum or the Carniolan Academy of Sciences, at Ljubljana. The manor itself was built by Ahac Grimšic and was later renovated in 1850. Ivan Grimšic sold it to his friend from Gorje - the secret counsellor and diplomat Baron Josef Schwegl.

The manor was again renovated in the years between 1887 and 1902. Post World War I it came to Dr Ivan Svegel as part of his inheritance. The Slovene diplomat and politician renamed the manor Wilsonia (in honour of President Wilson of the US). It is today called Grimšče.

As you stroll around the lake you may spot a bust near the boathouse. If you're wondering who this is - it's Boris Kocijančič, the much revered ex-president of the Rowing Association of Slovenia. He spearheaded Slovenia's organisation of the World championships as well as the European championships at Lake Bled in 1966 and 1956. He was also the founder of Slovenia's only rowing centre. His bust has been placed here by rowers from the country to honour his memory. The monument was created by Stojan Batič.

Close to this bust is a statue of a boatman created by sculptor Boris Kalin between the world wars. Another memorial at the lake is that of Thomas Keller, a dear friend to Bled.

Not far from Bled is the Triglav National Park where you can make a getaway into the lap of nature. The dramatic and picturesque Vintgar Gorge is just 4.5 km from the town. Besides walking and hiking in Bled there are other activities you could indulge in, like rafting, fishing, riding, mountain biking, canyoning and climbing. If you're interested in flying, then go on a panoramic glide through the skies on a tandem paragliding flight. Also available are winter sports like cross country or alpine skiing, ice climbing, snow-shoeing and ski safaris. The Alpine Flying Centre also organises glider rental, tandem para jumps and panoramic flights.

Golfers will enjoy the scenic twin Bled Golf Courses with 18+9 holes. These are among Europe's prettiest greens.

If you appreciate art, then a visit to the Vila Nana Gallery will not go amiss. Here, you can see work by famous Croatian and Slovenian artists in the Naive Art style, as well as pieces by modern painters. Artists featured include:

Pintarić-Puco, Jože Tisnikar, Milan Nadj, Jože Peternelj-Mausar, Josip Generalić, Stjepan Večenaj, Ivan Lacković-Croata, Andrej Prah, Mijo Kovačić, Martin Mehkek and Ivan Rabuzin.