Bled enters history in 1004 when king Henrik II. grants estate
Bled (predium, quod dictiur Ueldes) in province Carniola to
Bishop Albuin of Säben (later diocese of Säben was renamed to diocese of Brixen)
and his church, with all that comes with estate.
Granted estate covered all of the northern Carniola in those days.
First explicit mentioning of the castle, by some sources the oldest castle
in Slovenia, is in 1011 when king Henrik II. in his gift act extends
given estate and adds a castle - castellum Veldes to diocese of Brixen.
In year 1154 Meinhardi videlicet de Ueldes is mentioned and in 1179
Reinhardus de Ueldes, both were ministerials in Bled. In that time castle
was severly robbed by counts from Gorica-Tyrol region so in 1236 bishop
Henrik IV. of Brixen transfered regalia for his diocese to caesar Friderik II..
He handed protection of the castle to Carinthian duke in such way, that
earnings of the castle remained to count.
In 1245 we encounter a reference to a castle as castrum nostrum Veldes
when bishop Egon wanted to get the castle back by paying 250 marks in silver to
knight Gerloh of Jeterbenk and Viljem of Bled, which took away castle from
bishop. In fact the castle soon returned in hands of diocese of Brixen.
In 1288, after death of bishop Bruno, Bled was occupied by Majnhard II. of Tyrol, until
1296, when on his death bed he denounced of the castle and castle was again
in the hands of diocese of Brixen.
Castellan - purgraf auf Veldes comes to castle in 1312 and replaces
former Brixen ministerials named by Bled. Between 1317 and 1588 we encounter
tenants Kreighs, which are followed by Auspergs ant then others.
in 1803 Bled estate and castle were sequestrated by the government.
For the timebeing of French occupation between 1809 and 1813 earnings of
estate were used to support Governor-General of Illyrian Provinces
Marshal Marmont and after French left different managers followed and most
of them substantially benefited on the account of the estate but neglected
maintenance of castle buildings.
In 1858 estate was bought by Viktor Ruard, industrialist from Kranj but it
was soon sold and again started to migrate from one hahd to another.
Immediately before World War II, the castle was taken over by
Drava Banate. After the war the castle was nationalized and declared as
cultural monument.
After fire in 1947, when the roof above residential wing was burnt, reconstruction works
began. At the end of 1950s and start of 1960s architect Tone Bitenc was overseeing
the reconstruction and in that time courtyards were levelled and paved,
panoramic platforms were arranged, both plateaus were linked with stairs and
by that rearranged the whole into modern tourist destination.
Bled castle is the most visited cultural attraction in Slovenia and is visited
by 200.000 visitors every year. Slovenian name Bled appears after 1500.
Timotej Knific in TV show "Kako živijo gradovi: Blejski grad"
("Life of castles: Bled castle") explains:
Castle elevation was allready populated in the Iron Age. During
Ostrogoth and Langobard era a settlement with defence walls was constructed
on the the elevation. At the time deceased were burried on the place
below the castle. In the Slavic era a new castle settlement, which
was of great significance, is constructed on the castle elevation. Finds that
were excavated on the burrial ground below the castle, where parking lot is
today, testify about that. 170 graves have been excavated. Slavic
cemetery was also located on the island.
For individual tour of the castle a fee of 7 EUR has to be paid.
Students have a discount of only 1 EUR. Children's fee will
cost their parents 3,50 EUR. Fee includes a visit of the museum.
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Literature: |
Kos, Dušan, Dr.: "Vitez in Grad", Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, 2005, ISBN
961-6500-82-1
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Grajske stavbe v osrednji Sloveniji - Gorenjska (Ob
zgornjem toku Save)", Viharnik, Ljubljana,
1996, ISBN 961-6057-06-5
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Gradovi na Slovenskem", Cankarjeva založba, 1987,
ISBN 86-361-0280-4
Kako živijo slovenski gradovi: Blejski grad; dokumentarna oddaja,
28.12.2004
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Contact details: |
BLEJSKI GRAD
Grajska cesta 61
4260 Bled
info:
Tel: +386 (0)4 574 12 30
Fax: +386 (0)4 574 12 30
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Shows and entertainment: |
Bled castle is open every day between hours 8.00 and 17.00. Museum on castle
is opened:
from May 1st to October 31st: between 8.00 and 20.00
from November 1st to April 30th: between 8.00 and 17.00
A great number of event occurs over the year. For datailed information about
events I recommend a visit to a site www.bled.si.
