Unusual Ways to Get from Ljubljana to Bled

more than a year ago

According to Uncle Google and his all-seeing eye (our most favourite family member, if anyone asks), one of the most commonly asked questions people have when first coming to Slovenia is 'How to get from Ljubljana to Bled' or vice versa. On the one hand this makes perfect sense, because Ljubljana and Bled are the two most visited destinations in the country. Of course on the other hand (because usually where there's one hand there's also that troublesome other hand), it's quite an easy question to answer because Slovenia is absolutely tiny, so you could literally walk the 53km from Ljubljana to Bled if you had some 11 hours or so to spare. Below we explain some of the more unusual ways to get from Ljubljana to Bled.

Hitchhiking from Ljubljana to Bled

While hitching a ride is perfectly legal and generally safe in Slovenia, and in the summer months it's not unusual to see people along the motorway entrances in Ljubljana holding signs with MB, KP, ZG and Bled on them, since public transport is so plentiful and cheap, and the ridesharing outlined here even more plentiful and even cheaper, we'd recommend sticking to those options. Although if you're really intent and reliving your hippie father's (or grandfather's) European adventure from the 1970s or just have the perfect hand model thumb and are intent on using it, you can find lots more info at hitchwiki.org, which we just discovered was a thing.

Cycle from Ljubljana to Bled © CC Doremo — If you decide to walk from Ljubljana to Bled, those 53km will just fly by when you've got picturesque views like this! © CC/Doremo

Walking from Ljubljana to Bled

When we mentioned this option in the opening paragraph above you most likely thought we were joking, but clearly we were not. Realistically speaking not many people will opt for this option, but 53km is not actually that big of a distance, and in the summer time you've got plenty of daylight to make the trek, even with a few coffee breaks and a longer stop for lunch. You'll probably want to take the old road, since walking along the motorway isn't so pleasant, and generally frowned upon (plus illegal). This route will take you through the suburb of Medvode just outside Ljubljana, where the waters of the Sora river flow into the mighty Sava and the locals insist that they're from the Alpine region rather than Ljubljana proper or Central Slovenia.

The next main stop is Kranj, which is both the third largest city in Slovenia with some 50,000 inhabitants, and home to one a finest medieval skylines anywhere in the world - the perfect place to rest your weary feet and enjoy a hearty homemade lunch. At this point you're still only about halfway to your final destination of Bled, and if you want to give up and just take one of the many buses or trains available, we won't hold it against you, you've already made it further than most. But if you're not the quitting type, the rest of the journey will reward you with some breathtaking views while you pass villages like Podnart, Kamna Gorica and Radovljica, before reaching Lesce and victoriously staggering into Bled in a state of partial delirium and adrenaline fuelled euphoria.

Cycling from Ljubljana to Bled

Getting to Bled from Ljubljana by bike is a much more common practice than walking and generally follows the same path as outlined above, but we're listing it second since we personally prefer walking to cycling. At a leisurely pace of say 15km per hour, you'll be in Bled in under four hours, even with a short stop for coffee and another for beer - you've got to stay hydrated after all. Meanwhile, if you're one of those cyclists who's got a bike worth more than our car, wears gear covered with sponsor logos even though none of the companies are paying you and generally fancy yourself the king of the road on your way to Tour de France glory in your head, then Ljubljana to Bled in an hour and a half should be your goal. Good luck champ!

Getting from Ljubljana to Bled by Horse © www.sloveniahorseriding.com — One of these two animals are really enjoying themselves, but we're not going to tell you which one © www.sloveniahorseriding.com

Ljubljana to Bled by Electric Scooter

With a top speed (legally in Slovenia) of 25km per hour, one of these bad boys would be able to whisk you from the centre of Ljubljana to the calm shores of Lake Bled in just about two hours flat. Unfortunately they've also only got an average range of some 20-25km, so you're going to have to stop at least twice along the way to avoid the risk of running out of juice and getting stranded. If electric scooter is your chosen method of transport, we recommend a route via the lovely little medieval town of Škofja Loka, where you can get an ice cream on the main square and take a quick tour of the old town centre while your electric steed recharges. Then head onwards to Kropa, which has been famed for centuries for its wrought iron production. Of course finding a place to recharge there might pose a challenge, but you're resourceful, so we're sure you'll figure it out.

Horseback Riding from Ljubljana to Bled

While there aren't any fixed schedule tours from Ljubljana to Bled by horseback, there are some stables in both the vicinity of Ljubljana and Bled, so if you get in contact with them with your request, they might be able to help you out.

Ljubljana to Bled by Camel

Okay, now this is just getting absurd, and we should probably stop. Everyone who's ever been on a camel before knows that they are even slower than walking. Also, camels aren't actually native to Slovenia, and from the reports we've read it's going to be another 15-20 years at least before global climate change turns Slovenia into a desert suitable for these most ridiculous of God's creations to populate the once lush green lands of Slovenia. However, if you found this page by searching for camel rides between Ljubljana and Bled, we would love to hear from you, seriously, email us at ljubljana@inyourpocket.com, and we'll see what we can do to help you out. In this day and age anything is possible.

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