Journey to the Heart of Slovenia’s Unknown Heritage

Day 1 : Ljubljana

Welcoming at your arrival at Ljubljana Airport. Private transfer and installation at your hotel. Meeting with your guide for a private city tour to discover the Slovenian capital at your own pace and on foot for 2 hours. A walk through the pedestrian city centre and along the Ljubljanica to visit this beautiful city’s most famous spots. Throughout the walk, your guide will tell you anecdotes, legends and give you information concerning the city and the country.

-> Is there something else you want to see? This city tour is tailor-made, we can adapt it:

* to your desires of discovery by opting for such and such a museum;

* to your wish of activity: on foot, by bike, by segway, gastronomic, medieval, wine tasting, treasure hunt, etc… Ljubljana has many facets and our city tours are very varied.

[To discover Ljubljana in video, click here ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41D7lsEruI) Overnight in a modern and comfortable 3-star hotel, near the principal square of Ljubljana. Standard room.

Day 2 : Ljubljana

Meeting with your guide for a 2.5 hours walking tour to discover the Slovenian capital at your own pace. Some look back with sadness, others regret the good old days when (almost) everyone was equal , had a job, a roof over their heads and food on the table. The communist tour takes you back to the days of socialist Yugoslavia, a unique country that defined its own approach to communism while maintaining a somewhat open policy with the West. Beginning with the enigmatic leader, Marshal Tito, the tour explores Slovenian life under socialist rule, visiting sites that played a role in the communist era, focusing on governance, economy, labour, religion, punishment, justice, entertainment, the arts and more. Concerned about objectivity in the visit, our guide shares real family stories, brings nostalgic objects that you can touch. Forget what you’ve heard, see what life was really like back then.

-> Is there something else you want to see? This city tour is tailor-made, so we can adapt it:

* to your desire of discovery by choosing this or that museum;

* to your wishes for activities: walking, cycling, segway, gastronomy, medieval, wine tasting, treasure hunt, etc… Ljubljana has many facets and our city tours are very varied.

[To discover Ljubljana in video, click here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41D7lsEruI) Overnight in a modern and comfortable 3-star hotel, near the principal square of Ljubljana. Standard room.

Day 3 : Ljubljana

Collection of the vehicle. Exploration of Lower Carniola. The day’s drive gives you the opportunity to appreciate the hills watered by rivers and covered with forests. Characteristic hay driers, restored castles and small villages line your route. You will discover another facet of the country where slow travel makes sense, in addition to the various landmarks that will cross your path: the Cistercian Abbey of Sticna, Bogensperk Castle and Zuzemberk Castle. According to the Slovenian poet Tone Pavček Somewhere in Dolenjska, there are places, a house, a vineyard, and a piece of a field, there, it’s always the month of May, there, I once called Home . Check-in at the hotel. Rental of compact C-Class vehicle, type Opel Astra , including:

* Unlimited mileage

* Manual gearbox

* Two drivers

* Snow tires (if necessary)

* Basic third party insurance. On the spot the renter will be able to propose you additional insurances if necessary. Overnight in a 5-star luxury Castle along the bank of the river. Standard room.

Day 4 : Otocec

Exploration of the Lower Carniola. Visit Dolenjske Toplice, the old town of Novo Mesto and the Krka valley. The area is suitable for cycling, with cycle tracks. Overnight in a 5-star luxury Castle along the bank of the river. Standard room.

Day 5 : Otocec

Continuation towards the south-east of the country, on the border with Croatia. Stroll in the wine region of Metlika and Crnomelj before reaching Catez. Overnight in a 4-star luxury eco-apartment.

Day 6 : Podcetrtek

Stroll in the surroundings of Podcetrtek, its castle and monastery. While driving in this area, you will come across a typical small church. Each facade of the building is light-coloured (white, beige), in sharp contrast to the dark and very visible roof of the bell tower. This mixture of colours makes these small churches quite mysterious. The Olimje monastery is an old castle that has been transformed. Surrounded by a garden of medicinal herbs and close to a small stream of clear water, the monastery is nestled in a sensational environment. Visit finally the castle of Podsreda. Numerous bicycle and walking tours are possible in the surrounding area. Overnight in a 4-star luxury eco-apartment.

Day 7 : Podcetrtek

Immersion in the middle of the Jeruzalem vineyard hills . Passing through the Rogatec open-air museum on the Slovenian agricultural way of life and the Strmol manor house and arriving in Ptuj, a town with a rich historical past and located in the Styrian region. We continue eastwards to discover Slovenian wines, rather unknown but full of surprises. You will be lulled by the landscapes between gentle hills, vineyards, sunflowers and small perched villages. It is a real walk through the vineyards of the Jeruzalem region. Overnight in a 3-star inn/guesthouse in the vineyards. Standard room.

