To Europe – for health and beauty! 

Slovenia- Croatia- Italy- Pearls of the Adriatic.

09 June-22 June, 13 days

 

Zagreb-Rogaška Slatina (6 nights) – Ljubljana-Lake Bled-Portorož (7 nights) – Piran + Postojna Cave and Predyamsky Castle-Istra peninsula (with a visit to the cities of Poreč-Rovinj-Pula) – Trieste-Venice.

Sunday, June 09 – the departure from Toronto to Zagreb.

 

Monday, June 10 – Arrival in Zagreb at 11.45 am. The tour begins with a sightseeing tour of the city by bus, during which you will look at the appearance of two medieval settlements that have developed over the centuries on two neighboring hills (Capitol and Gradec). The first mention of Zagreb dates back to 1094, when a diocese was established on Capitol, until in 1242 Hradec became a free royal city. Two settlements were surrounded by walls and towers, the remains of which are preserved until now. You will see the city center, starting from the central square of Ban Jelačić, the Mundusevai Fountain, along Nicola Jurišić Street to the Heroes ’Square of Croatia, the historical part of the city (Capitol and Gradec), the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Blood Bridge, stone doors, the square and the Church of St. Mark Ilica street. Further, we are heading to the most famous thermal resort of Slovenia-Rogaška Slatina. In this town you can fall in love at first sight!

It has a beautiful park with countless paths, and the green hills and blue sky create such an atmosphere that there is a desire to return here again and again. Due to the unique mineral water “Donat Mg” and excellent location, this resort is considered one of the most beautiful, famous and professionally trained treatment and tourist centers in Europe. The first mention of the healing properties of mineral water in Rogaška can be found in the annals for the year 1141. Legend says that from the Rogaški sources by order of Apollo, the sun god and healing, the winged horse Pegasus drank water. That is how sources in 17th century poetic mythological stories were glorified. Numerous imperial families, crowned heads, aristocrats and other important people visited this golden period. The energy center of the resort is a pavilion rich in magnesia mineral water Donat Mg. Check in at the hotel. Dinner Here we will relax (6 nights) and enjoy the beauty of a unique corner of nature, drink mineral water, which is useful even for an absolutely healthy person. For lovers of mineral pools and saunas there is a sea of possibilities. At your choice, at will, as local excursions, and in the country – the neigbour – Austria.

Tuesday 11 June. Breakfast. Excursion to the resort Rogaška. Dinner. Free day

Wednesday, June 12 Breakfast, 8.30 -19.00-excursion to Maribor-Graz. Upon arrival – Dinner

MARIBOR –You visit the second largest city of Slovenia – the so-called northeastern capital. Maribor is the economic, commercial, cultural and educational center of the eastern part of our country. Maribor is located on both banks of the Drava River, surrounded by picturesque hills with vineyards, near the Austrian border. On a sightseeing tour you will get acquainted with the main sights of a well-preserved medieval city: on the Pyramid Hill rises the rest of the ancient fortress wall with observation towers, Tape river pier with the Water Tower, a wine cellar, Jewish and Round towers, Jewish Street also remind of the Middle Ages. and a lane with a former synagogue (15. century), once part of the Jewish ghetto, 400-year-old vine vine (the oldest in Slovenia), the Franciscan monastery, the Main Square with the Town Hall (16. ek) and Marino (plague) of post 18. century, area Slomshkov Trg with cathedral communication. John the Baptist and the Slovenian National Theater and many others. In your free time, after inspection, you can admire the amazingly beautiful green corner of nature – the City Park with ponds, aquarium and terrarium, or go shopping and various souvenirs. You can taste wines from the local vineyards of the Calvary Hill.

Graz is the second largest city in Austria (240.000 inhabitants), the city lies on the banks of the Mura River in the south-east of the country. The city successfully combines modern life and historical architecture in a beautiful mixture of past and present. The name of the city comes from the Slavic word “gradec” meaning “little fortress”. A small castle was built on a hill that today bears the name of Schlossberg. The city is first mentioned in documents from the beginning of the 12th century. Graz was dominated by many rulers, including those from Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, the Babenberg dynasties and the Hapsburgs. The medieval city developed at the foot of Schlossberg and some of the structures from the Late Gothic period are preserved today. These buildings were built when Emperor Frederick III used Graz as the capital after the Hungarians expelled him from Vienna. The Schlossberg castle and the Domkirche church, together with the city’s tiled roofs and arcade courtyards, give Graz a special touch.In 1999, the center of the Old Town of Graz was declared by UNESCO a world cultural heritage.

