Pletna, a unique rowing boat

Pletna, the traditional wooden boat, is undoubtedly one of Bled’s most noticeable trademarks. Beside the relaxing atmosphere and the magnificent view of the surrounding mountains, it is the only way to get to the famous island of Bled.

The Pletna is a wooden, flat-bottomed boat with a pointed bow and the stern widened with a step to enable passengers to enter. The boat is propelled via the special “stehrudder” technique where the oarsman is standing and rowing with two oars. Riding a pletna boat is an unforgettable tourist experience and a must for every visitor, akin to riding a Gondola in Venice.

There are even more similarities between the two vessels. The gondola rides in Venice are controlled by a guild of Gondolieri which issues around 400 licences. Many times the licences are passed on to family members creating Gondolieri dynasties. In Bled, the Pletna business is passed to the next generation thus allowing a fixed number of boats on the lake.

There’s a local saying that one hasn’t really visited Bled without taking a ride in one of its traditional Pletna boats. Thought to have perhaps derived from the German ‘plateboot’, meaning flat-bottomed boat, the Pletna has a history stretching back to the end of the 12th century, where farmers as a compensation for a tax, transported passengers and pilgrims to the Bled island. The respected profession of Pletna oarsman has been handed down through generations and, as mentioned, it cannot be performed by anyone. The profession of “Pletnarstvo” remained in individual families throughout the centuries, originating from the village Mlino on southeastern coast of the lake.

The Pletna piers are located under Spa Park, the Park Hotel Bled café in Mlino and in Velika Zaka.