Slovenia and Lake Bled
Holiday Highlights
- Experience the beauty of Lake Bled, Slovenia’s number one destination attraction, and visit fairy-tale Bled Island in a traditional Pletna boat.
- Take a guided tour of the Lipica Classical Riding School grounds and learn about the famous Lipizzaner horses at a presentation and see this prestigious breed in action.
- Enjoy a guided walking tour of the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, with free time to wander its quaint streets at your leisure.
- Explore three of Slovenia's most beautiful towns and cities: Ptuj - said to be Slovenia's oldest town, Maribor - famous for the oldest vine in the world, and the coastal city of Piran, with its Italian influences.
- Discover the wine industry's best-kept secret, Slovenian wine, on a visit to a local wine cellar with tasting.
What's Included
- The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. Price includes:Â
- Return flights
- Transfers
- Five nights’ accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- All local accommodation taxes
- All touring as mentioned
- The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager
- Included excursions are guided walking tours of Ljubljana and Maribor, visits to Ptuj, Lake Bled, and Piran, boat journey to Bled Island and Lipica Horse presentation and grounds tour.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Ljubljana
Day 2
Ljubljana - Ljubljana is a capital city that represents Slovenia beautifully, wearing its green credentials with pride. As far from a concrete jungle as a city can possibly get, one of Ljubljana’s key attractions is the river found snaking its way around Castle Hill, a thickly forested mound with a 15th century castle perched at its top. This morning we are shown around the highlights of the city by a local guide, including the pedestrianised Old Town that sits between the base of Castle Hill and the river. This lattice of white-walled, red-roofed buildings hides a trio of delightful squares that are home to some of the city’s most important landmarks, including the Town Hall in trademark Slovenian Venetian-gothic style, with a copy of the Rome-inspired Robba Fountain in front (the original you can see in the city’s National Museum), the Hercules Fountain, the Church of St Florian with its prominent spire and the famous Sticna Mansion. Another Roman-baroque building of beauty in the Old Town is St Nicholas’ Church, also known as Ljubljana Cathedral, a cream and white-coloured confection topped with a green dome and easily recognisable twin towers – a peek at the incredible frescoed and gilded interior will leave you open-mouthed in awe. To reach another of Ljubljana’s must-see areas we’ll need to cross prominent city architect Jože Plecnik’s famous Triple Bridge, a key point for crossing the river from the Old Town, and one which leads directly to the city’s famous Prešeren (Prešernov) Square. There you’ll spot the distinctive salmon-coloured Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and the bronze statue monument of Slovenia’s national poet, France Prešeren, which stands in front of the elegant white façade of the Central Pharmacy building. This afternoon you have free time to explore the city at your leisure. Perhaps, after grabbing a hearty bite to eat while perusing the Plecnik-designed Central Market, you’ll take the funicular up to the castle for the best bird’s eye view of the city, popping into the Virtual Castle attraction and the Museum of Puppetry while you’re there. Or you might choose to relax on a river boat cruise, or simply stroll the café-lined promenade – either way, be sure to look out for the Dragon Bridge as you go. If you need a sweet treat to keep you going, why not try one of the more unusual chocolate combinations offered – we imagine that the fig and prosciutto will be a new experience! Personalise your holiday - Explore the spectacular Postojna cave system on an underground train Price: £69pp The Postojna Caves, which are a magnificent 24km long were carved over millions of years by the Pivka river and are home to stalactites and stalagmites, the most famous of which is 5 meters tall. It was here, in these caves that the world’s first underground railway was opened in 1872 and your guided tour will allow you to explore 5km of these karst caves partially by train and partially by foot to get up close to these majestic ornaments. Make sure to pack sturdy shoes and a coat at it is approximately 10°C in the caves. Please also note that whilst the majority of the tour is by train, there is a 1.5km walk once down in the caves. Please contact us to add the above experience to your booking.