ALEX BARTLEMAN finds himself enchanted by the breathtaking Alpine beauty of Lake Bled in Slovenia and the majesty of its medieval buildings

FROM THE moment Lake Bled, Slovenia came into view about half an hour after leaving Ljubljana airport, I was awestruck by its beauty.

The glacial lake is set in the foothills of the Julian Alps and is cradled by forested slopes. At the far end from its town sits the most perfect of beauty spots: a jewel of an island with its own medieval church perched in the middle.

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Risking fairytale mawkishness for the world-weary, but actually looking equally perfect is the cherry on top that is Bled Castle, which dominates the lake's north-eastern corner from the top of a craggy escarpment.

Eschewing the alarmingly expensive taxis and infrequent public buses, I had opted for the private shuttle bus, which at €13 (£11) per person is your best bet for a door-to-door service from the airport to Bled. Our driver was a welcoming chap as it was later proved most Slovenians are.

Many also speak English embarrassingly well so communication is never a problem but punctuate what you say to them with "hvala" (thank you) and you won't go wrong.

The small resort town of Bled sits in the shadow of the castle. Dotted around the four-mile shoreline are small hotels and 19th-century grand villas converted into smart hotels and cafés. In fact, the four-star Vila Bled hotel on the southern side of the lake was the private getaway of Marshal Tito during the days of Yugoslavia.

Think of a James Bond villain's summer retreat and you're there.

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Belvedere View Point café, also located at Vila Bled, offers great views and equally good coffee and cake.

I based myself at the excellent three-star Hotel Pletna just down the way from Tito's former hangout. With a balcony and breakfast served in the room, you would be hard-pressed to find a better vantage point, more hospitable staff or a prettier, Alpine-style base. The building is more than a century old, excellently kept, full of timber cottage charm and decorated in fresh whites and greens.

Conveniently, Hotel Pletna is not only next door to a café and convenience store but gondolas (known as "pletna") and rowing boats are just a stone's skim away. The canopied pletna can ferry you and a bunch of others across to the island for €12 per person for a 30-minute visit. Instead, I chose the row yourself boat option which, at €10 for a long hour and as many companions as you dare, is more economical and fun.

Lake Bled, which takes about 90 minutes to walk around, will host the World Rowing Championships next year so with thoughts turning to Redgrave and Pinsent's Olympian heroics, then in turn as the trip progressed, to Jerome K Jerome's good humour and Shackleton's eye-bulging determination, I made the trip in no more than 10 minutes.

The other must-do while here is a visit to Bled Castle (a 40-minute stroll from Hotel Pletna), which has been haphazardly added to over the ages since the first brick was laid about 1,000 years ago. You can visit its rooms, chapel and wine cellar or try its restaurant. In fact, it's even possible to join in with medieval-themed banquets.

The restaurants in Bled, however, cannot be heralded with as much enthusiasm. Most offer an "international" selection of courses fortified by basic national fare, which is more like neighbouring Austria's cuisine rather than that from other neighbour, Italy.

However, a pizza (after all, Venice is only 100 miles away) costs on average €9, steak €18, beer €3, coke €2, dessert €4 and cocktails €7. Bled might be calming but there is also an abundance of adrenalin-filled activities on offer: cycling and walking trails, rock climbing, skiing in winter and summer sledding down a steep, steel mono-rail in what appears to be a recycled baby's bath are all on offer.

If all of that sounds too extreme then a horse-drawn carriage ride around the lake, starting at about €30, is a relaxing alternative.

Lake Bled has enough going for it to satisfy both weekend breakers and week-long holidaymakers but most of all it is so magical to look at that just being there for any amount of time is tonic for the soul.

GETTING THERE:
Hotel Pletna: 00 38 645 743 702/www.slovenia holidays.com/sobepletna, offers doubles from €65 per night (two sharing), B&B.

Vila Bled: 00 38 645 753 710/www.vila-bled.com.

easyJet: www.easyjet.com) offers return flights from Stansted to Ljubljana from £54.

Bled tourism: www.bled.si/en/