There were 135 villas in Bled, which were built in the 19th and 20th century. They are lavishing and majestic, some of them were surrounded with parks and had their own boathouses. Today, these villas are used for various purposes, some of them are privately owned, others owned by the state and used for protocol and tourist purposes.

Vila Zora is the oldest villa in Bled which was built in 1853 in neo-Gothic style. It was built by the Trieste coal trader Karl Rittmayer. Today, it hosts the head office of Bled Municipality and also the wedding room where wedding ceremonies are held in Bled.

Vila Zlatorog and Vila Rog were built at the end of the 19th century by Adolf Muhr, trader from Vienna. Currently, Vila Zlatorog is a protocol facility used for meetings of highest state officials and belongs among buildings under monumental protection. Vila Rog is privately owned.

Vila Bella or Beli dvor is a Romanesque and Renaissance style villa built at the end of the 19th century and stands at one of the most beautiful sites with lake and castle view. It was built by the noble Lazzarini family. While Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia, a hotel company held offices in the villa.

Text and photos from www.bled.si.