Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To descend by a different route, walk down the trail behind the church (around the right
side), then follow the path around the island's perimeter back to where your
pletna
boat
awaits.
Pletna
Boats
The
pletna
is an important symbol of Lake Bled. In addition to providing a pleasant
way to reach the island, these boats also carry on a tradition dating back for gener-
ations. In the 17th century, Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa granted the villagers
from Mlino—the little town along the lakefront just beyond Bled—special permis-
sion to ferry visitors to the island. (Since Mlino had very limited access to farmland,
the people needed another source of income.) Mlino residents built their
pletnas
by
hand, using a special design passed down from father to son for centuries—like the
equally iconic gondolas of Venice. Eventually, this imperial decree and family tradi-
tion evolved into a modern union of
pletna
oarsmen, which continues to this day.
