My 3-week Balkan Road trip itinerary unfortunately came to an end at Lake Bled in Slovenia. In 3 amazing weeks I added 6 new countries to my tally. Traveling in the Balkan was an absolutely rad adventure. Of course I wish I had more time to stay around in some places for longer, but next adventures are already calling. To end my trip to Balkans in style I chose to visit Camping Bled in Slovenia and in this blog you find out how I liked it.
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Arriving at the town of Bled in Slovenia I realized how incredible my road trip to the Balkans had been. Driving on the deserted mountain roads in Bosnia or the really bad roads in Albania often took ages, but at least there was no one else on the road, it was deserted! No other tourists at all and it felt like the ultimate freedom! Driving into Lake Bled I realised again what mass tourism looked like. Well, for a reason of course because the beauty of the lake was impressive. At least I felt like I was back in Europe again.
With that I mean to say that I was back on the typical tourist trail in Europe!
I got messages from followers saying: Wow you discovered Slovenia, it is such a hidden gem in Europe! Really!? You sure about that? Sorry to tell you but Lake Bled is definitely not an off the beaten path destination in Europe anymore. Looking around me I felt like there were a million tourists. However, coming all the way from America, I can understadn that Slovenia is somewhat off the beaten path. Looking for so real hidden gems in Europe I suggest place to visit like: Lake Komani in Albania or Matka Canyon Skopje.
Where is Lake Bled?
When you see the above picture of this place, I am pretty sure you recognize it from social media. The tiny little island in the middle of Lake Bled with a little church on it, is a favorite instagram spot for many travelers. Instagram is also the reason I became familiar with Lake Bled and therefore I decided to head here after my road trip through the Balkans.
Lake Bled is located just a stone throw away from the Austrian - Slovenian border. If you are coming from Villach in Austria it is just a couple kilomteres behind the Karawanken Tunnel. Be aware that crossing the border through the tunnel will set you back €7,20 one way. This is on top of the vignette costs of €9 per week in Austria and €30 per month in Slovenia!
What did I say again about being back in Europe on the tourists trail?
On my 3,000+ kilomteres long Balkan road trip I only paid €15 for an extra insurance in Kosovo and a total toll of €6 for driving in Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. Who said Lake Bled was off the beaten path in Europe? ;)
Glamping Lake Bled
Just like I found Lake Bled, I also found this glamping hut with hot tub on Instagram. The Camping Bled glamping options are worth checking out as I had never seen huts like this before. The location of Camping Bled on the quiet side of Lake Bled so not where the village is. I of course drove there myself, but there were also youngsters that arrived by public transport from Ljubljana Airport (40min).
Check-in Camping Bled
If you are not a die-hard camping person you will probably be shocked driving up to the Camping Bled reception. At first I was like damn it on pictures the glamping huts with private hot tub look so lovely and serene, but this chaos is nothing like that. It was busy: tents, caravans, motorhomes and a LOT of people! After the girl from reception checked me in, she told me were to drive and when arriving at the glamping huts I started smiling again. The Lake Bled glamping huts with private hot tubs are tucked away on an elevated lawn at the end of the camping place surrounded by trees. Serenity level: 10! Perfectooooooo….
Time to relax! This is all I needed on my last days of my intense Balkan road trip with visits to Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia.
Viewpoint Lake Bled
Do you also want that famous Instagram photo then staying at Camping Bled is perfect base as there is a steep but short hike (25 min) up to the viewpoint starting at the camping place.
My trip to Lake Bled
You probably wonder where are my photos of Lake Bled, right? Unfortunately the second day when I planned to do some hiking it rained cats and dogs. Therefore I never made it up to the view point, neither did I get a chance to hike around Lake Bled or visit the castle on top of the rock. All cool things to do so one day I will be back.
If you have read my blog about my most visited countries you know that I am not about ticking off countries. To more than 40 countries I traveled at least twice, so yes Slovenia I will be back some day for the third time!
Glamping hut with private hot tub
When I arrived to my little hut I saw how small it actually is so if you are up for a romantic things to do in Slovenia, definitely come this way. In the hut there is basically just two mattresses pushed against each other and on the side there are some storage compartments. The bed by the way slept extremely comfortable! Your suitcase can be pushed underneath the bed.
In front of the hut there are two sun loungers with a cover to hide from the sun. I think in total there are only about 12 of these cute glamping huts with private hot tubs so making a reservation is highly recommended.
Luxury private bathrooms
A surprisingly great thing about glamping at Camping Bled was that every hut had its own bathroom. At check in I got a specific key for my own private bathroom. It was not just another camping bathroom, it rivalled some bathrooms of luxury hotels with an enormous rain shower. Towels, bathrobe and beach towels were provided.
Breakfast at the hut
Honestly I did not even know that breakfast was included but when I found out that it was delivered to the hut every morning I was even happier. Coffee, sandwiches, milk, jus, cold cuts, cheese, veggies, fruits and a pasta salad. Damn this was a big breaky! Surely enough for two people. The left overs I ate as lunch actually so much was it!
Private hot tub
It was the first time I stumbled upon a glamping place with a private hot tub I think. First of all I have to mention that private does not mean privacy! The hot tubs are directly next to the huts and all the other glamping guests can see your hot tub at a glance. There is no privacy! Though at night time it is so dark that no one can see you looking at the stars from the hot tub.
The cool thing about the hot tub is that when you check in they tell you that the water has been refreshed and now it is up to you to heat it up. When I first got into the hot tub I thought it was nice and warm but the water at the bottom was freezing cold. So I had to stir it up a little and add some wood to the fireplace in the back of the hot tub. Really cool right? You basically had to make your own fire to heat up your private hot tub. Wood is obviously provided!
Glamping at Camping Bled review
If you are looking for unique Lake Bled accommodation options then I can definitely recommend you to try the Camping Bled glamping huts with private hot tub. Staying here overnight will cost you around €80 per room, including breakfast. It is a great place to stay on Lake Bled and definitely an experience. Watching stars from the hot tub at night was fabulous.
Interested in more stories from my road trip to the Balkan then also check out my list of the best places to visit in Bosnia. One of my favorite things to do in Albania is taking the Lake Komani Ferry or hike in the spectacular Matka Canyon in Skopje. In Kosovo I also camped in a hut like this in the mountains. Not so glamorous, but it was an amazing adventure!
Thank you for reading my blog about glamping at Lake Bled. I hope the information provided in this Camping Bled review was helpful for you. Please spread the word about my travel blog by sharing the link of this article on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere relevant. It is a small thing for you to do, but can make a big difference for me.