Jump to content

Lake Bled

Coordinates:46°21′52″N14°05′41″E/ 46.36444°N 14.09472°E/46.36444; 14.09472
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Bled
Blejsko jezero(Slovene)
Lake Bled seen from Little Osojnica Hill
Lake Bled is located in Slovenia
Lake Bled
Lake Bled
LocationJulian Alps
Coordinates46°21′52″N14°05′41″E/ 46.36444°N 14.09472°E/46.36444; 14.09472
Primary inflowsNatural springs, Mišca
Primary outflowsJezernica
BasincountriesSlovenia
Max. length2,120 m (6,960 ft)
Max. width1,380 m (4,530 ft)
Surface area1.45 km2(0.56 sq mi)
Max. depth29.5 m (97 ft)
Water volume0.0257 km3(0.0062 cu mi)
Surface elevation475 m (1,558 ft)
IslandsBled Island
SettlementsBled

Lake Bled(Slovene:Blejsko jezero;German:Bleder See, Veldeser See) is alakein theJulian Alpsof theUpper Carniolanregion of northwesternSlovenia,where it adjoins the town ofBled.The area is atouristdestination. The lake is 35 km (22 mi) fromLjubljana International Airportand 55 km (34 mi) from the capital city,Ljubljana.Lake Bled is 4.2 km (2.6 mi) from the Lesce–Bled train station.

Geography and history[edit]

The lake is of mixedglacialandtectonicorigin. It is 2,120 m (6,960 ft) long and 1,380 m (4,530 ft) wide, with a maximum depth of 29.5 m (97 ft), and it has a small island. The lake lies in a picturesque environment, surrounded by mountains and forests.

Lake Bled was an important cult centre during theBronze Age.Gold appliqués dating from the 13th-12th century BC were found in a deposit by the lake shore. The embossed decorations on the appliqués are thought to represent the solar and lunar years. Similar appliqués have been discovered in Switzerland, Bavaria and Hungary, mainly in Bronze Age fortified settlements and in the graves of wealthy women.[1]

MedievalBled Castlestands above the lake on the north shore and has a museum.[2]TheZaka Valleylies at the west end of the lake.

TheWorld Rowing Championshipswere held at Lake Bled in1966,1979,1989,and2011.[3][4][5][6]

For centuries, Europeans have flocked to the shores of Lake Bled to enjoyrecreation,but also themedicinalbenefits.Emperor Henry II,ruler of theHoly Roman Empire,enjoyed the lake so much that he builtBled Castlein 1004 to confer it as an estate. Today the castle is a populartourist attraction.[7]

Bled Island[edit]

Sunrise at Lake Bled. The church on Bled Island has a 52-meter (171 ft) tower.

The lake surrounds Bled Island (Blejski otok). The island has several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to theAssumption of Mary(Cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja), built in its current form near the end of the 17th century. It is decorated with remains ofGothicfrescosfrom around 1470 in thechancel,and with richBaroquefurnishing.[8]

The church has a 52 m (171 ft) tower and there is a Baroque stairway dating from 1655 with 99 stone steps leading up to the building. The church is frequently visited and weddings are held there regularly. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.

A modernpletnashows tourists around the lake.

The traditional transportation to Bled Island is a wooden boat known as apletna.[9]The wordpletnais a borrowing from Bavarian GermanPlätten'flat-bottomed boat'.[10]Some sources claim thepletnawas used in Lake Bled as early as AD 1150, but most historians date the first boats to AD 1590.[11]

Similar in shape to Italian gondolas, apletnaseats 20 passengers. Modern boats are still made by hand and are recognizable by their colorful awnings.Pletnaoarsman employ thestehruddertechnique to propel and navigate boats across the lake using two oars. The role of the oarsman dates back to 1740, whenMaria Theresa of Austriagranted 22 local families exclusive rights to ferry religious pilgrims across Lake Bled to worship on Bled Island.[12]The profession is still restricted. Many modern oarsmen descend directly from the original 22 families.[13]

Gastronomy[edit]

