Church on an Island in the middle of Lake Bled

The Church of Mary the Queen, also known as the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, or Our Lady of the Lake, is located on a small island in the middle of Lake Bled. It has such a beautiful setting that photographs of it are regularly found in travel magazines. Of special interest in the church is a bell of wishes, made by Francesco Patavino from Padova way back in 1534. The legend says that those who ring the bell and make a wish, will see their wish come true. But there’s one rule: you can make only one wish.

There are three ways to get to the Island. The usual way to reach the island is by taking a trip on the traditional Pletna boat. The Pletna is a large gondola-like row boat with a canopy that takes visitors from the shores of Lake Bled to Bled Island. There are regular departures throughout the day and it takes about 20 minutes each way. It costs €12 for a roundtrip to Bled Island and this includes waiting time of 30 minutes so you can explore the island and the church. Another option is to rent a rowboat. It is cheaper and you get the pleasure of meandering back and forth through the lake. You can rent a boat at the Castle boathouse (address: Veslaska promenada 11, 4260 Bled), at Grand hotel Toplice (address: Cesta svobode 12, 4260 Bled) or at the Pension Pletna (address: Cesta svobode 37, 4260 Bled). A boat for 3 persons costs around €15 per hour, a boat for 5 persons costs around €20 per hour. If you are a good swimmer, you can also swim to the island. But be aware – if you swim to the island, you won’t be able to explore the church unless you ask someone to bring you clothes by boat.

Bled island with 99 stairs in the middle of Lake Bled in Slovenia
Lake Bled has a small, tear shaped island reachable by man-powered rowboats called Pletnas. The journey to the Island is lovely not only to experience the leisurely lake ride but also to visit the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary! (photo: Janez Tolar / slovenia.info)

Bled Island in the spring with Karavanke Mountain Range in the background
Bled Island with its church in spring and the snow-capped Karavanke Mountain Range in the background. (photo: Bojan Kolman)

Traditional Pletna boats at Lake Bled in Slovenia with Bled Island in the background
The usual way to visit the church is to travel by a gondola, known here as Pletna. The journey to the island is just as lovely as the destination. (photo: Marco Coppo / slovenia.info)

View of Bled Island in Slovenia in the autumn
Autumn is probably the most picturesque season to visit Lake Bled. It’s such a photogenic and colorful time of the year that everywhere you look the scenery seems to be a fantastic photo opportunity. (photo: Bojan Kolman)

A woman in a boat at Lake Bled in Slovenia with Bled Island in the background
Slovenia has only one island but it’s a very special island in the middle of Lake Bled with an idyllic Gothic church built on it. (photo: Michael Matti / slovenia.info)

Bled Island in the middle of Lake Bled with an idyllic church built on it.
The church on an Island is gorgeous beyond words! (photo: James Southorn / CC BY 2.0)

Lake Bled with Bled Island and the medieval castle
Lake Bled with an island and Bled castle. (photo: James Southorn / CC BY 2.0)

Lake Bled and its island with a church
Picture-postcard island with its glorious church of the Assumption of Mary in the middle of Lake Bled. (photo: Lemsipmatt / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Exterior of Bled Island church
The 52 meter (170 ft) tall bell tower was added in 1465 – and it still stands! (photo: Fanglan Hsu / CC BY 2.0)

Wish bell in the Church of Mary the Queen on Bled Island
The church is decorated with remains of Mediaeval frescos and a rich Baroque equipment. On visits to the church on Bled Island, don’t forget to ring the bell and make a wish.

Traditional gondola-like wooden boats, called Pletna at Lake Bled
The church is reached by a Baroque stairway that has 99 steps and dates back to 1655. (photo: Peter Collins / CC BY-SA 2.0)

A female in a boat rowing to Bled Island
A more fun alternative to the pletna boat, is to rent your own rowboat. There are several places around the lake where you can rent a boat. (photo: Luca Mascaro / CC BY-SA 2.0)

A boat at Lake Bled with Bled Island in the background
Keep in mind, if you rent a boat from the western end of the lake, you are in for a shorter row. (photo: Grant Bishop / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Lake Bled and its island and castle at night
The church at night in the summer. (photo: Alan Kosmac / slovenia.info)

Lake Bled at night in winter with Karavanke Mountain Range in the background
The church at night in the winter with Karavanke Mountain Range in the background. (photo: Nikola Jurisic / slovenia.info)

Lake Bled and its island covered with snow in the winter
The church looks even more picturesque when it’s covered with a white blanket of snow in the winter. (photo: Mirko Kunsic/ slovenia.info)

Bled Island in winter with a covering of fresh snow
The church in winter with a covering of fresh snow. (photo: Franci Ferjan / slovenia.info)

Frozen Lake Bled and its island with a church in winter, Slovenia
In winter when the temperatures are low enough, you can walk across the frozen Lake Bled to the island and visit the church. (photo: Franci Ferjan / slovenia.info)

More info about the church on Bled Island: Review of the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary on Bled Island
More photos of the church on Bled Island: 15 Beautiful Photos To Inspire You to Visit The Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary on Bled Island

Location of the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary on the Bled Island
Address: Otok 3, 4260 Bled, Slovenia
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 46.36256, 14.09022
GPS coordinates: 46° 21′ 45.2160” N     14° 5′ 24.8028” E
Traditional region: Upper Carniola (Slovene: Gorenjska)
Municipality: Bled

Directions from Apartments Fine Stay to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary on the Bled Island: (drive 9 km, 10 minutes + a 20 minute trip on the Pletna boat)

Directions from Apartments Fine Stay Bled to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary on the Bled Island: (walk 1 km, 10 minutes + a 20 minute trip on the Pletna boat)

3 thoughts on “Church on an Island in the middle of Lake Bled”

  1. The Pletna boat ride of €12 s per person will bring you to the island – relatively good considering the time you are on the boat and they wait for you to view the church and island before taking you back to start. The clear water and the serenity of the lake make the boat ride an unforgettable experience. The island is quite small, so I’d suggest going early in the day when there aren’t too many tourists crowding the place. The views from the island are stunning.

  2. I recently visited Slovenia and St Mary church. How can I purchase a wooden rosary from the church?

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