Culture Trip in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Duration: 4 Days | 3 Nights
Destination: Slovenia
Scheduled dates: March 15 - November 15 | November 15 - March 15

Ljubljana, the green capital of green Slovenia, is a place where calmness prevails over a hectic pace. A city where your customers can enjoy both nature and medieval architecture without worrying about excessive travel costs!

Our 4-day program starts from the charms of Ljubljana's Old Town and its squares. Then, the Ljubljana Castle, where visitors will be enthralled with the dragon symbolism combined with refreshing boat trips. The tour finishes with a walk around the cosy shepherd settlement Velika Planina, where tourists can breathe the healing mountainous air and taste local food that will steal any heart.

Day 1: Welcome to Ljubljana
‘The most European city’ in the Balkans, lying on the picturesque banks of the Ljubljanica river, is looking forward to your visit! During your short stay, you will be charmed with the beauty of the city. At the airport you will be warmly welcomed by our English-speaking tour guide. After checkin and a short refreshment break, we explore this small but neatly polished and, therefore, shiny pearl in the heart of Europe. Surrounded by the hills and ice-capped Alps, Ljubljana is one of the few European capitals where peace and quiet prevail over noise and hectic pace. During the tour you will enjoy this lush green and silent city with its tranquil rhythm of life. The old town of

Ljubljana has been recognised as an architectural monument for a long time. We start our tour from the town square around which the city was built in the Middle Ages. The main decoration of the square is the Baroque fountain of the three rivers of Carniola, a masterpiece of the Venetian sculptor Francesco Robba. We continue our tour and our next highlight is Preseren Square, the main square in Ljubljana. The image of the square shapes the baroque Franciscan church. In close proximity to it we admire the landmark of the city, the quirky Tromostovje, three pedestrian bridges over Ljubljanica.

Day 2: Historic and green
After breakfast we will visit the Ljubljana Castle. The impregnable fortress towers high above the city. A tiring climb to the steep castle awaited the attackers who wanted to conquer the fortress. Today, guests who are curious about the city’s history are comfortably and safely brought back in time with a modern inclined elevator. We learn about the changing history of Ljubljanski Grad (the Slovenian word for “castle”) during a 12-minute interactive presentation “Virtual Castle”. From the main tower opens the most beautiful panoramic view of this city of cute doll houses. The exhibition “Slovenian history” shows us in detail how the history of the castle and Ljubljana merges with the history of the whole of Slovenia. During the tour of the castle you will have a unique opportunity to return to childhood. An integral part of the exposition, located in the castle, is the wonderful puppet theater museum, where you can learn about the role of this art in Slovenian culture, as well as about its various forms. If you like it, you can even take part in a puppet show. The afternoon is at your leisure. In the small and cozy Ljubljana you will find relaxation and tranquility everywhere. The river Ljubljanica invites you to a refreshing boat trip. During a walk along the well-kept avenues of Tivoli Park, you can see why Ljubljana was awarded the title “the greenest city in Europe” in 2016. Our English-speaking tour guide will be happy to share with you some tips on what to do and see in the city.

Day 3: Visiting mountain shepherds
We go up to the mountains, into the Steiner Alps in the north of Slovenia. The rock peaks that are coming closer and closer look somewhat severe, even dark and threatening in their power and resilience. It is hard to believe that these dark giants can be a home for so friendly people. We come to the cozy shepherd settlement Velika Planina*. The village resembles an open-air museum of Slovenian shepherding. The authentic shepherd’s huts, built of fire wood, are scattered in the green valley. Their architecture draws the huge roofs down to the floor, so that the house seems to consist only of this roof. In winter, the valley, wrapped in a white blanket, resembles a fairytale snow area (smoking chimneys became particularly attractive at that time), in summer the cows with their melodious-sounding bells created a very cheerful atmosphere. Enjoy the breathtaking mountain landscapes, breathe the healing mountain air and get to know the typical Slovenian wooden architecture on site! And it is definitely worth tasting the local specialty, the famous Trnic cheese. It has long been a symbol of lifelong love among the Alpine shepherds. On the way back to Ljubljana we make a stop in the town of Kamnik, another medieval pearl of the Steiner Alps. We admire the cityscape from the hills, from which the city’s trade and transport routes were watched in the Middle Ages. On one of the hills to the east of the city center, we can see the remains of Stari Grad castle. On the second city hill, where the Mali Grad castle complex was located, we can see an ancient Romanesque chapel. * The village can be reached on foot or by cable car (extra charge). Tickets for the cable car can be bought on site.

Day 4: Departure
You have spent an intense and eventful time and are, we hope, firmly convinced that someday you will definitely want to come here again. We are always happy to become your devoted companion for your future travels.

