In the town of Bled, region of northwestern Slovenia

 "Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."

-- John Boswell
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(in the Julian Alps of the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia) Lake Bled, a glacial lake in the extreme northwestern region of Slovenia is situated 1,558 feet (475 meters) above sea level at the foot of the Julian Alps northwest of Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. It is a summer health and holiday resort and a winter sports center with good road and rail connections and summer air service. The mild subalpine climate affords a long summer season for bathing. Nearby is Triglav National Park and other mountains in the Julian Alps and Karavanke. (a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps on the border between Slovenia to the south and Austria to the north)

+ With its bluish-green lake, picture-postcard church on an islet, a medieval castle clinging to a rocky cliff, and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps and the Karavanke as backdrops, Bled is Slovenia's most popular resort, drawing everyone from honeymooners lured by the over-the-top romantic setting to backpackers, who come for the hiking, biking, water-sports, and canyoning possibilities.

+ The town of Bled has historic landmarks. On a small island in the lake is the Church of the Assumption, on which a Slavic pagan shrine stood until the 11th century. Bled Castle stands atop a 460-foot cliff on the lakeshore. The medieval castle stands above the lake on the north shore and has a museum. The lake surrounds Bled Island (Blejski otok). The island has several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary (Cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja), built in its current form near the end of the 17th century. It is decorated with remains of Gothic frescos from around 1470 in the chancel, and with rich Baroque furnishing. The church has a 52 meter (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.

+ The traditional transportation to Bled Island is a wooden boat known as a pletna (a word borrowed from Bavarian German Plätten "flat-bottomed boat." Similar in shape to Italian gondolas, a pletna seats 20 passengers. Modern boats are still made by hand and are recognizable by their colorful awnings. Pletna oarsman employ the stehrudder technique to propel and navigate boats across the lake using two oars. The role of the oarsman dates back to 1740, when Maria Theresa of Austria granted 22 local families exclusive rights to ferry religious pilgrims across Lake Bled to worship on Bled Island. The profession is still restricted; many modern oarsmen descend directly from the original 22 families.