Type: Hotel
Price Guide 170 - 420 euros/room Minimum nights: Single booking: 3, Itinerary booking: 2
Children welcome
Superb restaurant
OUR VIEW
It's kind of difficult to describe Vila Bled...
but here goes: imagine a former residence of President
Tito, imagine lots of marble, the kitschy fifties furniture,
lots of chandeliers and a magnificent view over Lake
Bled. That's Vila Bled. Ooh - also imagine the enormous
panoramic painting in the conference room, depicting
the struggle of the good, socialist peoples of Yugoslavia.
That's Vila Bled too. Having stayed in December 2005, we can assure you that the staff
are very friendly, the rooms are very comfortable and,
as a member of Relais & Chateaux, Vila Bled will
provide you with the best.
For those of you interested in golf, the hotel can arrange
packages with green fees at the local Bled Golf and
Country Club.
ACCOMMODATION
As a former residence, the hotel's rooms are limited
to just thirty: 10 doubles and 20 suites, some of which
have lakeside views. However, note that in summer the
trees tend to crowd the view. All rooms are furnished
with original (or as near as damn it) fifties furniture
and have large bathrooms.
THE RESTAURANT
The hotel restaurant can
best be described as 'modern European' - a typical menu
comprising Courgette carpaccio with smoked duck breast;
Veal medallions on a bed of rice, accompanied by shrimps
and caper sauce; Poppy seed parfait with apricot sauce
and cream. We're sure Mr Tito would have loved it. September 2006: we had a superb lunch on the terrace, watching the boats go by. Pike with radicchio, deer with gnocchi and walnut sauce, panna cotta and excellent wine. Devine.
The Belvedere cafe,
standing on a hilltop in the grounds and overlooking
the lake, is great for coffee, tea and cakes and is available for parties and receptions. It also has the best view of the island.
WORKING UP
AN APPETITE Go hiking. Around
the lake, or walking trails lead you up over mountain
passes to alpine pastures or along river valleys to
hidden waterfalls. Fishing. A permit will
cost around £75 a day, which can be arranged for
you. Golf.
Vila Bled's owners also own the Bled Golf & Country
Club Driving to Lake Bohinj
(larger and more primeval than Bled), Ljubljana…
or just about anywhere in Slovenia: allow an hour to
get you just about anywhere… up to two to get you
anywhere else. Water Sports: White water
rafting and kayaking can be arranged from a number of
expert companies - charges are around £25.
LANGUAGES Slovene, English, French, German,
Italian
CHILDREN More than welcome.
WEATHER
Summer temperatures average around 22C, while winters
can get down to around minus 15C at night.
Winter - click
here (although we're afraid it's closed during most of this winter season)...
WHEN &
HOW LONG
Vila Bled is closed between 10/01/2006 and 30/03/2006.
TO TAKE WITH YOU Late spring, summer, early autumn:
shorts, T-shirts, sturdy shoes or boots, something warm
for the evenings and something waterproof in case it
rains, for daytime adventures.
Late autumn, winter, early spring: warmer clothing -
especially during January and February.
Something nicer for the evenings in the restaurant.
CAR HIRE AVIS - click on this link and you will open a new window for the Avis Slovenia website, from where you can book your car.
HOW TO GET THERE
Closest destination airports are in this colour.
Click on the airline name to open their web page in a new window. From Gatwick: Ljubljana with Adria (the national airline).
From Stansted: Ljubljana or Rijeka with EasyJet. Trieste, Klagenfurt, Graz or Balaton with Ryanair. From Luton: Zagreb with Wizz. From Manchester: Ljubljana with Adria (summer months only). From Bristol:
Venice with EasyJet. From Birmingham: Trieste with Ryanair, Wednesday and Sunday only.
A deposit of between 10% and 25% will be required at the time of booking. The remainder will be payable directly to the hotel by you upon your arrival. Note that we do not add an extra margin to the hotel's prices: the price you pay by booking through us is exactly the same as the hotel's.
Vila Bled is on the far side of Lake Bled. Ljubljana Brnik: Take the E61 motorway towards Bled and Jesenice. At Lesce, take the turning towards Bled. Klagenfurt (Austria): Take the A2 motorway and then the A11/E61 towards the Karavanke tunnel. At the exit from the tunnel at Jesenice in Slovenia, take the E61 motorway towards Ljubljana and Bled. Take the exit at Lesce for Bled. Trieste (Italy): Take the A4/E70 towards Trieste and take the exit for Slovenia at Fernetti-Sežana (do not drive into Trieste itself). Take the A3 and then the A1/E61 towards Ljubljana. At Ljubljana, follow the A1/E61 to Ljubljana Sever and then towards Kranj, then onwards to Bled.
NOTE: there is now a vinjeta system on Slovenian motorways for collecting tolls. You can buy a vinjeta at any petrol station near the motorway or the airport. For 95/30/15 euros per year/month/week, you will receive a sticker that must be displayed on the front windscreen of your car.
