Editing Bled

{{for|loss of blood|bleeding}}
{{for|the American band|The Bled}}
{{About||the film|Bled (film)}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Bled
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = 
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = Town
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage|position=center
 |photo1a            = Lake Bled from the Mountain.jpg
 |photo2a            = The impressive Bled Island.jpg
 |photo2b            = The Great Bled Castle.jpg
 |photo3a            = Vila Zlatorog.jpg
 |photo3b            = Bled-3366909.jpg
 |photo4a            = Bled1a.jpg
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| image_caption      = From top, left to right: Bled from above, [[Bled Island]], [[Bled Castle]], Zlatorog Villa, [[St. Martin's Parish Church (Bled)|St. Martin's Church]], Town from [[Bled Castle]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Bled (vertical).svg
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| pushpin_map        = Slovenia
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Slovenia
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[File:Flag of Slovenia.svg|25px]] [[Slovenia]]
| subdivision_type1  = Traditional Region
| subdivision_name1  = [[Upper Carniola]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Statistical regions of Slovenia|Statistical region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Upper Carniola Statistical Region|Upper Carniola]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Municipalities of Slovenia|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Municipality of Bled|Bled]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = Mayor
| leader_name1       = Janez Fajfar ([[Independent politician|Independent]])
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| area_total_km2     = 13.6
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| population_as_of   = 2014
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| population_total   = 8171
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| population_blank2_title = Religions
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| timezone           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset         = +1
| timezone_DST       = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +2
| coordinates        = {{Wikidatacoord|Q202852|region:SI|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 507.7
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| footnotes          = <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stat.si/eng/index.asp |title=Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia |access-date=2012-12-11 |archive-date=2008-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118142042/http://www.stat.si/eng/index.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
'''Bled''' ({{IPA|sl|ˈbléːt|pron|Sl-Bled.oga}}; {{langx|de|Veldes}},<ref name="Leksikon">''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 146.</ref> in older sources also ''Feldes'')<ref>de Luca, Ignaz. 1790. ''Geographisches Handbuch von dem östreichischen Staate'', vol 2. Vienna: Johann Paul Krauß, p. 137.</ref> is a town on [[Lake Bled]] in the [[Upper Carniola]]n region of northwestern [[Slovenia]]. It is one of [[Slovenia|Slovenia's]] most visited [[Resort town|tourist destinations]]. The town is the administrative seat of the [[Municipality of Bled]].

==Name==
The town was first attested in written sources as ''Ueldes'' in 1004 (and as ''Veldes'' in 1011).<ref>{{cite web |title=Bled |url=https://topografija.zrc-sazu.si/ |website=Slovenska historična topografija |publisher=ZRC SAZU Zgodovinski inštitut Milka Kosa |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525180243/https://topografija.zrc-sazu.si/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Snoj">{{cite book |last1=Snoj |first1=Marko |title=Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen |date=2009 |publisher=Modrijan |location=Ljubljana |page=65 }}</ref> The etymology of the name is unknown and it is believed to be of pre-Slavic origin. The German name of the town, ''Veldes'', was either borrowed from Old Slovene ''*Beldъ'' before AD 800 or is derived from the same pre-Slavic source as the Slovene name.<ref name="Snoj"/><ref>Bezlaj, France (ed.). 1977. ''Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika,'' vol. 1, A–J. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 26.</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Bled island July 2005.jpg|thumb|left|View over Lake Bled]]
Bled is located on the southern foot of the [[Karawanks]] mountain range near the border with [[Austria]], about {{cvt|50|km|mi}} northwest of the national capital of [[Ljubljana]]. South of Lake Bled are the densely forested [[Pokljuka]] and [[Jelovica]] plateaus and the easternmost parts of the [[Julian Alps]], where the [[Sava Bohinjka]] river and the parallel [[Bohinj Railway]] lead to the [[Bohinj]] basin, [[Lake Bohinj]], and the [[Triglav]] massif.

A number of rises (Grad 599 m, Straža 646 m, Kozarca 558 m, Osojnica 756 m, and Ravnica 729 m) separate the localities of Bled around the lake, the former villages of Grad, [[Mlino]], [[Rečica, Bled|Rečica]], [[Zagorice, Bled|Zagorice]], and [[Želeče]].

The lake is {{convert|2.12|km}} long and {{convert|0.5|to|1|km}} wide. In summer, the surface water reaches {{convert|25|°C}} and retains a temperature up to {{convert|18|°C}} until autumn. As such, it is suitable for swimming. During colder winters, the entire lake freezes and can be used for ice skating; the island can then be reached on foot.

