Bled Island

Slovenia’s only natural island, with a baroque pilgrimage church and 99 steps up from the jetty.

The pletna crossing is a genuine surviving craft tradition, not a re-enactment for visitors.

The island holds the Church of the Assumption, rebuilt in baroque form after the 1509 earthquake, with a wishing bell in the tower. Access is by pletna, the flat-bottomed, hand-rowed boats worked by a hereditary guild of oarsmen from the Mlino settlement, or by hired rowing boat, or by swimming in summer. The pletna oarsmen wait until the boat is full, so there can be a wait in low season. From the jetty there are 99 stone steps to the church.

Photo: James Southorn · CC BY 2.0