July 12, 2017
We caught the morning train up the Bohiny rail line to Lake Bled. The Bohiny line was built by the Austro-Hungarian empire between 1901 amd 1906 to more directly connect Vienna, the imperial capital, to Trieste, Austro-Hungary's main seaport. The line was officially opened by Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination 8 years later set off the First World War.
The rail line passes through very mountanous terrain. On the line's 144 kilometers, there are 42 tunnels, 5 galleries (1), and 168 bridges. As we rode, I pondered the train schedule. In addition to the numerous trains covering the whole line each day, there were 3 or 4 trains that only went a few stops in the middle, and had long pauses at the few stations. I saw one such train: it consisted of just one passenger car and a few freight flat cars in the back. A look at the topographical map revealed the point: there is a very long tunnel under a steep ridge and there is no road between these points. The trains are car ferries to travel between the Soči and the Sava river valleys. Otherwise, it is a very long drive around.
Upon arriving at Lake Bled, we rented a traditional wooden boat to row out to Beld Island. There is a church on the island that hosts many weddings. The local tradition is that the bride agrees to the marriage only if the groom can carry her up the steep stairs leading up the hill to the church; I counted 98 steps.
Rowing to the far side of the lake, we had good views of Mount Triglav, which is depicted on the Slovenian flag and is the nation's highest mountain. Tradtion says that all true Slovenians must reach Triglav's summit at least once in their life.
After a refreshing swim, we climbed up the hill to Bled Castle which was complicated by the informality of some of the trails and a lack of signage, but we found our way and enjoyed the views. We completed our circumambulation of the lake on the pathways that circle it.
(1) A gallery is like a tunnel, except one side has some open arches. These galleries are used to build rail lines on steep hillsides.
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