SLOVENIA // It started with the pilgrims that have come from afar to worship at the photogenic island church for a millennium or more, it continued with the lakeside sojourns of 19th-century royalty and then of former Yugoslav President Tito who had a villa on the shores - and today, tourism to Slovenia's lovely Lake Bled shows no signs of slowing This blue-green body of water offset by a winsome white church on a green island, abutted by a terracotta-roofed castle and backed by snow-daubed Julian Alps, is Slovenia's premier crowd-puller. Adding to the appeal is its modest size - the lake measures just 2km by 14km (12 by 0.9 miles), so walking, cycling or driving around its circumference Is an easy 6km (4 miles). Hire a pletna (gondola), dive beneath the glass-like surface and do, do stay over in one of many beautiful shore side properties. Slovenia does not rest on its laurels when promotine this paradise and has won praise for eco-initiatives like ecologically designed Garden Village Bled, where a stream snakes through a serene collection of treehouses and glamping tents.

Why is Lake Bled so famous?

The lake lies in a picturesque environment, surrounded by mountains and forests. Lake Bled was an important cult centre during the Bronze Age. Gold appliqués dating from the 13th-12th century BC were found in a deposit by the lake shore