The area's culinary specialty, a cream pastry (kremna rezinaorkremšnita'Cremeschnitte'), was designated a protected dish of designated origin in 2016 by the Slovene government.[14]Slovene cream pastries date back to theHabsburgera.[15]The current "official" recipe was created in 1953 by Ištvan Lukačević, the former manager of the Hotel Park's patisserie.[16]

There is an annual festival dedicated to the pastry. It is estimated that 12 million cream pastries have been prepared at the Hotel Park's patisserie over the last 60 years.[17]

Gallery[edit]

  • Bled Island with the church (left) and Bled Castle (right)
    Bled Island with the church (left) and Bled Castle (right)
  • Bled Island
    Bled Island
  • Bled Island with Bled Castle behind
    Bled Island with Bled Castle behind
  • Gold appliqués from Lake Bled, Late Bronze Age, 13th–12th century BC.
    Gold appliqués from Lake Bled,Late Bronze Age,13th–12th century BC[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Two appliqués".National Museum of Slovenia.2022.These extraordinary appliqués were part of treasures deposited in the Bronze Age as an offering to gods on the shore of Lake Bled. The prestigious gold appliqués also indicate that the lake was an important centre of a cult.... Similar appliqués have been discovered in Switzerland, Bavaria and Hungary, mainly in Bronze Age fortified settlements and in the graves of wealthy women.... The ornamentation bears markings of the solar and lunar year.
  2. ^Lake Bled Castle (https://safarinomad.com/lake-bled-castle/)
  3. ^"1966 Bled World Rowing Championships - Australian Rowing History".www.rowinghistory-aus.info.Retrieved2022-05-25.
  4. ^"1979 Bled World Championships - Australian Rowing History".2014-10-21. Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2014.Retrieved2022-05-25.
  5. ^"World Rowing - 1989 World Rowing Championships - Blejsko jezero/Bled, Slovenia".World Rowing.Retrieved2022-05-25.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^"2011 World Rowing Championships / Overview - worldrowing.com".2016-03-19. Archived fromthe originalon 19 March 2016.Retrieved2022-05-25.
  7. ^"All You Need To Know To Visit Bled Castle In Slovenia - Travel Slovenia".TRAVELSLOVENIA.ORG – All You Need To Know To Visit Slovenia.Retrieved2022-05-25.
  8. ^Kermavnar, Simona; Turk, Matija."Podružnična cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja na Otoku na Bledu"[Assumption Chapel of Ease on the Island in Bled]. In Šmid Hribar, Mateja; Golež, Gregor; Podjed, Dan; Kladnik, Drago; Erhartič, Bojan; Pavlin, Primož; Ines, Jerele (eds.).Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encyclopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia](in Slovenian).Retrieved23 April2013.
  9. ^"The Pletna boat - Bled".www.bled.si.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  10. ^Snoj, Marko (2003).Slovenski etimološki slovar(2 ed.). Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 527.ISBN961-6465-37-6.
  11. ^"The Pletna boat - Bled".www.bled.si.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  12. ^Sims, Davy (2018).Bled Slovenia.Firsthand Guides. p. 137.ISBN9781977025357.
  13. ^"The Pletna boat - Bled".www.bled.si.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  14. ^"A Slovenian resort is synonymous with a cream cake:: Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija".www.rtvslo.si.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  15. ^"Lake Bled Cream Cake: A Confection Straight from the Storybooks".2015-10-02. Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2018.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  16. ^d.o.o., Renderspace d.o.o. & AV studio."The original Bled cream cake - Sava Hotels & Resorts".www.sava-hotels-resorts.com.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  17. ^"A Slovenian resort is synonymous with a cream cake:: Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija".www.rtvslo.si.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  18. ^"Two appliqués".National Museum of Slovenia.2022.These extraordinary appliqués were part of treasures deposited in the Bronze Age as an offering to gods on the shore of Lake Bled. The prestigious gold appliqués also indicate that the lake was an important centre of a cult.... Similar appliqués have been discovered in Switzerland, Bavaria and Hungary, mainly in Bronze Age fortified settlements and in the graves of wealthy women.... The ornamentation bears markings of the solar and lunar year.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLake Bled.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Bled&oldid=1224267422"