Lake Bled and Hochstuhl/Stol | Travel Vlog

My second journey to Slovenia and my first time at Lake Bled - a magical glacial lake surrounded by mountains.

Lake Bled is simultaneously incredibly famous and also not as well known as it should be... I say that, but this place was PACKED. So clearly it's way more well known than I imagined.

In the center of the lake is a picturesque island with the Church of the Assumption. You can swim to or take a row boat to the island and explore.

Despite being a glacial lake, the water was the absolute perfect temperature when I went in early July and so incredibly refreshing in the summer heat.

On the southern side of the lake are some small hills (still mighty climbs) that offer a stunning view of the lake, city, and a small mountain range in the background (including Hochstul/Stol).

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Bled offers so much more than just the lake. Thermal springs, white water rafting, canyoning, paragliding, etc.

I just happened to have an unexpected long weekend and decided to visit the beautiful place I had heard about only recently. So with next to no research/planning and no internet, I hopped on a train and spent 3 days enjoying the lake, the hikes, and the few vegan options that were available.

On my second day in Bled I decided to spontaneously run to the highest mountain in the distance and hike up it. Just as poorly planned as my trip to Bled (you're starting to see a pattern here), I did next to no research. I opened up Komoot, plotted my starting location to the peak and back, and that was about it.

Due to my complete lack of planning/preparation/research, I was a little confused. Hochstuhl and Stol are the same peak. Hochstuhl being the German name, and Stol being the Slovenian (Both meaning "stool" or "chair"). But I highly recommend using the Slovenian name 'Stol' when in Slovenia or no one will know what the heck you are talking about... leading you to more confusion.

The map ended up being flawless. Total distance was supposed to be 20 miles and 6,125 ft elevation gain (32km and 1,866m). I was already pushing it in my training this week, and my Garmin watch had my Body Battery at a 2/100 on the morning of my run, so I knew I was likely in for a painful day. I didn't quite make it to the top (I think I lacked about 400m) but still ended up clocking out at 20 miles thanks to a little detour I ended up going on (Always follow the map, Morgan!).

(Here's a link to the Komoot map: https://www.komoot.com/tour/168871124...)

I definitely need to come back when I'm in better conditioning to do more hiking - next time in the Julian Alps nearby - as well as to check out the canyons they have nearby!