The best known church in Bled is The Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church which rests on picturesque Bled Island. There is another well-recognized church within the town of Bled that provided last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo clue, seen below. Congratulations to Professor Abe and George G, who recognized where we were.
This is St. Martin’s Parish Church and, as the name implies, it is dedicated to St. Martin. Saint Martin was a former Roman soldier who used his cloak to cover a beggar.
A church has existed on this site for more than a thousand years. The old church was rebuilt a number of times, most recently in the 15th century. It was in a bad state of repair and was torn down a little over a century ago; this neo-Gothic church was built on its grounds (between 1903 – 1905). The frescoes were added from 1932 – 1937.
We visited on a cold rainy fall day, with snow falling in the mountains around us. Our visit was in the late afternoon and the light within the church was quite subdued. Still the interior was quite lovely.
St. Martin’s Parish Church is a traditional wedding venue at Lake Bled and people travel here from around Slovenia to say their marriage vows. The church can accommodate about 150 people.
Across the street from the church is the Old Parish House, where you can buy snacks and souvenirs. I’m also told that rooms are available for rent to visitors.
The grounds are thoughtfully laid out and provide nice views of Lake Bled.
There were several pear trees on the Parish grounds, with fruit that was ready to be picked. I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen fruit-bearing trees on a church property before — I’m sure they exist, but I couldn’t remember any. I am a fan of an edible landscape, so I enjoy this kind of feature.
