BOAT TO BLED ISLAND
The island in the middle of Lake Bled is without doubt one of the premier attractions of the area, which surprises and charms every visitor. It is verdant with greenery up to and including the buildings themselves. Many legends exist connected to the island, one of which is described in the masterpiece of the finest Slovene poet France Prešeren. The legend relates that a temple used to stand on the island, dedicated to Živa, the Slavic goddess of love, and protected by Bogomila and Staroslav.
Experts have reconstructed the architectural development of the island church of St. Mary of the Assumption. In the early Middle Ages where the church stands today, there was a pre-Christian, probably old Slavic place of worship. 124 graves containing skeletons dating from the 9th to the 11th centuries have been discovered on the island. The foundations of a Pre-Romanesque chapel were laid in this period. In all likelihood this building reflects the work of Pavlin, the Patriarch of Aquilea.
Uploaded on June 24, 2009