Bled

Slowenien / Bled

HISTORY OF BLED BLED is a tourist place, surrounded by the wreaths of the Julian Alps and Karawanke Mountains, placed in a shapeless basin of a glacial lake, the warmest in Europe. When the Nature was distributing her beauties, it was widely mindful particular to Bled. In the middle of the romantic lake there rises the Isle of Bled with the little church with its baroque tower, reflecting in the smooth surface of the water. On the top of the steep grey rock has fortified itself dominantly the Castle of Bled. Below, there are thronging lumpy settlements, gradually growing into the present resort of world reputation. Bled is situated 501m above sea level. It can be proud of a more than 130 years old tourist tradition. Yet even before that time Bled was frequented by numerous pilgrims, visiting the romantic little church on the island, scientists, artists, statesmen who were admiring the beauties of Bled and those of its surroundings, and also the first bathers in thermal spring of Bled, namely on the site where the Grand Hotel Toplice is situated at present. The beginning of the contemporary, organised tourism at Bled go back to the year 1855. Then Arnold Rikli, a Swiss citizen was among the first ones to recognize the favourable position of Bled and its climatic advantages enabling a long bathing season. At Bled, he arranged his air, sun and water bathing, he built the necessary structures and achieved good success in his curative treatment. The number of visitors and also that of hotels, restaurants and inns as well as of other infrastructure started a rapid spreading. Bled became well known throughout Europe and started inviting and attracting, in tradition to Rikli's patients, an ever increasing number of other guests, too. Thereto great contribution was made by much better traffic connections, and in particular the railway ones. Bled has gained two railway stations - the later one BLED LAKE on the Munich - Trieste railway line. Today there are 7000 inhabitants of Bled, prevailingly engaged in tourist - catering activities. The total tourist capacities exceed 4000 beds. Of recent times all the old hotels have been completely reconstructed and a number of new hotels, pensions were built, such as ours. A great acquisition for the tourist development of Bled, however, are the numerous structures of the tourist infrastructure, being more numerous than at any other tourist place in the continental part of the country. On the one hand, these structures present a more attractive summer tourist offer, and on the other one, the introduction of a winter season with the construction of a ski centres, sport hall with its skating ring, the golf course with 18 + 9 holes, the new tennis courses, rowing centre and the gambling casino. Several covered and open swimming pools and the other facilities for an active recreation as well as entertainment places, by day and night, add to Bled's tourist offer, satisfying the expectations of all Bled's guests. Finally, let's us mention the calendar of the attractive tourist events, including various concerts and other cultural programmes, folkloristic displays and sporting events, taking place throughout the tourist season. The Days of. Bled and Rikli's days are especially attractive ones, visited by thousands of visitors from everywhere, trying traditional meals from hundreds occasional sellers on the main street or buying artistic souvenirs from them. And at the end, huge fireworks and thousands egg-candles, floating on the lake water, became really traditional. Among the sporting events the aeronautical events and rowing championships of all kinds and at all levels, long ago both domiciled at Bled.