 

Thursday, June 13th. Breakfast. 8.00-19.00 –LOVE – the capital of Slovenia and the mountain lake Bled. Dinner.

From Rogaška Slatina you will go to the northwest of the country, to the Alpine region, to the city of Bled – the pearl of Slovenia – with a glacial mountain lake and an island in the middle. There you will visit the castle, founded in the eleventh century, which is located on a cliff, about 140 m above the lake. In the castle – the museum is an exhibition of jewelry found in the graves of the sixth and seventh centuries, an exhibition of objects testifying to the life of knights and nobility living in the castle, the knight’s hall, a terrace with a telescope, a cozy cafe and a restaurant with a wonderful view of the lake and its surroundings. From the upper observation deck you can see Triglav (286 m), the highest mountain in the Slovenian Alps. Before a delicious lunch at a restaurant on the lake, you will take boats to the island on the lake and see the church with a bell of desires and an archaeological exhibition. On the way back to Rogashka You will come to the capital of Slovenia – the city of Ljubljana, which will charm you after the first walk through the streets of the old part of the city, the famous beauty of the multi-colored facades of old houses, the design of portals and baroque courtyards. The small houses of the medieval part of the city are crowded between the hill on which the castle stands and the river Ljubljanica. From the Ljubljana Castle, which rises above the capital and where you will definitely visit, a magnificent panorama of the city and its surroundings opens up. First, you will take a ride around the city by bus, climb the tower of the fortress, walk along the streets of the medieval part of the old town, which celebrated its 850th anniversary, along the Ljubljanica river …

 

Friday-June 14-FARM OF THE DEERING COMBINE + MONASTERY OLIMYE. Slovenia is a country of various dishes and very high-quality wines, as well as a very rich cultural history. Only a few kilometers from the resort of Rogashka Slatina to be the third oldest pharmacy in Europe, located in the monastery of the monastery of the Peacock. The good monk of the present Minorite order will show you a pharmacy and a monastery and tell you a lot of interesting things about history. Opposite the monastery there is a private deer farm called “The Deer Crest”, where you can admire animals, breathe fresh air and feel untouched nature. In the restaurant you can taste their specialties from venison and homemade mushrooms.

 

Saturday – June 15 Breakfast. Free day. Dinner. Excursion to the City of Celje (optional)

 

CITY PURPOSE AND COUNTRY RAW MATERIAL – Celje is the third largest city in the country, and one of the oldest cities. This is a large industrial center at the confluence of two rivers, on which the ancient Celesky castle towers. During the sightseeing and also walking tour you will see the remarkable buildings of the 19th century, the old castle of the Counts of Celski, the People’s House, intended for the rest of the German aristocrats, the oldest hotel in the city, the main square, the town hall. We will also visit a village cheese factory, a tradition that spans over 250 years, in which three generations live and work. You yourself can see how homemade cheese is made from fresh cow’s milk and how it matures. For the gourmets, the remaining time will be devoted to tasting various types of cheese and curd, made according to old recipes, to the music of a village harmonist, with homemade wine, natural apple juice or mint juice.

 

Sunday, June 16th. Breakfast. Departure from the hotel Rogashky Slatina, excursion POSTAYNSKY CAVE and PREYAMSKY CASTLE, you will go north to the area known for its karst phenomena – underground caves, limestone cliffs, pine forests and fertile red soil. Near the city of Postojna is the largest karst cave in Slovenia, more than 28 kilometers long. She is rightly called the King of all caves. Inspection of the Postojna Cave will begin with a trip on an open train along the corridor of the Old Cave, continues on foot, about one and a half kilometers, along the most beautiful corridors and halls. The inspection ends in the “Concert Hall” created by nature. From there to the exit of the cave you will again go by train. At 9 km from the Postojna cave, Predyamsky Castle towers like an eagle’s nest on the cliff, which is famous for its legend of the knight-robber Erasmus of Predjama, as well as architectural and historical sights.

