diff --git a/src/icalendar/prop.py b/src/icalendar/prop.py
index e2b7e18..dba6cc1 100644
--- a/src/icalendar/prop.py
+++ b/src/icalendar/prop.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ them directly.
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 import re
 import pytz
+import base64
 import binascii
 import time as _time
 from datetime import (
@@ -133,19 +134,19 @@ class vBinary(object):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, obj):
-        self.obj = obj
+        self.obj = to_unicode(obj)
         self.params = Parameters(encoding='BASE64', value="BINARY")
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "vBinary('%s')" % self.to_ical()
 
     def to_ical(self):
-        return binascii.b2a_base64(self.obj)[:-1]
+        return binascii.b2a_base64(self.obj.encode('utf-8'))[:-1]
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_ical(ical):
         try:
-            return ical.decode('base-64')
+            return base64.b64decode(ical)
         except UnicodeError:
             raise ValueError('Not valid base 64 encoding.')
 
diff --git a/src/icalendar/tests/test_unit_prop.py b/src/icalendar/tests/test_unit_prop.py
index 9538cee..beae199 100644
--- a/src/icalendar/tests/test_unit_prop.py
+++ b/src/icalendar/tests/test_unit_prop.py
@@ -15,19 +15,19 @@ class TestProp(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(vBinary.from_ical(txt_ical), txt)
 
         # The roundtrip test
-        txt = 'Binary data \x13 \x56'
-        txt_ical = 'QmluYXJ5IGRhdGEgEyBW'
+        txt = b'Binary data \x13 \x56'
+        txt_ical = b'QmluYXJ5IGRhdGEgEyBW'
         self.assertEqual(vBinary(txt).to_ical(), txt_ical)
         self.assertEqual(vBinary.from_ical(txt_ical), txt)
 
+        self.assertIsInstance(vBinary('txt').params, Parameters)
         self.assertEqual(
-            str(vBinary('txt').params),
-            "Parameters({'VALUE': 'BINARY', 'ENCODING': 'BASE64'})"
+            vBinary('txt').params, {'VALUE': 'BINARY', 'ENCODING': 'BASE64'}
         )
 
         # Long data should not have line breaks, as that would interfere
-        txt = 'a' * 99
-        txt_ical = 'YWFh' * 33
+        txt = b'a' * 99
+        txt_ical = b'YWFh' * 33
         self.assertEqual(vBinary(txt).to_ical(), txt_ical)
         self.assertEqual(vBinary.from_ical(txt_ical), txt)
 
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ class TestProp(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(factory.to_ical('priority', 1), b'1')
         self.assertEqual(factory.to_ical('cn', u'Rasmussen, Max M\xfcller'),
-                         b'Rasmussen\\, Max M\xc3\xbcller')
+                         'Rasmussen\\, Max M\xc3\xbcller')
 
         self.assertEqual(
             factory.from_ical('cn', 'Rasmussen\\, Max M\xc3\xb8ller'),