Medieval day occurs annually but shorter medieval and ranaissance
themed events performed by Acting group of knight Gašper Lambergar
occur several times a year.
Permanent attractions on the castle include castle printing office,
castle wine cellar, herbal shop and small painting gallery. |
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Baroque church (first mentioned in 1185) on a small island in the center on the
lake; with the castle in the background, ... and alps
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Entrance defence wall
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Semicircularly concluded entrance portal
from the early 16th century, equipped with
after-the-war reconstructed drawbridge
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Outer defence wall with
arrow-loops and rampart; view from inside
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View of the tower from the outside,
which with its defensive ground floor, bounded with semi-circular
cordon, protected access to castle; according to sources from
1583 the tower was reconstructed but it's more likely that it was
completely rebuilt because it has all features of Renaissance fortification
architecture of the era
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Rustically designed
Renaissance portal leads through arched hallway of entrance tower
to lower courtyard; heraldic plate with Brixen coat of arms and year 1511
is built-in above the portal and alerts to the castle restoration after
the earthquake in 1511
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Rectangular two-storey
romanesque entrance tower
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Layered romanesque construction
of the defence wall at entrance tower
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Entrance to castles wine cellar
"de Adami" is located north of tower
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High romanesque outer defence wall,
which was built somewhere between 11th and late 12th century
and is the only to the top preserved defence wall in Slovenia
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Reconstructed renaissance
corridor
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One of many key-shaped arrow-loops
at the corridor
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Even before mid 19th
auxilliary tract was built between towers which was then raised for
one storey and again lowered at after-the-war reconstruction;
a pub is located here today
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Modernly rearranged fountain in
the lower courtyard
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High, round, two-storey defense
tower located in the wall at the north-eastern corner of the
lower courtyard
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Entry to castles print
(on the ground floor of north-eastern tower), which was never actually
located on the castle; but it was a home to a highly valued castle
scribe
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Renaissance, pillaster-framed
rustic portal with triangular, heraldic frescoed front is located in
elbow-shaped wing between courtyards
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Arched hallway in basement floor of
the wing which leads through modern outer, radially formed staircase
to artificially levelled upper castle plateau
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Built in height of two floors,
altered to baroque style after earthquake in 1690, late-gothic chapel
dedicated to Brixen patrons St.Albuin and Ingenium
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Inside single-storey semi-cellared
building, once a keep, is nowadays a museum
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On the right from the entrance
a tombstone of noble Lemberg from 1550 embedded in wall
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Coat of arms plate embedded above
tombstone
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Museum also displays few
interesting pieces of weaponry
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Renaissance trifora from Vurberk,
which was destroyed after the war, embedden above the portal
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Interior of the chapel which
in time of baroque-style renovation or soon after that was decorated with
frescoes, mostly well preserved
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Upper courtyard,
view to east
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Upper castle plateau,
view towards north-west
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Lower courtyard, view from south
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Blunt-angled elbow-shaped
residential wing in which at the time of its construction a ceremony
hall was organized; nowadays a guest house is in here
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Arranged vantage point and
southern outer staircase that leads to upper courtyard
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Remains of castle garden
at its entrance
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In the middle of Bled lake
we can see ancient pilgrimage St.Mary's Church,
where archaeologists while excavating uncovered foundations
of churches that were standing there centuries before the first
mentioning of Bled.
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View towards north to Karavanke,
on the right highest peak Stol (2237m)
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Tourists
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J. V. Valvasor, Bled
(outtake)
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L. Benesch, upper
courtyard with chapel on Bled castle, 1892
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