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The leading specialists in cultural walking
tours
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We specialise in guided cultural walking
holidays with music festivals, opera, art & architecture,
birdwatching, wildlife and gourmet food & wine.
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TRIESTE and SLOVENIA: Walking in an
undiscovered corner of Europe
Wedged between the Italian border and the
Julian Alps, Slovenia is one of Europe’s smallest and
least known countries. Our journey reveals dramatic karst
scenery, picturesque traditional farming, Baroque and Gothic
architectural treasures, undisturbed forests - and a stable,
prosperous young nation that has always looked to the west for
its cultural and economic inspiration.
We begin our exploration in Aquileia, in
Italy, a great Roman city, whose Patriarch was a major
influence on Slovenia for centuries. Piran, on Slovenia’s
Adriatic coast, was Venetian for over 500 years and it remains
a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture. Journey’s end is
Trieste, Italy’s most enigmatic city, the grand seaport
of the Austro-Hungarian empire and place of exile for James
Joyce for 13 years.
TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1
D included
After meeting at Trieste’s small
airport in the early afternoon, we have a 15-minute transfer to
our comfortable (family run) 3 star hotel in Aquileia. Once
settled in, we stroll over to the next-door Basilica, one of
the most remarkable in Italy. Founded in the 4C AD and rebuilt
after Attila the Hun burnt it in 452, the church has remained a
superbly unadorned, lofty Romanesque structure, with a fine 14C
Gothic ship's keel ceiling. Astonishingly, the vivid mosaic
floor is the largest known Palaeo-Christian mosaic in Western
Europe. Dinner is a memorable 5 course reconstruction of a
Roman feast.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
This morning we visit the excellent
archaeological museum before crossing the border into Slovenia
(just minutes away) and travelling to the original home of the
world-famous Lipizzaner horses, founded in 1580. We tour the
stud farm, seeing the foals in their paddock, picnic under the
ancient oaks, then watch a display of the Classical Riding
School. We continue by road but alight to walk through beech
forest to a traditional Slovenian farmhouse, our welcoming home
for the next three nights. Our wooden-beamed rooms are spacious
and comfortable (4 ‘Apple’ rating), all with
en-suite modern bathrooms and the atmosphere is peaceful and
rural.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
Following a wine trail today we walk
through the terraced vineyards - limestone soils and a sunny
sub-Alpine climate create ideal conditions for light reds and
high quality whites - picnicking en route at a pilgrimage
church with wide views. Descending to the river, in Novo Mesto
we visit the excellent museum (the section on the Partisan
resistance is especially interesting) and the Chapter church of
St. Nicholas which has an altar painting of the saint by
Tintoretto. Dinner at the farm is typical Slovenian home
cooking - fresh garden salad, homemade soup, grilled trout from
their own stream and gibanica (a delicious cake filled with poppy
seeds, walnuts, apples, sultanas & cheese).
DAY 4
B, L, D included
A dirt road takes us up to the start of a
circular walk in the ancient beech and oak forests along the
mountain border with Croatia, passing some interesting Cold War
relics on the way. Down in the fertile valley where the 15C
Carthusian monastery of Pleterje still functions, we picnic at
an outdoor museum with many traditional wooden buildings, then
visit the Slovenian art collection in the fine setting of a
nearby 13C monastery. Dinner features a Balkan style grill and Cvicek, a light dry
red wine unique to Slovenia.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
We walk through meadows and on paths
lined with walnut and mulberry trees to a mediaeval village on
an island in the river, then visit the fascinating regional
museum in the 16C Renaissance castle - the frescoed ballroom is
particularly impressive. After lunch we continue into Ljubljana
where our 4 star hotel is a splendid Art Nouveau building in
the historic centre (with an indoor swimming pool). Ljubljana
is a charming small capital, with many quaint bridges, lively
cafes and Baroque facades lining the river and an orientation
walk before dinner soon gives us our bearings.
DAY 6
B, D included
A free day to explore Ljubljana, perhaps
beginning with the Castle Tower and ramparts. A major focus for
the day is the work of the great Slovenian 20C architect, Jože
Plecnik. Between 1921 and 1957 Plecnik single-handedly
transformed Ljubljana, adding his eclectic signature to
everything he designed - his influences included Classical
Greek and Roman architecture and Islamic, Egyptian, Folklore
and Byzantine motifs. A wine tasting before dinner introduces
some of Slovenia’s award-winning wines.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
En route to the Adriatic coast we walk on
the limestone Karst plateau, a distinctive zone of upper levels
giving wide views contrasted with dramatic gorges. Since the
Bronze Age, man has built fortresses here and we visit one of
the most extraordinary, a Romanesque church surrounded by high
mediaeval walls and towers (protection against the Turkish
invasions) with its interior entirely covered by vivid 15C
frescoes. We continue to Piran, redolent of 5 centuries of
Venetian rule and a World Heritage site. We visit the Maritime
Museum, housed in a 17C palace, and walk round the harbour to
our 3 star hotel - excellent seafood is bound to be on the menu
this evening.
DAY 8
B, L, D included
Crossing the border back into Italy, we
visit the karst Botanical gardens, then walk along the
panoramic Napoleon’s path and have lunch in a Slow Food
trattoria. We board an old-fashioned trolley for the journey
down into Trieste and walk through the intact 18C centre with
its gilt and dark wood-panelled cafes (the home of Illy coffee)
to arrive at the magnificent, sea-fronting, principal piazza,
lined with palaces including our celebrated historic 4 star
hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free in which to trace
James Joyce's years in Trieste (large parts of both ‘The
Dubliners’ and ‘Ulysses’ were written here)
and dinner this evening incorporates an informal wine tasting
in a well-known enoteca.
DAY 9
B, D included
On a guided morning walk we explore
Trieste’s Roman amphitheatre and forum and visit the
early Cathedral of San Giusto with its remarkable 13C mosaics.
The remainder of the day is free for visiting the city’s
galleries and museums and seeing the multi-creed heritage of
places of worship, including the Syrian influenced Synagogue,
the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral and the richly decorated Greek
Orthodox church. Our farewell dinner reflects the cosmopolitan
air of this noticeably different Italian city.
DAY 10
B included
Our visit concludes with a half hour
transfer to the airport.
Price includes:
All accommodation for Days 1 through 10,
on a twin shared basis
All meals (with wine at lunches and
dinners) as listed in the daily notation
All land transportation in a private
vehicle as described except during free periods
All entrance and sightseeing fees except
during free periods
Ticket for the Lipizzaner Riding School
presentation
Wine tastings in Slovenia and Trieste
Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff
Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the EU and the US currently
require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Italy
and Slovenia. If you are a national of any other country,
please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassies of
Italy and Slovenia.
At present there are no specific and
compulsory health requirements for entry to Italy and Slovenia.
Residents of countries in the EU can only claim free
(emergency) medical treatment in Italy and Slovenia by
presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which
is issued in the UK by the Department of Health. You may also wish to check the advice given to
travellers by the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of
booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel
insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link
for information on a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured or a non-UK
resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of
booking.
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Kudu Travel Limited
Teffont Manor
Teffont Ewyas
Salisbury SP3 5RJ
Phone: 01722 716167
Registered in England
No. 03854049
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