Slovenia – 6 days

DAY 1: BLED – VINTGAR
Arrival to BLED. Checking in to your hotel. Afternoon visit of Bled, its medieval castle, which stands firmly and proudly high on the cliff above the lake. From there one has a beautiful view over the lake and the surrounding mountain peaks. You can try the unique experience of making a boat trip to the island in the middle of the lake, where we can visit the wishing bell in the Gothic Church of Mary’s Assumption located on the island.Time permitting we will drive to the NATIONAL PARK of TRIGLAV and have a walk through the VINTGAR GORGE, one of the most beautiful and spectacular gorges in our country. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

DAY 2: BOHINJ – SAVICA WATERFALL – KRANJSKA GORA – VRSIC – SOCA VALLEY
In the morning after breakfast our route will lead us to BOHINJ with its beautiful BOHINJ LAKE. It’s clear water, in which one can see the reflection of the high mountain peaks surrounding the lake, it is a true pearl of nature, restful on the eyes and relaxing for the soul. On the upper part of the lake a hiking tour will lead us to the SAVICA WATERFALL, where the magnificent 60-metre waterfall cutting deep into a gorge offers one of the most impressive sights in the Julian Alps. We will set forth to the pleasant Alpine resort and ski centre KRANJSKA GORA… Indeed, an Alpine Skiing World Cup event takes place here annually, as does the Snowboarding World Cup. Afterwards a trip over the Vrsic Pass, Slovenia’s highest mountain pass, will follow.

After crossing the Vrsic Pass we enter into the SOCA VALLEY. Its dominant feature is the Soca river. With its deep aquamarine colour the Soca winds through an extremely picturesque and diversified landscape. The visit of the Soca spring, the source of the loveliest river in Europe or if you prefer the visit of the Alpine botanical garden Alpinum Julianum. Dinner and overnight in BOVEC, the largest tourist resort in the Upper Soca Valley.

DAY 3: KOBARID – TOLMIN – KOSTANJEVICA – LIPICA
After breakfast we will visit KOBARID and the Kobarid Museum, which is devoted almost entirely to the Soca front and was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 1993. On our way to TOLMIN we will visit the famous Tolmin Gorges that reach depths of up to 60 metres in some parts. Once Dante, the famous poet, visited Tolmin and the nearby Dante’s Cave is named after him, since there is a legend that it was right here that Dante obtained the inspiration for his description of Hell in his Divine Comedy. After lunch in the Brda Hills we will set forth to the KOSTANJEVICA MONASTERY, where we will take a closer look to its world famous library and monastery’s church with its rich stucco. Here lies the last member of the French royal family of the Bourbons, Charles X. The last visit this afternoon will be dedicated to the famous Lippizaner horses in LIPICA. According to its more than 400 year old tradition the stables even today raise pure-bred Lippizaners for training and riding. Check in to your hotel on the Slovene coast. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 4 : PIRAN – SECOVLJE – HRASTOVLJE – SKOCJAN
After breakfast the day will be dedicated to discovering the Slovene coastal area. A walk through the old part of PIRAN, and visit to the cathedral with its campanile which reminds us of the period of the long Venetian reign over this part of the country.  Next stop will be at the Saltworks Museum in SECOVLJE. Afterwards we will make a short stop for a visit of the Church of The Holy Trinity in HRASTOVLJE, built in 12^th and 13th century. The church is renowned for its rich interior paintings and frescoes with biblical themes and scenes from medieval times, among which The Dance of Death fresco is the most famous. We will set forth to the SKOCJAN CAVES, a world of stalactites and stalagmites, large subterranean halls and the wild river Reka. For its unique beauty it was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. Dinner tonight will be in the medieval castle SOCERB, situated on the top of the hill, from where you can admire a beautiful sunset across the Bay of Trieste. Return to hotel.  Overnight.

DAY 5 : POSTOJNA – LJUBLJANA
After breakfast transfer to POSTOJNA in Slovene Karst. More than 26 millions people from all over the world have admired the stalagmites and the stalactites of the Postojna Cave in more than 175 years of organised tourism. The 20km underworld system of connected galleries, halls and shafts, the largest in Europe is a miracle in itself, but you will be truly astounded by the mysterious human fish (Proteus anguinus). From a special cave train we’ll admire this natural wonder of the subterranean world. We will also visit the PREDJAMA CASTLE which hangs dramatically in the middle of a 123 metre cliff – a four storey structure almost arrogant in its simplicity but unconquered and uncompromising. Afterwards we will be on our way to LJUBLJANA, the capital of Slovenia, known already from the Roman era as the meeting point of Roman, Germanic and Slavic nations. After lunch we’ll take a walk through the old part of the town, which lies between the castle hill and the Ljubljanica river, where we can admire the Baroque and Secessionist period buildings, as well as the works of the great Slovene architect Joze Plecnik. Our journey for today will end in Maribor, the capital of Styria province. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 6 : MARIBOR – PTUJ
After breakfast a morning walk through the old town of MARIBOR, reflecting centuries of Maribor’s history from the Gothic to the Baroque, will lead us from Maribor castle, which contains exhibits of the Maribor Regional Museum, to the Old Vine in the district of Lent, the oldest known vine in the world (more than 400 years old), still offering its juice in which the golden patina of Lent-on-the-Drava is mingled. In the end of our journey through Slovenia we will visit PTUJ, the oldest town in Slovenia, mentioned for the first time by Tacitus in his Historiae as early as 69 AD. The old part of Ptuj is squeezed onto a terrace between the Drava river and castle hill. Nestled below the castle is a museum town. At every step, its monuments testify to the far past, traces from Roman Poetovio and the periods which followed. End of service.

PRICE INCLUDES:

• Overnights in 3*/4* hotels
• Services charges and hotel taxes
• Breakfast and dinner daily
• Professional Tour Director/Escort throughout
• All entrances as in the itinerary