Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria

Many visitors of Lake Bled often wonder what that building is in the small island in the middle of the lake. It is in fact, the Pilgrimage Church dedicated to the Assumption of Maria.

The interior or this church is absolutely stunning. When you walk in, you are welcomed by a tall golden altar (shown in picture) where the Virgin Mary is shown seated, with the donor of the Bled estate, at her side. The church is decorated with original remains of Gothic frescoes from the 1400s.

The church is best known for its wishing bell. Is is said that every wish can come true if you ring the bell. If you want to have the full experience, you can even take a flight of stairs up to the top of the bell. The Pope consecrated this bell and sent it to this church in memory of a young widow, Poliksena who died transporting the original bell.

There is a lot of history behind the church currently standing there. There has been a church at the location of the present day church since the 9th century, but its current form was constructed in the 17th century. The church has undergone these several renovations due to damage by major earthquakes in Slovenia. The present form church was officially consecrated by the first bishop of Ljubljana, Žiga Lamberg.

You do need to take a quick (and beautiful) gondola ride to get to the island, but it is definitely worth the trip if you are in the Lake Bled area.

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