Two Lakes, Two Boats, Two Love Stories

Lake Bled and its island is probably the most well-known image of Slovenia for tourists. But the lake and the town of Bled are much more than a postcard image.

The image of Lake Bled is inseparably connected with pletnas, wooden boats that transport passengers from the shore to the island in the middle of the lake. A pletna is a flat-bottomed wooden boat, around seven metres long and two metres wide. They are propelled using long oars by rowers known as pletnars, who pilot the boats while standing upright.

The history of pletnas dates back to the 12th century, when the church and other buildings on the island were under construction. At the time, these were more roughly chiselled boats intended for transporting building material and tools. When the church was built and pilgrims started visiting it, benches and a table were added to these simple boats.

This mysterious lake changes its appearance almost every day – or as the locals say: "Now you see it, now you don't." For this is one of the largest intermittent lakes in Europe, showing a different face in each season of the year. In the dry season, see sinkholes through which the water drains underground.

Pletna boats on Lake Bled, and drevak boats on Lake Cerknica. 

Locals have been closely connected with the lake since long ago. They have lived by it and with it, and they are well aware of its unusual and sometimes moody character. In order to tame it, if only a little, centuries ago they started making simple boats comprised of two firs connected by nails.

When the water level was high or during floods, locals used drevak boats to transport people and cattle, access pastures and forests, or for hunting and fishing ... While drevak boats are only rarely seen on the lake nowadays, the art of making and using  drevak boats is preserved and studied by the Heritage House and the Jezerski Hram museum of Lake Cerknica.

A love story with an unfortunate ending

Once upon a time, two castles - Karlovec Castle and Šteberk Castle, stood on the opposite sides of the valley. The castle lords were also personally on opposite sides, and their families were feuding. 

Nevertheless, their children fell in love. The son from Šteberk asked the lord of Karlovec Castle for his daughter's hand, and this was promised to him if he could manage to come for her in a boat. But how could this be done when the castles were separated by a grassy plain? 

He did this, and the water filled up the valley and a lake was created. The suitor used the lake to come for the girl from Karlovec in a boat, but her father did not keep his promise. 

Nevertheless, the young man continued to visit his darling every night, as she lit a candle in the window so he could find the way. Another suitor noticed this, and he cunningly moved the candle to a position over the sinkhole – and the young man from Šteberk rowed to his death. This broke the heart of the young girl and, in despair, she threw herself from the castle walls into the sinkhole. 

Slovenia is a land of water, crystal-clear rivers, astonishing waterfalls and numerous lakes – small and large. In addition to Lake Bled and Lake Cerknica, there is also Lake Bohinj (largest permanent lake), Lake Šmartno, Lake Velenje and the intermittent Pivka lakes, Lake Jasna and others ...