Beautiful Spaces: Where We Stayed in Lake Bled (A Hotel Review)

Welcome back to Beautiful Spaces—a series of posts in which I talk about the apartments, hotels, hostels, & B&Bs I stay in during my travels. It all started in 2013 when I realized that my contentment on the road is directly connected to how much I love where I’m living…and so made a commitment to find beautiful spaces to call home along the way. The following stay was provided free of charge, but, as always, opinions are my own.

The first week of August was a wild and wonderful one. We went from Bosnia to Zagreb (Croatia), Zagreb to Ljubljana (Slovenia), we met up with some vacationing friends in from Tanzania, and then for one sweet, too-short overnight trip, we headed to one of my favorite places in all of Europe:

Lake Bled, Slovenia.

We swam in the lake, had dinner at a lively little music festival, climbed up to the gorgeous castle with its gorgeous views, and circled the lakeshore on foot and via cycle.

And in between all that, Chad and I retreated to our sweet, boutique hotel room on a hill above the lake in the charming Hotel Triglav.

bedroom

Located on the quieter end of the lake, about a 30-minute walk (10-minute cycle ride) from the main town, Triglav was originally built by the mayor of Bled the same year (1906) that a rail line from Vienna opened in the town and the then-archduke Franz Ferdinand first visited the lake.

It has since been totally refurbished and you’ll find a mix of the modern (air conditioning units in the rooms, newly tiled bathrooms) and the historic (antique furnishings all around).

We enjoyed the charming, boutique feel of the place and loved that it was in a quiet area tucked up away from the main swimming areas and restaurants. We were also a fan of how spacious and comfortable the bed was.

And even though we didn’t use them, I found the fact that they leave wine glasses in the room for guests who bring home a bottle at the end of the day a really nice touch.

desk

Lunabug

Even better, there was the restaurant–a pretty room with tall windows stretching wall to wall to showcase views of the lake and its mystical island.

We didn’t eat lunch or dinner in the restaurant, but we did spend a long, leisurely breakfast at the corner table feasting on cold cuts and cheese, fluffy croissants and delicate apple strudel, crispy over-easy eggs, brisk homemade elderflower juice, and coffee.

In all, a place I’d most definitely recommend. Especially for those who love boutique-feeling spaces, quiet areas, and expansive views.

The only caveat is this: come prepared for the steep climb up the hill if you plan on walking/cycling. We didn’t mind it–especially when we were rewarded with views like those below–but I know for some that can be daunting.

dining room