The Church of Mary the Queen, also known as the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, or Our Lady of the Lake, is located on a small island in the middle of Lake Bled. It has such a beautiful setting that photographs of it are regularly found in travel magazines. Of special interest in the church is a bell of wishes, made by Francesco Patavino from Padova way back in 1534. The legend says that those who ring the bell and make a wish, will see their wish come true. But there’s one rule: you can make only one wish.
There are three ways to get to the Island. The usual way to reach the island is by taking a trip on the traditional Pletna boat. The Pletna is a large gondola-like row boat with a canopy that takes visitors from the shores of Lake Bled to Bled Island. There are regular departures throughout the day and it takes about 20 minutes each way. It costs €12 for a roundtrip to Bled Island and this includes waiting time of 30 minutes so you can explore the island and the church. Another option is to rent a rowboat. It is cheaper and you get the pleasure of meandering back and forth through the lake. You can rent a boat at the Castle boathouse (address: Veslaska promenada 11, 4260 Bled), at Grand hotel Toplice (address: Cesta svobode 12, 4260 Bled) or at the Pension Pletna (address: Cesta svobode 37, 4260 Bled). A boat for 3 persons costs around €15 per hour, a boat for 5 persons costs around €20 per hour. If you are a good swimmer, you can also swim to the island. But be aware – if you swim to the island, you won’t be able to explore the church unless you ask someone to bring you clothes by boat.