There is a thermal spring ({{convert|23|°C|disp=or}}) near the lake, next to the Bled Fault. Its water is used in indoor pools in two hotels.{{historical populations|25=1948|26=3387|27=1953|28=3844|29=1961|30=4156|31=1971|32=4756|33=1981|34=5644|35=1991|36=5767|37=2002|38=5252|39=2011|40=5181|41=2021|42=5181|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions}}

==History==
===Early medieval history===
[[File:Valvasor - Grad Bled.jpg|thumb|Lake Bled and Bled Castle by Valvasor, 17th century]]
[[File:Panorama of Bled, 18th century.jpg|thumb|Panorama of Bled, 18th century]]
[[File:Bled in the 1890s (2).jpg|thumb|Panorama of Bled, late 19th century]]

A settlement area since [[Mesolithic]] times, the present-day locality probably arose about 600 during the [[Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps]]. After the Slavic principality of [[Carantania]] was conquered by [[Francia|Frankish]] forces in 788, the area came under [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavarian]] influence.

===Feudal estate===
German King [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] ceded ownership of the area in 1004 to Albuin, [[Bishopric of Brixen|Bishop of Brixen]] as a sign of gratitude for the assistance the Church was giving to the king in his attempt to strengthen imperial rule in that part of northern Italy. In 1011, Henry II signed another deed of donation that added the castle and an area of land the size of thirty king's farms. That area, between the Sava Bohinjka and the Sava Dolinka, became known as the Lordship of Veldes (German: ''Herrschaft Veldes''). These donations marked a turning point in the history of Bled and, for the following 800 years, the area remained under the sovereignty of the prince-bishops of Brixen.

The bishops very seldom visited their remote possession 300&nbsp;km away. Initially, the lordship was administered by ''ministeriales'' (bonded knights), castellans, and castle staff in accordance with feudal practices, but in the middle of the 14th century the prince-bishops decided instead to lease the estate. Under one of the 16th-century lessees, Bled Castle became a Protestant stronghold for a time. When the leasehold era came to an end, the prince-bishops began to appoint governors to manage their distant lordship. Until the middle of the 18th century, those administrators were exclusively aristocratic, but later they included non-nobles.

In 1803, Brixen's rule came to an end when the prince-bishopric was secularized in the course of the [[German Mediatization]]. Bled then came under Austrian sovereignty but in 1808, along with Carniola, it was included in the Napoleonic [[Illyrian Provinces]]. It returned under Austrian sovereignty in 1813, and in 1838 the Austrian Emperor returned Bled to the bishops of Brixen as a private estate. With the abolition of the feudal system in 1848, Bled ceased to have the characteristics of a feudal economy and from then on it experienced several changes in ownership, including industrialists and a bank.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bled.si/en/about-bled/the-history-of-bled |title=Bled, Slovenia - Official Site }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/history-of-the-castle |title=Bled castle - History |access-date=June 13, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614163827/http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/history-of-the-castle |archive-date=June 14, 2015 }}</ref>

After the dissolution of [[Austria-Hungary]] in 1918, Bled and the rest of Carniola came under the rule of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] and became a summer domicile of the ruling [[House of Karađorđević]], a tradition that Yugoslav leader [[Josip Broz Tito]] continued when he built his residence here in 1947.

===Modern settlement===
Today's town began to form in the mid-19th century from the villages of Grad, Mlino, Rečica, Zagorice, and Želeče, which encircled the lake. At that time, farmers started to sell the land along the eastern lakeshore to wealthy individuals for their villas, and the villages of Grad, Zagorice, and Želeče began to merge. Bled was officially made a town in 1960.

==Tourism==
[[File:Hotel Louisenbad na Bledu 1910.jpg|thumb|right|Bled hotels in 1910]]
[[File:Bled Cremeschnitte (blejska kremšnita).jpg|thumb|Bled ''[[Cremeschnitte]]'']]
[[File:View of the lido from Bled Castle, Bled, 2013.jpg|thumb|Below the [[Bled Castle]] cliffs sits a public pool area on the lake.]]
Bled is known for the [[glacier|glacial]] [[Lake Bled]], which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic [[Bled Castle]]. The town is also known in Slovenia for its [[Kremna rezina|vanilla and cream pastry]] ({{langx|sl|kremšnita, kremna rezina}}).

