A LAKE NAMED BLED

ALPINE DELIGHT: To an English-speaking person's ear or eye, Lake Bled might sound or look kind of, well, foreboding. In reality, Blejsko Jezero, its name in Slovenian, is one of the most spectacular and heavenly bodies of water I have ever viewed. This postcard-perfect lake, set high in the Julian Alps of Slovenia near the border with Austria, leaves one with a shortage of superlatives. But, I will try.

As it turned out, we traveled to Lake Bled on a rainy and foreboding Saturday via train from Zagreb, Croatia. The trip normally takes about three hours. Just like back home in Washington, we had train track problems and arrived an hour or so late. There are two train stations in the adjacent, namesake town of Bled, but only one station, Lesce-Bled, has direct service to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Austria and points beyond. From the train station, it's a 10 minute cab ride to the center of town that fronts the lake. You also can easily travel to Lake Bled by car or bus from Ljubljana, which takes about an hour. Of course, the lake is the center of attraction, but the town also serves as a convenient and pleasant jumping off point to explore the other lakes and mountains of this region, which includes Slovenia's highest peak, Mount Triglav, at nearly 9,400 feet.

SLO-WHERE? While Americans are beginning to discover the nearby Adriatic coast of Croatia in increasing numbers, joining thousands of Britons, French and Germans who already know the good word, Slovenia remains for the most part off American travelers' radars. First, there is the name, which frequently gets confused with Slovakia, a country to the north that used to be joined with the Czech Republic. Once on the ground, the eastern province of Croatia is named Slavonia, adding to the confusion.

Figuring all this out is well worth the effort because my spouse and I consider Slovenia one of our best travel discoveries - ever. We literally stumbled on this Connecticut-sized corner of the former Yugoslavia in planning a trip in 2006 from Prague to Venice. Rather than fly, we decided to take the train south through the Alps and catch a high-speed ferry from the Croatian coast to Venice. To get to the Istrian peninsula in northwest Croatia, from where the ferries sail, we would need to travel through Slovenia. We decided to spend a full day in the country, figuring that, if we hated it, we'd be on our way to Venice the next day.

In fact, we discovered a gorgeous, friendly and fairly prosperous country of forested mountains, tidy Alpine villages and a sliver of Adriatic coast. Slovenia, with about 2 million residents, borders Austria and Italy to the north and west, and Croatia and Hungary to the south and east. The first of the former Yugoslav republics to apply for admission to the European Union, Slovenia today is a full EU member that uses the euro currency. If you try your hand at a few words of Slovenian, it will be greatly appreciated by residents. That said, traveling in Slovenia is incredibly easy for Americans because virtually everyone speaks nearly perfect English.

A CASTLE AND AN ISLAND: On our first trip to Slovenia, we spent all our time in Ljubljana, its jewel-box of a capital. We would return to Ljubljana on this trip, but first wanted to see the country's other star attraction, Lake Bled. And, while we visited on a couple of rainy, foggy and cool days, nothing can distract from the absolute beauty of the lake. It's deep, crystal blue and ringed by verdant, green mountains. There is a well-maintained walking and running path that covers the circumference of the lake, a distance of about 5 miles. It's an easy and pleasant walk (or run). Along the way, there are places to stop for a meal or a snack, swimming areas and the occasional lakeside villa, including the vacation home of Yugoslavia's former dictator, Josep Broz Tito. Most of the hotels at Lake Bled are in the center of Bled town on the eastern shore of the lake. This is also where most of the restaurants, shopping and outfitters (e.g., bikes, ski equipment and hiking gear) can be found. The hotels tend to be large, 1970s-era properties that look and feel very much in need of a serious post-communist makeover. Still, the view and setting can't be beat. I did some research on Trip Advisor and found instead a small, elegant hotel located at the other end of the lake and up a fairly steep climb from the lakeside path. The Hotel Triglav Bled features lake-view rooms with hardwood floors, flat-screen TVs and balconies, from where you can enjoy your own private, panoramic views of the lake and the Alps. The dining room serves delicious, high-quality meals, and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. There is a heated pool and sauna and we also were able to arrange for very expert massages during our visit. All of this for about 140 euros a night.

On our first afternoon, we complete the perimeter of the lake under a fairly steady drizzle and explore Bled town before returning to the hotel for a great meal, which also features an entertaining table of Austrian children and their dog who are in town for an anniversary party, as well as a nice conversation with a just-arrived couple from London. The skies clear the next day so we make our way back into town to catch the boat over to the island in the lake, on which sits the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, dating back to the 16th Century. As you might imagine, a beautiful Romanesque church on a tiny island in the middle of an idyllic Alpine lake is a very popular wedding destination. The island also has a snack and gift shop for your souvenir and break needs. Back in town, we stop for lunch at one of the large hotels before making our way to the Bled Castle. The castle, which dates from the 11th Century, is perched on a cliff more than 400 feet above the lake. It's a good way to work off lunch as we hike the steep trail up. Our reward at the top is a breathtaking view of the lake, town and surrounding area. There is a wine shop run by local monks and a restaurant and reception facility. The sun is finally shining as we breath in the clear air and enjoy a view that has captured and inspired visitors for centuries. On our last evening in town, we enjoy an excellent meal of seafood, Slovenian wine and the signature Bled creme cake at Ostarija Peglez'n, a small cafe across the street from the lake. When we visited on a Sunday night, it was packed but the service was friendly and efficient. The next day, it's back to one of our favorite capital cities, Ljubljana, but not before staring out at Lake Bled once more and being really happy to have found our way to this amazingly beautiful corner of central Europe.