Set in North­west Slove­nia close to the town of Bled is a gleam­ing emer­ald lake sur­round­ed by stun­ning ver­dant hills. Catch one of the old wood­en boats called plet­na over to the small Bled Island in the mid­dle of the lake. The island is home to the Church of the Assump­tion of Mary – a 17th-cen­­tu­ry build­ing with some 15th-cen­­tu­ry goth­ic fres­coes still intact.