Bled, Slovenia : a beautiful resort town

Bled is a small town in the Northwest of Julian Alps in Slovenia, bordering Austria.  The town develops around the beautiful glacier lake, Bled Lake.  It has been a resort for the European nobles and riches in the past two centuries.  It is still one of the major tourist spots for Slovenia. 

This fall, my wife and I had opportunity visiting this lovely place. 
We had lunch in the Bled Castle while enjoying the picturesque scenery of the Bled Lake.  There is a small island in the lake.  People can take a short boat ride to the island and visit the church there.  A few resort hotels are built along the lake with many other private resort houses around.

(Slow moving rowing boat in the Bled Castle below the Bled Castle) 

(Rowing boat is the only mean of transportation to the church in the island of the Bled Lake)

(Resort house along the Bled Lake)

(White swam swimming leisurely in the lake)

We enjoyed our leisure walk along the lake shore.  Then, we settled down in the hotel cafe for the afternoon tea and Kremsnita (a local favourite pastry).  We could see swam and duck swimming in the crystal clear lake.  There were also people practising rowing in the lake.  Four world rowing champions were held here in Bled.

(Resort hotel along the lake shore)

(Rowing boat cutting through the calm water surface)

Slovenia is one of the small EU countries with about two million population.  With its close economic and social tie to the former Austrian empire, Slovenia is better developed than other Balkan countries.  The French car marker, Renault, has a plant in Slovenia. You can find Renault cars everywhere in the country.  Automative export to EU forms an important part of the Slovenia economy.