Tour Price
• Price shown is for a person based on twin share accommodation.
• All prices displayed are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice.
• Prices are guaranteed once booking is confirmed by us and paid in full by the due date.
• Depending on your needs and group size (individual, couple, family, group, etc.) we will provide the final pricing for your tour.

Inclusions:
• 3 x nights in 3* hotel in Ljubljana (City Hotel Ljubljana 3* or similar).
• Meals: BB.
• English-speaking local guidance.
• English-speaking city tour: Ljubljana.
• Transfer to all itinerary highlights outside Ljubljana (including airport transfers).
• Entrance+guided tour: Franciscan Church and Ljubljana Castle (including tickets for the inclined elevator).

Alternative 1. Trip to Celje and Ptuj (including transfer, guidance, entrance fees and wine tasting).
Today the third largest city in Slovenia, in the Middle Ages Celje was the only Slovenian state formation that managed to maintain its independence. It is no coincidence that the coat of arms of Slovenia today includes three stars, the symbol of the owners of the city at that time. Their residence, the Castle of Cilli, is now the main highlight of the city. Since the 12th century, its walls and towers have overlooked the picturesque area where the Savinja, Loznica and Voglajna rivers flow together. There is a beautiful wooden carousel in the courtyard. Like the many medieval castles, this one has its own romantic history. In one of the castle towers, Friedrich von Celje was locked up by his own father - for his love for a simple girl Veronika. Since then, the tower bears the name of its noble prisoner. The city of Celje itself is also worth a visit. During a short city tour, we can see the Gothic cathedral of St. Daniel, the oldest sacred building in the city. The former German House, built in the neo-Gothic style, is also impressive. We continue our trip. The oldest Slovenian city of Ptuj is waiting for us. It was the important military and commercial center of the region in Roman times. As a reminder of that time, the Roman monument to Orpheus was raised on the town square. There are many medieval buildings here, including Ptuj Castle high above the city. Ptuj is primarily known for its wine cellar. You will learn a lot about the city’s centuries-old wine tradition. Of course, there is also the opportunity to enjoy the unique taste of Slovenian wines.

Alternative 2. Tour to Bled, Bohinj valley and Savica waterfall (including transfer, guidance, entrance fees and Pletna boat trip).

The tour is completely dedicated to the natural wonders of Slovenia. Our first destination is the town of Bled, north of Ljubljana. Located on the picturesque lake Bled with crystal clear water, the city is a popular Slovenian resort. We admire the blue pearl of Slovenia from the board of a traditional wooden boat called Pletna. We take a trip to the picturesque island in the middle of the lake and visit the imposing St. Mary’s church, whose bell is said to grant wishes. We also do not neglect the sights of the city of Bled. The most impressive is without a doubt the ancient castle of Bled, where the oldest printed book in Slovenia is kept. The next point of our relaxing nature route is the Bohinj Valley in the heart of the Julian Alps. In winter, the snow-covered mountain slopes are a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts, in summer - the picturesque mountain valley attracts alpinists, fishermen and rafters. Lake Bohinj, surrounded by snow-white mountain peaks and green landscapes, is a perfect place to rest. Where the Savica River flows into the lake, it forms a spectacular turquoise waterfall. From a small wooden observation deck, we admire its irresistible power. With a little luck, we may even see a rainbow over the water below the waterfall.

Alternative 3. Tour to Lipica and Postojna (including transfer, guidance, entrance fees).
A little village Lipica is less than an hour’s drive from Ljubljana. Since 1580, the local stud farm has bred Lipizzaner horses, the stars of the Spanish riding school in Vienna, beautiful white horses with extremely intelligent and friendly eyes. Due to their high level of training and sociability, they were very popular among the Habsburgs, often performing at court parades and being used as riding and carriage horses. Even today, in the era of cars and aircraft, Lipizzaner horses are a valuable and popular horse breed. During the tour, you will get to know these extremely cute animals better and learn about the conditions for keeping horses in the Habsburg court. Then we arrive in the city of Postojna to explore the underground world of Slovenia. With a total length of 24 km, the Postojna Caves are the largest cave system in Slovenia. Interest in the mysterious cave passages was awakened in the 19th century, even the representatives of the Habsburg family were hosted under these grottos, and the electric light was installed here even earlier than in Ljubljana! The underground train takes us deep into a fairytale palace, built by nature from stalactites and stalagmites. Through the Russian bridge we reach a huge dazzling white drip stone. In the evening we return to Ljubljana.

Please refer to our Standard Booking Conditions for booking terms and conditions.