Totally Picturesque

The lake is surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountains and forests, creating one of the most beautiful environments one could ever imagine. It is just adjacent to the town of Bled itself, which is quiet, humble and gives you the perfect spot to relax and unwind.

What’s really perfect about the location, however, is that it provides tons of opportunities for active travelers as well, from hiking to boating to swimming. No matter what you like to do on vacation, there is something for you. Especially useful is the website from the city itself, which provides helpful information for all things tourist related: what to see, what to do, accommodation, meetings and events.

About Bled

The town of Bled dates back to the year 600 during the Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps. Today, the population is about 5,500 inhabitants, with space for 4,000 tourists during the summer season. We stayed there during the early part of July, at a local hostel, which had a beautiful view of the fields, reminiscent of the Tuscany for less than 10 euros per person per night. We even had use of the entire kitchen for ourselves! This doesn’t seem to be far from the norm either, after a quick search on Airbnb I found tons of similar places to stay for the same price. Plus, the locals were really friendly, as it is a place that doesn’t receive massive tourism.

What To Do Near Lake Bled

Lake Bled, besides being a swimmable body of water in between snowcapped mountains, also has two distinct landmarks that make it unique. First, there is the Bled Castle, which was built in 1004. It is situated 611 meters above the lake and gives a stunning panoramic view of the landscape and lake below. Due to the moderate conditions (18° C average in July), we were able to comfortably hike up to the top of the castle.

The second distinctive landmark in Bled is the Church on the Island. It’s hard to believe that there would be a church on and island until you see it, really. Archeologists have discovered traces of prehistoric (11th to 8th centuries B.C.) settlements. We didn’t have a chance to go onto the island itself, but there were boats leaving regularly.

My favorite part about visiting Lake Bled, however, was finding the local beach spot where people soak up the sun, picnic, swim and even row. Did you know that the World Rowing Championships were held in Lake Bled in 1966, 1979, 1989 and 2011? The beach area is located near the rowing school, and there were many people just sitting out and enjoying the sun. The water itself was a bit cold, but with scenery like that how could you not want to just enjoy every moment?

[Wikipedia], [Bled Website]

A Little History Of Lagos

As with most European coastal cities, Lagos has a rich history that dates back over 2,000 years. With an eclectic mix of settlers, ranging from the Celts to the Romans to the Moors, Lagos represents a culturally and historically rich site that offers something for everyone.

By the 15^th century, Lagos was an integral part of the Portuguese maritime exploration and eventually became the gateway for the African slave trade into post-medieval Europe, illustrated by the building of the world’s first slave market in the city center in 1444.

It then became the capital of Portugal from 1576 until 1755 until it was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami of 1755. Upon visiting the city itself, you can see that there are still some buildings, including the famous castle remaining from the 16^th century, but most have been rebuilt dating as early as the 17^th century.

Lagos Beaches

What is initially striking about a visit to Lagos, however, is the incredibly picturesque nature, especially the cliffs along the beaches. One of the highest rated beaches in Lagos is the Camilo Beach, or Praia do Camilo. As with many of the beaches in this area, you have to walk down many stairs until you reach the sand. The great part about that is, however, that you get an amazing view of the landscape from the top, and once you’ve reached the bottom the water is so refreshing!

Outdoor Activities

Besides relaxing on the beach, there are also tons of other nature-related activities such as kayaking within the caves, sailing, surfing, scuba diving and even mountain biking!

Especially stunning are the Ponta Da Piedade, also known as Mercy Point, an area within Lagos that features huge cliffs that have been weathered down to various heights and angles that provide a stark contrast to the absolutely beautiful, clear turquoise water. You can choose to admire the view from the tops of the cliffs, and then climb down the 182 steps to reach the sea level where it is possible to then travel with a boat within the hidden caves and underpasses. Costs are relatively low (10-22 euro per person) for shared or private tours.

During the cooler part of the day (early morning and late evening) a trip into town should definitely not be missed to get a holistic experience of Lagos. The older part of the city is still enclosed with old walls. The Lagos marina can be found by traveling along the Avenida dos Descobrimentos (Avenue of the Discoveries) that runs along the waterfront.

Exploring Lagos City

The city is small enough to explore on foot, with tons of little cafes and artisan shops. Although it isn’t as touristy as more famous cities such as Paris or Rome, there is definitely an element of the tourist traps. I found that there are tons of great, traditional restaurants serving fresh fish and typical Portuguese dishes if you go off the main road a bit and explore the small, windy streets. Highly recommended is also the restaurants along the beach Meia Praia, where you can sit out and enjoy the view.

