Suggested day trips for the not too physically active: 1. Climbing and waterfall tour a. Drive to Pericnik waterfall and walk up the left side and then underneath the curtain to the other side. Come back the same way to re-join the route but then descend down to the left and over the bridge. b. Then continue up to Alljacev dom. Park the car and walk to the right of Alljacev dom along the flat path to the climbers monument (A giant Carabener) for a great view of the prag ascent to Triglav (we’ve done this!) c. Drive back down to the village and visit the climbing museum
2. Circular Flower tour and Gorge a. Drive up the main road via the black cat Bridge and cross over. Park in the wooden pub car park and walk to Aljacev statue to see the copper relief of the mountains. Continue up the hill to the crossroads in Dovje and turn right. Follow the lane up the hill and eventually it turns into an unmade road. Keep ascending the hill and look right for some fantastic views. There are turnings off the route but basically there is one main track which just keeps going up and up and veering to the right as it does. Descend down the other side until you come to a junction with a sharp right turn by a farmhouse on your left hand side. Turn right and keep going down the hill. Eventually the road will become tarmacked again at Plavski Rovt. If you’re lucky all the narcissi will be out. Keep going down the hill and eventually you will end up in Jesenice. Turn right at the traffic lights and visit the ice cream/coffee house on the left hand side. b. When done, continue northwards and then take the motorway towards Ljubljana. Come off at the very next junction and go up the hill towards Kochna and Gorje. You will pass the sign for Vintgar gorge and can visit here if you want to and have enough time. The restaurant just ahead of this turning is very good and does great fish. Continue on until you come to a Mercator on your right and then turn right (signposted to Mevkuz probably) follow this road all the way to the junction and then turn right. You will past another Meractor on your right and eventually a bus park on your left. At about this point look out for a sign to Ravdona which is down a turning on the right. It might also be signposted to Krnica. When you have found the radovna road just follow it all the way into Radovna stopping at the WW2 monument to the fallen of Radovna who were burned alive in their houses by the Germans. The restaurant in Radovna is very good. Have a plate of Crapi between you! Continue up the hill towards Mojstrana and then drop down into the village.
3. Three passes tour a. Drive through the main road past Kranjska Gora towards Tarvisio (1st pass into Italy)and then follow the signs to Predel/Bovec (Si). Stop in Predel which whilst ugly has a good mining museum. b. When done continue to Predel lake and have a look. c. Continue up the hill to the Predel pass and pass back into Slovenia. i. Detour: Follow the road down and into Bovec which is the capital of White water rafting. Go and take a look at the Socca river. d. Turn left into Trenta valley and follow the signs to the Vrsic pass. There is a good restaurant along this road on the left hand side selling marble trout. Half way along look out for the Mlinarica Gorge. It’s not a long walk. e. Continue up to the Vrsi c pass stopping on the way to take in the views. Look back occasionally! f. On the way back down into Kranjska gora look out for the stone face of a lady in the rock face. (Right hand side) You will also see a needle eye like hole in the rock. (I’ve been there! It isn’t so small up there!)
4. Kranjska Gora tour a. Suggest that you ride to Kranjska Gora taking your time! Its downhill all the way back and pretty gradual all the way there. b. However, If you don’t want to I suggest that you visit the following: i. Jasna lake (follow the signs for the Vrsic pass) If you’ve done 3 you will see it on the way down. ii. Take the chair up to the summer toboggan (You don’t have to have a go but it is fun:) iii. The church and square iv. The one eyed man’s cake shop for pie or gibanica (hot!) c. On leaving find the main road turn left and visit Planica for the ski jumps. d. In Ratece there is a Ski Jump museum with a film in English. Ratece’s Mojmir is a great restaurant. e. The marshes over the road from Ratece are well known for bird watching.
5. Town tours a. Ljubljana i. Shops, gallery’s and Cafes ii. Castle iii. Go to the tourist office and book a walking tour of the towns architecture (not the castle) iv. Market v. Jazz club on Beethoven cesta if you are there in the evening b. Radovljica and Kranj i. Radovljica has a great medieval centre with two fantastic restaurants: The Lectar and Augustines. Lectar has a gingerbread museum and is very twee, Augustines has a great terrace. ii. The wine cellar is also worth a visit (mention me: Cherni Mosh, green house mojstrana.) Ask for a tasting. iii. Bee museum is more interesting than you think! iv. Second hand shop is also fun. v. The centre of Kranj is lovely but it is surrounded by a modern town. The museum here and the catacombs are also worth a visit. vi. Look down from the bridge showing the confluence of two rivers. vii. Perched on the hill (smarjetna gora) looking over Kranj is the hotel bellvue. Great views from up here and good food but slow service.
