Programme 2

DAY 1: LJUBLJANA AIRPORT - BLED - VINTGAR

Arrival at Ljubljana International Airport, transfer 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. 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-BOVEC

In the morning after breakfast our route will lead us to BOHINJ with its beautiful BOHINJ LAKE. Many people justifiably think it is one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes near and far. 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. This scenic road offers breathtaking views of the fantastically shaped mountain peaks and ridges of the Julian Alps. After crossing the Vrsic pass we will enter into the SOCA VALLEY. Its dominant feature is the Soca river. With its deep aquamarine colour the Soèa winds through an extremely picturesque and diversified landscape. We will stop in BOVEC, the largest tourist resort in the Upper Soèa Valley. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 3: KOBARID - KOSTANJEVICA - LIPICA

After breakfast we will start our tour to KOBARID, where only a few things have changed since the American writer Ernest Hemingway described it in his novel about WW I, A Farewell to Arms. We will visit the Kobarid museum, which is devoted almost entirely to the Soca front and was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 1993. Our next stop will be at the KOSTANJEVICA MONASTERY, where we'll 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 Lippizzaner horses in LIPICA. According to its more than 400 year old tradition the stables even today raise pure-bred Lippizaners for training and riding. Dinner tonight will be in the medieval castle SOCERB. Check in to your hotel on the Slovene coast. Overnight.

DAY 4: PIRAN - SECOVLJE - MOTOVUN - HUM - OPATIJA

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 go onto the medieval Croatian town MOTOVUN, in the interior of Istrian peninsula. Its preserved town wall embraces this old town on the hill from where the view of all surrounding hills, the broad Mirna Valley and blue waters of the Adriatic sea make the visit worth while. The journey will continue to the smallest village in Croatian Istria, HUM. This medieval place surrounded with a defensive town wall is also famous for its "Istarska konoba", a comfortable, beautifully restored Istrian inn offering Istrian specialities. We'll proceed our journey to OPATIJA. A walk through this beautiful old town, which was already at the turn of the century one of the favourite holiday resorts in Europe, is really an aesthetic delight. Check in to your hotel in Opatija on the Adriatic coast. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 5: POSTOJNA / SKOCJAN - LJUBLJANA - LJUBLJANA AIRPORT

After breakfast transfer to POSTOJNA in Slovene Karst, the landscape of the quiet, mysterious and magnificent underworld with wonderful stalactites, large subterranean galleries and with over 6000 caves. The 20-kilometre-long 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. Instead of Postojna we can visit the SKOCJAN CAVES in Slovene Karst. For its unique beauty it was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. We will be on our way to LJUBLJANA, the capital city 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. Transfer to the airport for departure.