The former Yugoslav nation of Slovenia is mostly landlocked by Italy and Croatia, with under 30 miles of coastline on the Adriatic. However, inland lakes and rivers contribute significantly to Slovenia’s natural beauty.

The Municipality of Bled is the northwestern corner of the country, south of the Austrian border. Its seat is the town of Bled, which lies on the shores of Lake Bled. Up on a cliff towering over the lake is the medieval Bled Castle. In the center of the lake is Bled Island, once occupied by prehistoric and Slavic settlements and now home to a Gothic church.

The Vintgar Gorge, or Bled Gorge, is a canyon carved out by the action of the Radovna River. A well-maintained trail allows visitors to hike along 1 mile of the gorge, sometimes walking on land, wooden paths erected on the side of the cliff, or bridges crossing over the water. The river flows swiftly and turbulently in some parts, and drops down Slovenia’s largest waterfall at the end of the trail.

The location of Slovenia in Europe, and the Slovenian coat of arms.

Bled, SLOVENIA

Richie, LocationSloveniaInEurope, Coat of arms overlay by Danielle, CC BY-SA 3.0