6. Cave and Castle tour a. The caves and Predjama Castle (Pick up discount tickets at the airport) To get here follow the motorway to Ljubljana and then the motorway to Koper. Turn off when you see the signs. i. There are two very impressive cave systems worth visiting. Take your pick: 1. Škocjan Caves (less well known and therefore less busy) 2. Postojna Cave(bigger- it has its own train!) Both caves are 12 degrees C and moist! You have been warned ii. Whichever one you visit I suggest you also visit Predjama castle. Well signposted.
7. Wine tour and Lipicana Horses a. If you carry on along the motorway a bit further you come to the 114 to Vipava which is Slovenian wine growing heartland. It’s a nice town. Wine tours everywhere here so take your pick. Ask tourist information. b. You can cut across country here or go back to the motorway and then turn off a junction down on the e61 and cut across to Lipica where the horses are. Good museum. I think you really need to like horses though. There is no show per se but these are the horses are so famous they don’t need one!
8. Coast tour a. Heading down the same motorway as above follow the signs to Koper and then go along the coast to Piran which is lovely. b. You can go onwards from here and visit some of the coastal towns or hill towns of the Croatian Istrian peninsular. Take your passports. Pula has a great Roman Coliseum and Novigrad, Vrsar and Rovinji are all nice towns. The hillside villages further inland are also worth a trip. See the guide book in the house. Suggest you stay overnight if you are going to do this. Plenty of places. 9. Lakes Tour a. Head for Bled either via the motorway or via the Radovna valley (see above) i. Castle. Visit Castle which has a very good restaurant. Peer over the battlements and see if you can see any wall creepers. Very pretty. ii. Walk down from the castle if you can and around the lakeside. If the walks too much get a pony and trap. iii. Take a trip in a boat to the island if you wish iv. Detour (book up a day’s fly fishing at the angling shop at hotel Toplice) b. Continue on to Bohinj and down to Ribcev Laz i. Detour: At Ribcev Laz turn right and head up to Stara Fuzina. Follow river upwards to Mostnica Canyon further on in Voje valley. Go as far as the gorge or the soncek (elephant- a structure in the river that really does look like an elephant)) ii. Detour (2) If you haven’t eaten yet there are two good restaurants on opposite sides of the road on the way to scredni vas from Stara fuzine. Rupa is well known and very good but the bread in the pizzaria Erica is also excellent and made on the premises. You can buy it to take away. It does massive Balkan dishes as well. c. Get back in the car and drive back to Ribcev Laz i. Take a tour on a boat if you wish d. Follow the side of the lack round to the right and come to the Vogal Cable car. Take the car up to the top for the views and the air.
10. Gastronomic tour a. Take the train through the mountain from Bohinjska Bristica (You passed it in 9 above.) to Moste Na Socci. Get the right train! Get tourist info by the bridge to sort it out for you. . When off the train head north to Tolmin and then on to Kobarid. i. Visit Hisa Franko – You will need to book ii. Visit war museum. One of the best.
11. Health Spa tour. a. The nearest health spa is just up the road at the hotel Spik in Godz Martulek. You can get a sauna, massage and swim and some other quirky treatments. Jojca Gostilna in Godz Martulek is very good. However, Slovenia is full of fantastic Spa’s some of which are naturally thermal. See the book. The one in Kamnik is getting a lot of attention (Snovik) but I don’t know much about it. Also quite a few in Novo Mesto
12. Venice Tour a. Head for Tarvisio and the Udine via the motorway. Remember to turn off this road onto the motorway. You’ll be in Venice in 2.5 hours. Stay around the Arsenal if you are going to be there overnight.
13. Italian hidden wonders tour a. If you’re in Kobarid (see 10) it’s an easy jaunt to Cividale del fruili in Italy. Stop for a coffee. From here I would go to the roman museum and cathedral in Aquelia (Close to the coast) and come back via the weird Napoleonic town of Palma Nova. From here it’s easy to pick the motorway back up to Tarvisio.
14. Austrian lakes a. If you go through the tunnel and come off at the first junction you don’t need a vignette. You can then head for Rosegg and onto Veldon on the shores of Worthersee. b. Find a Hoffer and re stock up on Flat Lake (middle priced one is best!)
That should be enough to keep you out of trouble! |