[Wikipedia], [Algarve Tourist], [Lagos Uncovered]

Unlike the canals in many other European cities, the ones in Annecy are crystal clear, almost begging you to jump in for a quick swim (you know, right in the middle of the city center). They are running from Lac Annecy (Lake Annecy), the third largest lake in France. Formed over 18,000 years ago by large melting alpine glaciers, Lake Annecy is also known as “Europe’s cleanest lake” due to strict environmental restrictions put in place in the 1960s. Small rivers further feed the lake from the surrounding mountains as well as the Boibioz, a powerful underwater source that enters at 82 m depth. The result, a crystal clean lake, with stunning mountains serving as a backdrop is nothing short of spectacular scenery.

With such natural gifts, Lake Annecy is a popular spot for tourists to enjoy cultural and sport activities all year round. During the summer, you can take advantage of water activities such as swimming, sailing, water-skiing and diving as well as cycling and mountain exploration.

They also host many events, including a “Pyroconcert”, which features a musical concert in the center of the water highlighted by stunning pyrotechnic effects. Can you imagine something more impressive? Thanks to a comprehensive tourist website, you can find tons of information about planning a trip to Annecy here.

With about 52,000 inhabitants, the town of Annecy is also quite small. The most frequented area of the city by visitors is La Vieille Ville (the old town center), which is complete with small, winding cobblestone paths, lined with boutique shops and small eateries. It’s really pleasant (and recommended) to spend the afternoon casually strolling (perhaps hand in hand with your partner) through the streets, taking in the simplistic beauty Annecy has to offer.

We were unlucky during our visit, as it rained the entire afternoon (bad for pictures), but we managed to find a cozy corner booth in a café to sit and watch the people walk by over a warm cup of coffee, followed, of course, by a delicious crepe with Nutella from a corner shop.

Some of the main sites in Annecy include the Palais d’Isle, Église Saint-Maurice and the Château d’Annecy.

The Palais d’Isle is one of the most visible landmarks of the city, situated on an island between canals. Since its creation in the 12^th century, it has served as a home for lords, courthouse, prison and today a museum and exhibition of the local architecture and history.

The Église Saint-Maurice (St. Maurice Church) is the oldest church in Annecy, built in 1422. It features gothic style architecture and has been a national monument since 1957.

Lastly, the Château d’Annecy (Annecy Castle) is a restored castle that sits upon the hill overlooking the city. Today, it serves as a museum.

Even though Annecy is quite small, getting there is easier than you may think. It is a short distance from Geneva, as well as Lyon and Grenoble. You can get there by train, bus or plane.

[Wikitravel], [Lac Annecy]

Featured image from Alex Brown via Flickr.

1. “Having a grill”

Even large, densely populated German cities have lots of green spaces. On a sunny summer day you can definitely expect to find groups of people gathering in the pockets of parks with small travel grills, packages of sausages, various meats, vegetables and, of course, some beers. At any given supermarket you can find areas specially designated to “grill food” such as pre-marinated steaks, special grill spices and even cheeses spiced perfectly to sizzle on the grill. If you’re lucky enough to visit Germany during the summer, definitely make some friends, head to the closest park and chill out for the afternoon.

2. Festivals, festivals, and more festivals

From my experience, Germans love a good summer festival. Every weekend there is some park (or even random field) being turned into a concert hall. Typically, they have electronic music as the main attraction, but there could also be a mix of pop or other types. Usually, there is food and drinks served as well, and sometimes it’s even free to enter the festivals. Also, don’t expect a rainy day to cancel the party. Last year, I went to the Holi Festival of Colours, and it poured the entire time—needless to say it just added to the fun!

3. Urban water sports

Cities like Hamburg have a huge canal system. On any given sunny day you can find tons of people kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, paddle boating and even swimming in the waters throughout the city. Also, because Hamburg is very spread out, there are only a few areas of the canals that are super urban. The rest are meandering through the greenery, giving you a relaxing break from city life. Or Munich, for example, has become a famous spot for urban river surfing at the Eisbach (German for “Ice Brook”). Located in the middle of the Englischer Garten, the large park in Munich, this section has been surfed since 1972!

4. Beach bars

While the coast of Germany has really nice beaches, you don’t have to travel from the cities to get an authentic feel. Beach bars, such as Strand Pauli in Hamburg, are a really popular hang out spot, and can be found throughout the country. Essentially, someone had the genius idea of bringing in some sand, comfy beach chairs, straw umbrellas, fancy-sounding drinks, chill out music and voila!—the German beach bar is born. They are a great place to enjoy the warm summer sun, so definitely check out which ones are near you!

5. Long days

Because Germany is so far north, the sun sets really late in the evening. In late June and early July it can even be light out at 11pm! This means the day length is over 16 hours during the summer solstice. If you plan on being there during this time, I recommend investing in a sleeping mask or some heavy duty curtains!

What are some of your favorite things about the German summertime?