[[Naturopathic medicine|Naturopath]] [[Arnold Rikli]] (1823–1906) from [[Switzerland]] contributed significantly to the development of Bled as a [[health resort]] in the second half of the 19th century. Due to its mild climate, Bled has been visited by aristocratic guests from all across the world. Today it is an important convention centre and tourist resort, offering a wide range of sports activities ([[golf]], [[fishing]], and [[Equestrianism|horseback riding]]). It is a starting point for [[Backpacking (wilderness)|mountain treks]] and [[Hiking|hikes]], especially within nearby [[Triglav National Park]].

A small island in the middle of the lake is home to the [[Assumption of Mary]] [[Pilgrimage]] Church; visitors frequently ring its bell, due to an old legend claiming it provides good luck.

Human traces from [[prehistory]] have been found on the island. Before the church was built, there was a temple consecrated to [[Živa (goddess)|Živa]], the Slavic goddess of love and fertility. One can get to the island on a traditional flat-bottomed wooden boat ({{langx|sl|pletna}}), part of a fixed fleet of 23 boats to protect the lake's cleanliness, run by a family-owned business since the 18th century. The island on [[Lake Bled]] has 99 steps. A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent.

==Transport==
The town is served by two railway stations: [[Lesce-Bled railway station|Lesce-Bled]] (located in nearby [[Lesce]]) on the main line between [[Ljubljana railway station|Ljubljana]] and [[Villach Hauptbahnhof]], and [[Bled Jezero railway station|Bled Jezero]] (located above the western shore of Lake Bled) on the [[Bohinj Railway]]. Slovenia's main international airport, [[Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport]], is 34 km away by road; [[Lesce-Bled Airport]] caters to general aviation.

==Events==
Bled has hosted the [[World Rowing Championships]] four times, in [[1966 World Rowing Championships|1966]], [[1979 World Rowing Championships|1979]], [[1989 World Rowing Championships|1989]], and most recently in [[2011 World Rowing Championships|2011]].<ref>[http://www.worldrowing.com/display/modules/news/dspNews.php?newid=324246] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412023734/http://www.worldrowing.com/display/modules/news/dspNews.php?newid=324246|date=April 12, 2011}}</ref>

In 1961 the [[Grand Hotel Toplice]] in Bled was the site of one of the most important international tournaments in chess history. In 2002, the [[35th Chess Olympiad]] was held in the city.

Bled hosts one of the largest [[Lindy Hop]] events, known as "Swing Bled".<ref>[http://www.swingingbled.com/ Swing Bled]</ref>

In 1959 the first 14 rounds of the 4th Chess Candidates Tournament were held in this city, the rest were played in Zagreb and in Belgrade.

==Notable people==
Notable people that were born or lived in Bled include:
* [[Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia]] was born in 1929 in Bled.
* [[Iztok Čop]] (born 1972), rower, multiple Olympic medalist<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Athletes/All-Athletes/Athletes-CN-to-CZ/-IZTOK-COP-/ |title=Iztok COP &#124; Olympic Athlete &#124; Athens 2004, Atlanta 1996, Barcelona 1992, Beijing 2008, Innsbruck 2012, London 2012, Sydney 2000 |publisher=Olympic.org |access-date=March 26, 2013 |archive-date=January 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117041801/http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Athletes/All-Athletes/Athletes-CN-to-CZ/-IZTOK-COP-/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Peter Florjančič]] (1919–2020), inventor and Olympic athlete
* [[Janez Klemenčič]] (born 1971), rower, Olympic bronze medalist. Now a restaurateur in Bled.
* [[Karel Mauser]] (1918–1977), poet and author
* [[Valentin Plemel]] (1820–1875), botanist<ref>{{cite web |title=Valentin Plemel (1820–1875) |url=https://www.slovenska-biografija.si/oseba/sbi433452/ |website=Slovenska biografija |access-date=December 26, 2019 |archive-date=December 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226172100/https://www.slovenska-biografija.si/oseba/sbi433452/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Josip Plemelj]] (1873–1967), Slovene mathematician
* [[Špela Pretnar]] (born 1973), skier, Olympic athlete

==International relations==
===Twin towns / sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovenia}}

Bled is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Brixen|Brixen (Bressanone)]], [[Italy]]
* {{flagicon|UK}} [[Henley on Thames]], [[United Kingdom]]
* {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Velden am Wörther See]], [[Austria]]

==See also==
* [[St. Martin's Parish Church, Bled]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Bled}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Bled}}
* [https://www.geopedia.world/#T12_L362_F2473:160_x1569153.3109466746_y5839103.420308737_s14_b2345 Bled on Geopedia]
* [https://www.bled.si/ Official website]

{{Bled}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bled| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Municipality of Bled]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Upper Carniola]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in the Julian Alps]]