Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Nazi destruction of Belgrade in 1941, a dark moment that inspired the South Slavs to
bandtogether tofight these foreign occupiers. See Tito raising hisragtag army,then leading
themintopivotalbattlesinBosnia-Herzegovina(noticetheminaretandthedestroyedbridge
over the Neretva River), followed by a winter spent enduring hardship. At the end of this
long wall, Tito's victorious Partisans crush the final vestiges of the Nazis; in the upper-right
corner, the spring blossoms represent a promising future for the people of Yugoslavia. The
largepanelattheendoftheroomtrumpetstheidealizedpostwarworldthatTitoenvisioned:
proud workers from all walks of life coming together for the betterment of Yugoslavia. In
the shadow of a mighty factory—a symbol of heavy industry, which communists embraced
as the way of the future—notice that the ironworker and the farmer are holding hands in
unity.Theroom'sfocalpointisthemotherhoistingayoungchildwithonearm,andtheflag
of the nascent Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with the other.
Getting There:
The villa is a 20-minute lakeside walk from the town of Bled at Cesta
Svobode 26 (it's the big, white villa with the long staircase at the southern end of the lake,
just beyond the village of Mlino). You can also ask your
pletna
gondolier to drop you off
here after visiting the island. Those hiking around the lake will pass the gate leading up
through Tito's garden to the restaurant and lobby.
▲▲▲
The Island (Blejski Otok)
Bled'slittleisland—cappedbyasuper-cutechurch—nudgesthelake'squaintnesslevelover
the top. Locals call it simply “The Island”
(Otok).
While it's pretty to look at from afar, it's
also fun to visit.
