Up-converted blue emission has been generated in a 1 at.% Pr 3 + :Be 2 La 2 O 5 crystal after orange and infra-red excitation. The responsible up-conversion mechanisms were investigated and shown to be energy transfer and excited state absorption, respectively. The dynamics of the involved excited states have been studied under pulsed laser excitation. These results are compared with those for Pr 3 + ion in different laser crystals.