Bled in 2 days

Walk to the pier at Kazina and take the first boat, which sails at 10 from May to September. The pletna costs €20 return and the Bled Boat Line €16, and the island ticket is a separate €12, open May–Sep 8:30–19. On the island climb the 99 steps, ring the wishing bell, go up the bell tower and see the exhibition in Probštova kuća.

The Potičnica, the island's potica house, bakes the rolled cake in several fillings, and tarragon is the best known. Eat a slice on the way down. The boat back to the shore leaves when it fills.

Sit down by the lake before the climb to the castle, because the path up is steep. The names of places are on the food page, so this day only asks that lunch happens before the walls.

The castle ticket is €19 and the visit asks for at least 2 h. The way up starts from Slovenski trg or from the car park below, and the steepest section reaches a gradient of 34°. Inside, the printing workshop has a replica of the Gutenberg press, the wine cellar pours the wines of the Vipava Valley and the chapel keeps its frescoes.

Order the cream cake at Kavarna Park, in Hotel Park, where the recipe dates from 1953. On a summer afternoon the swim comes first, at the public beach Grajsko kopališče, which is open from June to mid-September.

The shuttle leaves Bled bus station every 15 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to the gorge. The digital ticket is €15, and a helmet is required on the 1.6 km path. The first entry is at 9 in April and May and at 8 from June to August, which is the slot to take, because the crowd gathers between 10 and 13 h.

Return to Bled for lunch. The afternoon is the lighter half of the day.

Climb Mala Osojnica, a 45 min climb that ends with the view from the postcards. A shorter option is Ojstrica, a 20 min climb that starts at the Zaka campsite. Straža is the third option, and its chairlift removes the climb entirely.

Walk one last stretch of the shore. Or cross the Spa Park to the promenade, where the lake turns dark before the hills do.