Lake Bled in Slovenia is instantly recognisable and somewhere that had always been on my list of places to see for a long time.  No matter where you are in Lake Bled, you are guaranteed beautiful views and great photographs but if you want to get the picture postcard shot of the lake itself, you will have to make a little effort but it is completely worth it.

There are three different viewpoints that you can hike to at Lake Bled – Ojstrica, Mala Osojnica and Velika Osojnica.  They all have a slightly different view (due to difference in height or proximity to the lake) but thankfully Ojstrica (which has the iconic view that you see everywhere) is the easiest and quickest of the three hikes and best of all, it’s completely free of charge to do.

Lake Bled is normally very busy with a lot of tourists so to avoid crowds, the best time to hike to Ojstrica would be for sunrise or sunset.  However given the current travel situation in 2020, we had the place to ourselves in the middle of the afternoon – we hardly saw another person the entire time we were there.

So here is my up to date, step by step guide with photos, instructions and directions of how to hike to the Ojstrica viewpoint to see Lake Bled.

We started our walk from our hotel in the town of Bled which is located on the opposite side of Lake Bled to where the viewpoints are located.  As well as hiking to the Ojstrica viewpoint, we also wanted to walk around the entire lake in the short time we were there which is a great way to exercise as well as to explore the area at the same time.  The distance around the lake is 6km and the path is paved as well as flat the entire way.  Even if you do not want to hike to one of the viewpoints, make sure to walk around Lake Bled especially if it’s a nice day. It is an easy walk and there are also many places where you can sit along the way, enjoy the incredible views and watch the world go by.

If you are driving to Lake Bled to do the hike, you can park near to the start of the trail at Camping Bled which will cost a few Euros per hour. However do not park anywhere along the road at Lake Bled as you will be fined. As we were walking from our hotel, the walk from the town of Bled on the opposite side of the lake to the start of the trail took forty minutes.

If walking around the lake in a clockwise direction, the entrance to the start of the trail is located on the left hand side of the main road (the lake will be on your right) just past the boat rental building. If walking from the opposite direction from Bled Castle or from Camping Bled, walk along the main road and past the swimming area and the start of the trail will be on your right.

It can be very easy to miss the start of the trail for the hike to Ojstrica and Osojnica but I have linked the exact start point here on Google Maps. Simply look for the path with the small green signs for Ojstrica and Osojnica.

If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting Slovenia, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

Once on the trail, simply follow the dirt path through the trees. The walk is uphill the whole way but it is not steep apart from at the top near the viewpoint itself. However the walk will take a little longer than you think it will due to the ground being very uneven with lots of tree roots and rocks you have to walk around. If you plan to do the hike for sunrise or sunset, make sure to take a lamp with you so you can see where you are walking when it is dark.

Although the trail to Ojstrica is not hard, it was a little more challenging we day we were there due to the trails being slippery as there had been some rain earlier in the day and you had to be careful with every step that you took on the way. I was so glad that I had worn my waterproof hiking shoes that day as the support and grip (as well as having dry feet) was definitely needed – you would not be able to do this walk in flip flops as you would easily fall over. Sensible footwear is essential.

The next signpost you will see will say fifteen minutes to Ojstrica. Keep walking up the path and when it splits into two, you can take either side as they lead to the same point. There was a red arrow painted on the ground for the path on the right which is the one we used but even though it is shorter than the other path, it is steeper and more uneven. We had to stop a few times to catch our breath and drink some water (another essential you need to bring) before continuing to walk up the trail.

You will then see a sign that points in three different directions towards Ojstrica, Osojnica and back down the hill towards Velika Zaka. At this sign you will need to walk directly behind it and up through the trees towards Ojstrica. This narrow trail has several switchbacks on the way to the top and is the steepest and most difficult part of the entire hike. You will need to climb some rocks but thankfully there is wire rope that you can hold onto to help you climb – especially if the rocks are slippery. This is where you definitely need to be wearing sensible shoes!

You can however see the clearing up ahead where the viewpoint is located on your way up so you know that you are getting close to the top which will motivate you through those last few rocky steps.

From starting the trail to reaching the Ojstrica viewpoint took us twenty five minutes and it was completely worth every second of that climb for the view. It was beautiful and exactly how I imagined and hoped it would be. It was late in the afternoon and the sun shining on Lake Bled, Bled Castle, Bled Island with the Karavanke mountains in the background was perfect. We sat on the bench for a few minutes to rest whilst enjoying the view as well as taking plenty of photos. A picnic would have made it even better but we had plans for dinner back in the town.

After leaving Ojstrica we could have hiked uphill for about another twenty minutes to reach the Osojnica viewpoint but to us, the view from Ojstrica was so good that we did not feel that we needed to hike any further.

The round trip from the start of the trail to the Ojstrica viewpoint and back (including our sit down at the top) took us just over an hour and fifteen minutes however we would have been quicker if the trail had not been so slippery after the rain earlier in the day – I almost lost my footing several times on the way back down. We continued our walk around Lake Bled before arriving back at our hotel just over an hour later.

Even if you only have a short time in Slovenia as we did, walking around the lake and hiking to Ojstrica is the perfect way to spend your time and should definitely be at the top of your list of things to do whilst in Lake Bled.

Since this blog post was written back in 2020, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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