[5][6] Bled is located on the southern foot of the Karawanks mountain range near the border with Austria, about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of the national capital of Ljubljana.

In 1011, Henry II signed another deed of donation that added the castle and an area of land the size of thirty king's farms.

These donations marked a turning point in the history of Bled and, for the following 800 years, the area remained under the sovereignty of the prince-bishops of Brixen.

Initially, the lordship was administered by ministeriales (bonded knights), castellans, and castle staff in accordance with feudal practices, but in the middle of the 14th century the prince-bishops decided instead to lease the estate.

Today's town began to form in the mid-19th century from the villages of Grad, Mlino, Rečica, Zagorice, and Želeče, which encircled the lake.

At that time, farmers started to sell the land along the eastern lakeshore to wealthy individuals for their villas, and the villages of Grad, Zagorice, and Želeče began to merge.

Naturopath Arnold Rikli (1823–1906) from Switzerland contributed significantly to the development of Bled as a health resort in the second half of the 19th century.

Today it is an important convention centre and tourist resort, offering a wide range of sports activities (golf, fishing, and horseback riding).

A small island in the middle of the lake is home to the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church; visitors frequently ring its bell, due to an old legend claiming it provides good luck.

[10] In 1959 the first 14 rounds of the 4th Chess Candidates Tournament were held in this city, the rest were played in Zagreb and in Belgrade.