Anze Kopitar is a sure-fire hall of fame ice hockey player, the star of the Los Angeles Kings NHL team since 2006. He led them to two Stanley Cups and is considered one of the greatest hockey players in history. He's also one of Slovenia's most famous citizens--top level athletes are among the best informal ambassadors for tourism. Kopitar has announced that his family will move back home to Bled after his playing career, so you may very well run into his at a cafe or the supermarket in a few years time. But still at the top of his game, we spoke to him after a pre-season practice to talk about his favorite things in Bled, and whether he practices alley-oop ice hockey assists.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

A short walk from bustling Bled is a beautiful village with a potentially confusing name. Bohinjska Bela is right next to Bled, but its name contains the word Bohinj, the other magnificent alpine lake that is 15 kilometers away. But Bohinjska Bela is a place that visitors to Bled should explore. You can walk a well-marked trail from Bled to the village, and the village itself is fascinating, as I learned in an in-depth walking tour with a knowledgeable local. From a world-renowned climbing spot to a secret spot for smoked trout, this is your go-to guide to Bohinjska Bela.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

Lake Bled has hosted the World Rowing Championships on four occasions. Visitors will inevitably notice the lanes that stretch across the lake, and might even be lucky enough to see a crew team training here. I can’t imagine a more beautiful spot to train and compete. To learn more about the story of how Bled became one of the world's premiere rowing destinations, I spoke to a former rower and gold medalist who trained here daily, Luka Špik.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

Drive towards Lake Bled from the highway and you’ll pass a giant golf ball. I’d passed it countless times before I actually visited the golf course associated with it. I was truly amazed when I first saw the Royal Bled Golf Course. It is magnificent, whether or not you’re a golfer. But for golfer’s, it’s on a worldwide bucket list of the most admired and challenging courses on the planet. In this episode, we’ll introduce the Royal Bled Golf Course and speak with the man who best represents it: PGA Professional trainer Daniel Krajlic.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

Beekeeping has a long and rich tradition in Slovenia, a country known for its exceptional honey production and beekeeping practices. Slovenian beekeeping techniques date back centuries, and the country is home to the indigenous Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica), which is highly valued for its docile nature, hardiness, and excellent honey production. It is, in fact, the second most popular bee on the planet, exported abroad and a favorite of beekeepers the world over. Slovenia has the most beekeepers per capita in the world, and launched the United Nations initiative for World Bee Day, celebrated every May 20. For this episode, I visited the Ambrožič family, which runs a beautiful beekeeping center that welcomes visitors, just a short walk from Lake Bled. Learn all about bees and the tradition of beekeeping, in Bled and throughout Slovenia.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

This episode features an extended interview with Virginia diGaetano, a veteran Lonely Planet guidebook writer. Ginger, as her friends call her, spent a lot of time in Bled over the course of several visits while preparing the new Lonely Planet Guide to Slovenia. What did she see and what is the life of a top level travel writer really like? Join us as we find out this plus Ginger's favorite things in and around Bled.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

This episode features an exclusive, long-form chat with Janez Fajfar. Fajfar was mayor of Bled for sixteen years and is an almost legendary figure in Bled. He is truly beloved by the locals, and knows more about Bled than anyone. Many of his stories come from his career prior to being mayor, when he ran Vila Bled, the former villa of Tito and later a luxury hotel. What sort of stories does Fajfar have to share? Grab some popcorn and listen in!

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.

When Slovenes have read their own myths and legends, chances are they’ve read a version penned by Dušica Kunaver. She worked for decades as an English teacher, but she’s practically a household name throughout the country thanks to her books of folktales, fairytales, myths and legends. Hundreds of them. She is now in her 80s, but as lucid as ever. In 2023, her book 100 Slovenian Folktales won the prestigious Book of the Year Award. In this episode, Noah spoke with Dušica about Slovenian legends, and she tells her own versions of several linked to Bled.

Host: Noah Charney

Producer: Urška Charney

👉 Listen to the episodes of The Bled Podcast. Is This The Most Beautiful Place on Earth? The official podcast of the Bled Tourist Board: https://www.bled.si/en/podcast

This podcast brings you the wonders of Bled, its people, places, foods, history and experiences. Everything you need for a perfect holiday.