The Bled Island is a cultural and historical monument of national importance. The island itself is a glacial formation that was created tens of thousands of years ago. The island got its current appearance through centuries of human activity. Archaeological findings indicate that the island was inhabited in the 7th century at the latest. The most important find was a large cemetery from the 8th and 9th century, when the first wooden church was erected on the island. The numerous grave goods found in the graves confirm the existence of an Old Slavonic cemetery or settlement which was part of the Köttlach culture.
Restoration of the south stairway
Despite the buildings and the island having being extensively researched and renovated in the 1960s, the real transformation of the island into a cultural and tourism centre came with the restoration of the south stairway in 2004, which was performed by the Restoration Centre of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, and the preparation of the suitable documentation of all the buildings on the island.
Following the renovation
The vicar at Bled, Janez Ferkolja, should be credited for the revival of the island of Lake Bled, as he worked together with experts from the field of conservation and reviving cultural heritage to create a modern pilgrimage and tourism centre which preserves all the protected features of the cultural monument.
