Bled is a municipality in Slovenia located in the northwestern part of the country at the foot of the Julian Alps.
The Bled area has several tourist attractions such as the lake and Bled Castle.
Lake Bled is situated in a picturesque setting, surrounded by mountains and forests. The lake has a small island where there are several buildings, one of the main ones is the Church of S. Maria Assunta built in the fifteenth century.
Bled Castle was built around 1011 on a protruding rock overlooking the lake. On the spot where the castle stands today, in the Middle Ages there was only a Romanesque tower with defensive walls.
In the late Middle Ages, other towers were added to complete the castle’s defensive system and a drawbridge over the moat, which is no longer visible today.
The castle is characterized by a double structure: a fortified central part, intended as the residence of the feudal lords, and an external part with walls and buildings intended for servants. In 1511 the castle suffered serious damage due to an earthquake, but was rebuilt in its current form.
Today, the upper courtyard houses the museum of the history of Bled, from the first finds to the various stages of the castle’s construction.
Among the most important buildings of the castle is the Gothic Chapel in the upper courtyard. Built in the sixteenth century, it was renovated in Baroque style at the end of the seventeenth century and adorned with frescoes.