Day 8 : Jeruzalem

The Slovenian Wine Route. Before exploring the local vineyards, join Ljutomer and Verzej for a walk along the Wall, home to the famous floating windmills. After that, drive to the Halozes and Jeruzalem valleys. Slovenian wines are quite unknown and they will surprise you. First of all, the landscapes between gentle hills, vineyards, sunflowers and small perched villages make the road very pleasant, like a real walk. It also passes through the commune of Ormoz. Gastronomic tasting stop

Stop in a vineyard in the wine-growing region of Jeruzalem for a sampling of 4 of their wines. Overnight in a 3-star inn/guesthouse in the vineyards. Standard room.

Day 9 : Jeruzalem

On the banks of the Drava and the Savinja. The day offers you many possibilities according to your desires of city visits or walks in nature:

* visit of Maribor, the second largest city of the country, full of charm with its old town built along the Drava.

* Discover Celje, its architecture with its red roofs and its castle overlooking the Savinja.

* hiking or walking towards Rogla or in the Pohorje massif.

* Visit the site of Sempeter.

* exploration of the Upper Savinja Valley (Logarska Dolina and Matkov Kot). Overnight in a typical charming guesthouse, close to Lake Bled. Standard room.

Day 10 : Bled

Free day, without a guide, to enjoy the little city of Bled and the banks of the lake according to your wishes.

-> Option: do you wish for some outdoor activity or a helicopter tour? This place is perfect for it and we would be glad to help you organise it! Overnight in a typical charming guesthouse, close to Lake Bled. Standard room.

Day 11 : Bled

Tour of the Triglav National Park . A day to discover the region, with the Julian Alps in the background, the Soca River below and the Triglav National Park all around. Departure from Bled and drive to the Vintgar Gorge (1,600 m of footbridges over the Radovna over rapids and pools). Direction then to Kranjska Gora, the famous Slovenian ski resort. Pass through the spectacular Vrsic pass before plunging into the Soca valley. Road then to the Vipava wine valley. Installation at the hotel. Overnight in a 4-star Eco-village in the middle of the forest. Standard Bungalow.

Day 12 : Piran

From the wine valleys to the colourful waters of the Adriatic. Heading south to Piran. On the way, visit Izola and Koper. A little jewel of the Adriatic, you will then appreciate the authenticity of Piran, its dynamic character and its heterogeneous population. Visit the city’s important squares, meeting places of the inhabitants, winding alleys, Venetian houses and the Minorite monastery. A great panoramic view opens at the top of the hill, where the church of St. George dominates the town. From this point you can see Slovenia, Croatia and Italy at the same time. Piran is definitely our favourite place in Slovenia! Road back to Vipava. Overnight in a 4-star Eco-village in the middle of the forest. Standard Bungalow.

Day 13 : Brda Valley

All your senses in agitation: a day to discover the wine valleys . Discover the vineyards of the Vipava Valley, Slovenia’s wine-growing cradle, and its Vinotheque before heading to the region bordering Italy to explore the vineyards of Goriska Brda. This day will undoubtedly be one of your best memories in Slovenia. Overnight in a 4-star Eco-village in the middle of the forest. Standard Bungalow.

Day 14 : Predjama Castle

The unusual Predjama Castle: 9 km from the Postojna Cave, the castle, hanging high on a cliff, reigns over the surroundings. The most famous inhabitant of the castle was undoubtedly the knight Erasmus of Predjama, who rebelled against the emperor’s obstinacy in the 15th century. Erasmus of Predjama is the subject of many legends, some magnify him by describing him as a passionate, handsome and noble knight, while others make him a brigand, a robber knight who found death in an unusual way (we let you discover the rest on the spot). Today you can retrace the history of the castle and its former owners. The visit is very interesting, and above all it offers the possibility to enter a bewitching place. Stop on the road for a tour of the Postojna Cave. Until 1818, visitors could only see 300 metres of the Cave. Today, you can admire more than 5 kilometres of spectacular tunnels, passages and halls. One always wonders about the interest of visiting a cave on vacation, isn’t it? Don’t think about it, this cave is full of surprises, even if the place is quite touristy. After picking up the audio guide, the cave train will take you to discover an unimaginable underground world. Audio guides available in French. Overnight in a 4-star Eco-village in the middle of the forest. Standard Bungalow.

Day 15 : Ljubljana

Road from Vipava to Ljubljana airport. Check-in and boarding.