Theoretically, the only way to see Lake Bled from above is by paying the castle entrance fee, 8 euros. However, we found a vantage point used by the local Slovenes. Arriving at the castle car park, you'll see a pathway off the right. From there, take the dirt path up the rock to where the castle sits. We climbed up beside the walls and took in the amazing panorama.
The island is beautiful enough, but you can see pretty much the same views from the mainland on Bled, especially from the waterfront. We had a pleasant boat ride but it was expensive, and we only got 40 mins on the island. The people working on the island were mean and unfriendly. The girls manning the cafe were snappish in general and very proprietary with the restroom key. The gelato wasn’t that good. The old men cleaning the restrooms yelled at me for coming too close to closing time (they hadn’t even placed a ‘Closed’ sign by the restroom) and then refused to give me soap to wash my hands until I had to shout back at them. Keep in mind that they are paid restrooms (8 euros at the cafe or 1 euro to unlock the door). The church on the island is too expensive to visit, can’t even go into the main space, let alone the bell tower unless you’ve bought a ticket.
Go for a walk around the lake in the early hours of the morning or just before sunset for a maigical experience. Beautiful lights give another texture to the whole scenery....
