Pletna is a wooden vessel with a flat bottom, designed after the Venetian gondola, but it also has its own peculiarities. The harness ends at the bow with a pointed end, and is extended at the stern with a threshold that allows passengers to enter. The raft is usually 7 meters long and 2 meters wide and ensures safe navigation for 18 people. It is powered by a special "stehrudder" technique, standing and with two oars.
You can drive around the lake and to the island in various ways, even with a traditional boat called pletna. Knitwear is made by the locals and is known only in Bled, and its origin dates back to the distant year 1590. It can be recognized from afar, as it has a colorful canvas roof that protects from the sun and other weather phenomena.
Pletna boat is managed by "pletnar", which is still a highly valued profession today that cannot be practiced by anyone. During the reign of Marija Terezija, the rights to own the pletna were granted to farmers who were allocated poorer arable land. The name has been passed down from generation to generation since then, so weaving has remained in families for centuries.
There are several different explanations for the name pletna. The first says that the boat is so named because of the roof that was once woven. Another explanation claims that the name comes from the German word "plateboot", which means a flat-bottomed boat.