Taste of Slovenia

There’s so much to see and do in Bled! Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast or a history buff, your morning in and around the lake can be fulfilling and fun adventure; hike, bike or swim, ring a bell at a church on the island or visit the Bird of Paradise at the Bled Castle. Experiencing an environment, feeling a pulse of a place, watching local habits and participating in traditions, is a key for a thorough appreciation and understanding of tastes of local cuisine. Your lunch will offer just that: dishes you will be served at a traditional farm are staples of Slovene cooking, and since they are made with fresh, homegrown, homemade and locally sourced ingredients, they always tell a unique story. You will visit a beekeeping farm later on and by late afternoon, your taste buds will be ready for Slovene Nouvelle Cuisine at an elegant estate in a closeby Alpine town. Your night will end in a hotel back in Bled.

Breakfast in the hotel and a drive to Kranjska Gora will be the beginning of the Emerald Splash Adventure day. A drive over Vršič, the highest mountain pass in Slovenia (5,300 ft) will offer amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Once over the pass, you will reach the Trenta Valley, where the emerald Soča river springs to the surface and twists its way through narrow canyons and picturesque meanders. For lunch you will taste local specialities from a kitchen focusing on healthy, regional food products and vegetarian dishes and continue your day on a white water rafting and an optional hike to a waterfall. Your dinner will be spiced up by an internationally acclaimed chef, creating a modern twist of local cooking and you will have an opportunity to taste some fine Slovenian wines.

After breakfast you will be headed south to Goriška brda. This idyllic landscape located on the border with Italy between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic sea, with endless terraced vineyards and orchards and dotted with small villages, is home to some of the finest Slovenian wines. Take the self-guided electric bike tour through the countryside and stop in small charming medieval villages, and visit a co-op winery for some of their internationally awarded red and white wines. The winery goes back to the 1950s and is now a leading producer and exporter of Slovenian wines. A little further south is a small village of Medana, where you will have your lunch at a restaurant that is frequented by locals and visitors alike. This quaint village is a modest and small settlement comfortably nested on a top of a hill overlooking a landscape blanketed by vineyards and fruit trees. From there, you will catch a private transfer to a boutique hotel in the heart of the region. Enjoy the panoramic views from their terrace, while sipping on a glass of one of a local wine from their extensive wine cellar you haven’t yet tasted. Your dinner tonight will be all about family and traditions, as a menu at a local restaurant within a walking distance from the hotel is inspired by the owners’ grandma’ cooking!

This will be a truly diverse day: from a visit to a karst cave to a stop at a stud farm and finally, a swim in an Adriatic! And all the wonderful food you can eat along the way. After breakfast you will drive south to the Karst region and make a first stop at the Škocjan Caves, a natural and cultural heritage park under UNESCO’s protection since 1986. Saying simply that this is a beautiful cave and an impressive park is an enormous understatement. Karts region has distinct weather, flora and fauna, and it goes without saying that when topped off with a close proximity to Italy and the coast of Slovenia, the culture and food provide for some exclusive culinary adventure. You will have an opportunity to experience it during your lunch at a typical Karst farm, where you will be served all homemade food. A further drive south will bring you to the town of Lipica, where you will visit the famous Lipizzaner stud farm, a home of the beautiful white Lipizzaner horses – one of the most recognizable Slovenian symbols. In the afternoon, you will transfer from Karts to Slovenian Coast. Dive into the Adriatic sea and enjoy the rest of the afternoon on one of many beaches before dinner with the freshest seafood you can imagine!

As elsewhere, when searching for new flavors and aromas of foreign lands, we suggest that you go local. Take the advantage of the leisure Mediterranean life! You can decide how you want to spend your morning: on a beach, on a sailing boat or scuba diving. In the early afternoon you will take bikes on a relaxing trail to Sečovlje Nature Park and later to a restaurant with traditional Istrian dishes. Free relaxing afternoon on the coast follows. You can bike to picturesque town Piran – known to be the most beautiful and romantic town on Slovenian coast. The old town is located on the small peninsula and it is one of the most well preserved old towns on all Adriatic coast. Visit the beautiful town square, discover the old, narrow streets and walk to the 7th-century Walls of Piran. Late afternoon drive to an inland village for wine tasting with dinner.

Slovenia’s capital city of Ljubljana will be your destination today. A short, one hour-long drive from the Coast will bring you to the center of Ljubljana. You will join a walking tour of the town’s center. A nice stroll along the Ljubljanica River and through the charming Old town will bring you to the main Prešeren square, the Three Bridges, Town Hall, Dragon bridge… Ljubljana Castle, an always present fixture on photos of Ljubljana’s skyline is equally worth a visit. The medieval castle perched on a hill overlooking the city, is a place of many weddings and art festivals and is easily reachable by a funicular rail. We will have recommendations for your lunch. One of the world’s 100 best restaurants, located in downtown Ljubljana, will treat your dinner venue this evening. After dinner, a short walk will bring you to your hotel.

Enjoy the rest of the given time in Ljubljana. Whenever you will be ready, we will have a private transfer ready for you to take you to your departure.