Ojstrica and Osojnica, the viewpoints behind Bled's postcard

Ojstrica, the easiest Bled viewpoint

Ojstrica means sharp peak in Slovene, after its pointed shape above the water. It’s 611 metres high and the Bled tourist board reckons on about 20 minutes, short but steep. At the top a bench looks out over the whole of Lake Bled. You see Straža hill and the castle rock, Stol, the Savska raven plain and the long ridge of the western Karawanks, with peaks such as Vrtača, Begunjščica and Dobrča.

The path starts on the south side of Velika Zaka, the western tip of the lake, to the left of the campsite. After a few minutes in the woods you come out onto a wider track and turn right, follow it into a small hollow and turn right again where the Ojstrica signs point. From there the top comes quickly.

Mala and Velika Osojnica, higher up

If you have the time and the legs, the alternative is Mala Osojnica, at 685 metres. It’s about 45 minutes on a steep woodland path, and from the top you see the lake, the Karawanks, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Ljubljana basin. Many of Bled’s best-known panoramas are taken from here.

From Mala Osojnica you can carry on for another 20 minutes to Velika Osojnica, at 756 metres, which has wooden benches for sitting and looking. That’s the option I’d choose on a clear autumn day, when the woods turn colour.

When to go up: sunrise or sunset

The Bled tourist board suggests sunset for anyone who has already made the climb by day, and I think it’s the best time, with the sun going down behind you and the lake lit from the side. The catch is the way down, which is steep and wooded, so take a torch. Early morning is a good idea too, especially in summer before the heat builds.

I wouldn’t go up in rain or ice. The path turns slippery and in winter it can be dangerous without the right footwear. For more on preparing for a day in the mountains, see hiking in Slovenia. In an emergency, the number to call is 112.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Bled before prices climb.

Other Bled viewpoints without the climb

If uphill isn’t your thing, there are two alternatives. Straža, at 646 metres on the east shore, is an easy path through spruce, oak, lime and birch, or a chairlift ride, and gives you the south-east shore with the castle, the Jelovica plateau and Stol. In summer it also has a 520 m toboggan run. The other is Bled Castle, whose rock gives you the lake from above, though you pay to get in.

For the rest of what to do in Bled over one or two days, see the town guide, and if you like a view from above, the others are in Slovenia’s best viewpoints.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Ojstrica viewpoint and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Bled before prices climb.