Swimming into a fairytale

A picture-perfect lake, a 5km challenge and crystal-clear mountain rivers: Abigail Whyte heads to Slovenia for X-Waters and discovers an open water swimming destination she can’t wait to return to

I first visited Bled as a young and very unfit backpacker in 2008. I remember walking along the shore in the drizzle, ribbons of mist on the lake, and I came across a swim event. I was so in awe of the swimmers approaching from their course around the island. They looked so athletic as they emerged from the water, elated at what they had achieved. It seemed an impossible feat to me, so there’s no way I could have imagined that I’d be taking part in a swim event myself 18 years later, in these very waters.

Being relatively new to the world of open water events, having done my first event in 2024 (the Henley Mile), I was unsure which distance to go for when I was invited to take part in X-Waters Slovenia. The event, which first started in 2024, takes place every September, and the distance options are 500m, a 2 x 500m relay, 1-mile, 5k or 10k. 

I’d managed to swim 5k at a sea event last year, but that was completely unintentional – I’d gotten stuck in a current for 20 minutes. So, I knew I had it in me to achieve that distance, and I knew I’d be swimming in one of the most beautiful swim destinations in the world. Lake Bled is like something out of a fairytale picture book, with a clifftop medieval castle on its east shore, and an island crowned with a church, backdropped by forest and the Julian Alps. This was such a wonderful opportunity, so I decided to go for the 5k. Why not?

Familiar shores

Lake Bled was just as beautiful as I remembered from all those years ago, when I arrived two days before the event, pre-swim nerves jangling. I knew I should try to rest before the swim but I’m not much of a one for lounging about. I hired a bike from my hotel and cycled the 6km path around the lake to get my head around the event course, then climbed Ostrija to its famous viewpoint over the brilliant turquoise water and fairytale island.

And of course I had a little swim off one of the jetties on the western shore to acclimatise to the water. The temperature was heavenly – a balmy 21 degrees after a long summer of warming up. I found myself looking forward to the event more and more. “I can do this,” I said to myself as I launched into a backstroke, gazing up at the mountains.

The morning of the event I had an early breakfast and arrived at the X-Waters base at Grajsko kopališče (Castle Bathing Area) in good time to register and collect my starter pack. This included a swim cap, my timing chip and an energising snack and drink – all in a snazzy drawstring bag. 

Grajsko kopališče is an ideal hub for a swim event, with lidos on the edge of the lake, changing rooms, lockers, plus a cafe and play area to keep spectators entertained. The atmosphere was buzzing – helped by the energetic track list pumping from the tannoy system. 

My pre-event anxiety ranked up a notch when I noticed that many fellow swimmers gearing up for the 5km were wearing wetsuits. I’d always planned to go skins for this swim, but doubt started to creep in. Was I missing something? Did the others know something I didn’t? Would I be too long in the water to go skins? Would it would be better to have the buoyancy of a wetsuit? These pesky thoughts rattled in my head for a while until I got chatting to a trio of other swimmers who were also going skins.

“You’ll be fine,” one of them assured me. “It’s like a swimming pool out there!”

Mind more at ease, I left my wetsuit in my kit bag and stuck with my swimsuit. As I did some warm-up stretches I could feel the morning sun growing stronger. And that sparkling blue lake grew more inviting.

I looked frequently at the course route map of the 5km swim to try to commit it to memory. It was a funny sort of key shape, taking in the full length of the lake, around the island and back again. When a steward pointed out the markers to me, I was worried they seemed quite far apart. I’m very short sighted and didn’t want to wear my leaky prescription goggles, so another niggling doubt crept in that I’d get lost along the way. 

Knowing there was a support crew out on the lake to keep us in check, I pushed these thoughts aside and headed to the startling line, dancing away with the jitters with fellow swimmers to an infectious dance beat.

A calm start

The start was nice and staggered – not as chaotic and elbow-jabby as I’d imagined it would be. I got into a good rhythm, enjoying the calm of the water and the tropical hues of the water above and below the surface. Honestly, the conditions were perfect – we couldn’t have asked for better. 