 

On the way to Portorož, an inspection of the Slovenian Venice – the city of Piran, located at the end of the cape. The guide will acquaint you with the rich history of the city, rooted in Greek times and architecture, which was most influenced by the Venetian Republic, under whose authority the city was from 1279 to 1779. Arrival in Portorož -20.00. Check in hotel. Dinner

 

Portorož —This is the most fashionable resort in Slovenia, where you can combine relaxation with wellness programs in the thermal pools and the Terme Palace sauna center. The charming town, whose name is translated from Italian as “Port of Roses”, is located It is located 130 km from Ljubljana and 100 km from the Croatian airport Pula. The resort gained fame in the 13th century, thanks to the mild Mediterranean climate, abundance of vegetation, clean sea and thermal springs. The city is a bit like the French Riviera. The same embankment along the sea, the same beautiful hotels, illuminated in the evenings, the same gorgeous cabriolets, passing by you and snow-white yachts, sailing beyond the horizon. The climate is more than suitable for European rest. Perhaps this is why Portoroz was chosen by tourists from different parts of the world: Italians, French, Germans, Englishmen, and I am regulars of this resort at any time of the year. Portoroz’s unique nature is the combination of active recreation on the seashore and the possibility of restoring and recuperating with five therapeutic factors. : thermal mineral water, sea water, salt water, mud from the saltworks and mild sea climate with a high concentration of bromine and iodine in the air.

 

Monday, June 17th. Breakfast.Free time.Slovery by the seaside resort, mineral pools. There are many cafes .and restaurants, casinos. Dinner

 

 Tuesday, June 18th. Breakfast.Free time. Dinner

 

Wednesday, June 19Istratur (Porec, Rovinj, Pula). Breakfast 8.30-19.00 – excursion to Croatia. The Croatian Istrian peninsula is famous for its red soil, called terra rossa, white limestone, good wine, tasty food, many testimonies of picturesque history, pleasant, lovely, hospitable and kind people. Not far from the Slovenian – Croatian border is the city of Porec. The most impressive sights are in the old part of the city: the Roman streets dekumanus and kardo, Euphrasian Cathedral, a landmark listed in the UNESCO book of cultural heritage and the excavations of a Roman city with remains of a fortress wall. The tour continues along the longest Croatian Riviera, which extends from Novigrad to Vrsar. Near the Gulf of Lim offers a beautiful view of the longest Croatian Riviera. A few minutes drive to the south is the city of Rovinj, which is called the Venetian island, since it was once an island. From the church of St. Eufemia opens a wonderful view of the surroundings, on the transparent sea, white ships, the island of St.. Catherine and the Red Island. In the street, which by its artists, artists and colors reminds a little of the Moscow Arbat and through the old city door you can get to the pier. In the afternoon, the tour continues with a tour of the city of Pula, where you can experience the ancient history. The most famous attraction of the city is the Roman Amphitheater (Arena), which is still used as an open-air theater in the summer. Arrival in Portorož. Dinner

 

Thursday 20 June – Breakfast. 8.00. Departure from the hotel Portorož. Excursion. TRIEST & CASTLE »MIRAMARE» Trieste is located in northeastern Italy on the border with Slovenia. This is a large port, operating since 1719, and the only place in the Adriatic where the natural depth of the sea allows you to take the biggest ships. In ancient times, the city was a Roman colony, and in the Middle Ages it turned into a significant shopping center, for which there was a struggle of various states. It was annexed to Italy only in 1954. Trieste belonged to Austria-Hungary for a long time, therefore it has an appearance that is not typical for Italy: it resembles Vienna and Budapest in some way. The main attractions of the city are the ruins of ancient Roman buildings, the church of Sand Giusto and St. Michael, the Venetian fortress (all buildings – XIV century.). The main square of the city, the Unification Square of Italy, is the largest square in the country. It houses the palaces of the Palazzo del Comune and the Palazzo di Coterno. Not far from the city center is the Castle Miramare. It was designed at the end of the XIX century. by architect Carlo Junker, the castle was built for Duke Maximilian and his wife Charlotte. Impressive park next to the castle, which occupies 55 acres (one of the largest in Northern Italy).

 

Friday 21 JuneExcursion to Venice. 8.00 – 20.00 hours (optional). Dinner.

Venice today is a well-known port and industrial city on the Adriatic Sea, but what makes Venice world famous is its historical part, which is located on the 118 islands of the Venice Lagoon, separated by 150 canals and channels, about 400 bridges are thrown across the island … a resort, a center of international tourism of world importance, a venue for international film festivals, art exhibitions. Along the canals and narrow curved streets are richly ornate churches, palaces, monasteries.

 

Saturday – June 22 Breakfast. Departure to the airport. Flight to Toronto

The price includes airfare, breakfast and dinner, all tours of the program.

 

The drinking course at the Rogashka Slatina resort – 23 Euro (for 6 days) is paid additionally – on request.

 

Hotel Sava 4 superior *, Rogashka Slatina                    Double Size  Single room

Hotel Grand Portoroz 4 superopr *, Portoroz                  3280Cad    3560 Cad

top