For the first stretch of the swim, the markers were easy to spot and I had no trouble getting to the next point. The castle perched on a cliff to my right was an awesome sight as I swam towards Bled Island. Just as I was beginning to circumnavigate the island, the church bells started ringing. I paused to hear the glorious sound. It was a moment I’ll never forget. 

After reaching the third marker I struggled to pinpoint the next one and started heading in the wrong direction with another swimmer for a few minutes. Luckily a support crew member on a SUP pointed us the right way. Starting to feel fatigued, this was a knock to my confidence and I felt cross with myself for the error. 

Negative thoughts are half the battle in this type of situation so, again, I brushed them off and kept swimming. Unfortunately, just after the next marker, there was a rogue bit of rope floating in the water, with what looked like a drybag attached to it. I have no idea what it was, but myself and another swimmer got our tow floats tangled up in it. This was frustrating, but we soon got free and continued swimming, knowing we were pretty much halfway and on the home stretch.

For the final kilometre, I started to get a bit of trapped wind. A common swimmer’s curse, right? I really wanted to let rip, but a support crew member was paddling close alongside me and would have had a front-row seat if I’d decided to expel my discomfort. I think I’d have had grounds for disqualification if I’d unleashed my own personal turbo engine. Brrrrrrrrm!

Time seemed to stand still for that final push towards the finish line but it was such a relief to stagger ashore and seeing all the smiling, welcoming faces of the event crew and receive my beautiful medal.

There was food and drink laid on for swimmers to tuck into, and a massage team was on hand to rejuvenate our tired muscles.

It was wonderful to share stories with swimmers from all over the world. Fifty five countries were represented at this year’s event – a truly international swim festival that can’t fail to raise the spirits and remind you of the joy of being in an open water community. 

Time to explore

With so much to explore around Bled and northwest Slovenia, it’s worthwhile extending your stay around the event to make the most of your time here. Bled itself is a lively town with shops, restaurants and water-based activities. You can also rent a bike, which I highly recommend for pootling around the lake to find the designated swimming spots. You can also try the new Bled to Bohinj cycle path – a 28km route to another beautiful lake in the Triglav National Park. 

Bled is a little too busy for my taste, but there are quieter corners of the lake where you can base yourself, including Hotel Triglav on the northwest shore. A hotel since 1906, its impressive heritage is woven into the decor, with antiques, oil paintings and old photographs lending it a wonderfully old-world feel. There’s a pool and sauna for unwinding after a day of exploring, while breakfast is a delicious taste of Slovenia on a plate, with buckwheat pancakes and Krajska sausage.

While I was in Bled, a local swim guide reached out to me on social media, offering to show me her favourite swimming spots near her home in the Idrija Hills. This was an opportunity I could not pass up, so after a day exploring Ljubljana, I caught the bus to Idrija where I met Mikaela Toczek of More To Explore, an International Mountain Leader who moved to northwest Slovenia from the UK five years ago.

We plunged into crystal blue waters of the Idrijca river and a swimming lake inhabited by two turtles. She showed me bathing areas where there are BBQs, play parks and volleyball courts – community spaces that are cherished and looked after by the locals. “The Slovenes love their swimming,” Mikaela told me. “But mainly in summer, though. I’m known as the crazy English woman who also swims in winter.”

Mikaela was such a knowledgeable and passionate guide, who has come to know this corner of Slovenia intimately since making it her home. It was a joy to spend the afternoon with someone so clearly in love with Slovenia’s wild places, and so committed to protecting them. As I boarded the bus back to Ljubljana, my head was still full of images of crystal-clear rivers, forested hills and distant mountains – and I was already planning my return.

Thank you to X-Waters Slovenia and Hotel Triglav 1906 for hosting my trip. Next year’s X-Waters Slovenia event takes place 11-12 September 2027. 

Find out more about Mikaela’s guided trips in northwest Slovenia at mtexplore.com