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The Karst & Slovenian RivieraThe karst, caves & coast
Nights: 7
Starting point: Turisticna Kmetija Skerlj (agriturismo), Tomaj. This simple but delightful agriturismo is run by the hospitable Milojca Skerlj and her family. Enjoy a dinner based on home produce such as salami, honey and fresh fruit and vegetables – a genuine taste of rural Slovenia. Day 1: a relaxing first day’s walk leads to Stanjel, an ancient fortified village located in the northern part of the Karst. The route crosses a remote landscape of fields and peaceful woods, where you may be lucky enough to see deer, to reach the hamlets of Brje and Kopriva. From here you continue across rolling landscapes, your target clearly visible ahead. Admire Stanjel's medieval streets, the stone squares, the ruined Roman fort, the Baroque castle and the 15th-century fortifications before returning to Tomaj by bus or taxi (pay locally). (11km, 3hrs) Accommodation: Turisticna Kmetija Skerlj, as above. Day 2: a long but easy day. You follow peaceful lanes and tracks, passing through a forest to reach the market town of Sezana, an appealing place to stop for a while. From here you continue southwards towards the Italian border, walking through light woodland to reach the beautiful meadows of the renowned stud farm of Lipica, home to the noble white Lipizzaner horses. (19km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Maestoso (3*), Lipica. International and somewhat old-fashioned in feel, this large hotel has an array of facilities, including an indoor pool (free; closed Tuesdays and 1-15 July), sauna, health spa and tennis courts (pay locally). It is situated in the centre of the stud farm and is named after one of the most famous stallions bred here. There is also a sun terrace where you can sit outside and enjoy the views. Day 3: on your day here, you can walk through light woodland and the typical Karst village of Lokev to the Unesco-protected Skocjan Caves, an extraordinary natural wonder of which the caverns with their waterfalls, swallow holes, natural bridges, stalagmites and stalactites take at least three hours to explore. You then walk or take a taxi back to Lipica (pay locally for visit and taxi). Alternatively, take a tour of the stud farm or, if your stay falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday, attend a presentation by the Classical Riding School, a unique opportunity to see the famous horses perform (pay locally). (up to 19km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Maestoso, as above. Day 4: today you enter one of the area’s attractive pine forests to reach a panoramic ridge that runs along the border. A steady ascent starts from the tiny settlement of Preloze to the summit of Mount Kokos, where you are rewarded with far-reaching views over the Istrian Coast and the Karst hinterland. You then head downhill to reach the border control point and, ultimately, the Italian hamlet of Pesek. (16km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Pesek (3*), Pesek. This is a welcoming, family-run inn, which boasts a popular restaurant, inviting gardens and twenty elegantly furnished rooms. Day 5: the journey from Pesek to your last hotel is made by taxi. However, if you would like to stretch your legs, you could enjoy a short walk around Pesek or even walk to Trieste. The route to this coastal city (once the chief port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with distinctive Slavic and Middle European influences) leads along the deep Rosandra Valley, passing a 30-metre-high waterfall and the remains of a Roman aqueduct dating from the 1st century. If you walk as far as the city, you will need to take a taxi or bus (pay locally) back to Pesek to collect your luggage for the transfer to the bustling coastal town of Portoroz. Here there is a distinctly Italian/Mediterranean feel – enjoy walking along the long seafront promenade, exploring the many small shops and cafés, or simply relaxing on your hotel’s private beach. (up to 10km, 3hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Marko (3*), Portoroz. This is an elegant, family-run hotel on the quiet, western fringes of this bustling seaside town boasting an open terrace as well as gardens which lead down to the Adriatic. You can either dine in the hotel, whose menu has clear Italian influences and features good fish dishes, or choose one of the many good restaurants nearby (pay locally in both cases). Day 6: there are several possibilities for your final day. We suggest three leisurely walking routes. The first takes you over the headland to the Venetian port of Piran, complete with a cathedral and maze of narrow streets enclosed by the old town walls. You can continue along the cliffs to the tiny bay of Fjesa before retracing your steps to Portoroz. The second walk leads alongside a canal to the salt pans of the Secovlje Salina Nature Park. The pans are still mined using centuries-old methods. The third option explores a broad ridge close to the Croatian border, leading through a string of tiny stone-built villages. One of these is Hrastovje, the church of which hides a real treasure: the five-hundred-year-old fresco of Danse Macabre. Alternatively, for a change from walking, hire a bike and explore the salt pans on two wheels instead. (9km, 3hrs or 15km, 5hrs or 16km, 6hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Marko, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: an extra night at the Hotel Pesek (Pesek) is recommended if the idea of walking to Trieste appeals, as walking to the city on the morning of day 5 will not give you sufficient time to explore the streets and squares lined with Neo-Classical and Art Nouveau buildings. Alternatively, a longer stay on the coast at Hotel Marko (Portoroz) would make a relaxing end to your holiday, and there are many options for short walks from here. If you are flying via Venice, you could also stay here. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: A Stroll through History (grade 1-2), Hill-Top Towns of Tuscany (grade 1-2), Sunflowers & Abbeys (grade 1-2), From the Tarn to the Aveyron (grade 1-2), The Lakes & Julian Alps (grade 2) Prices & travel
Recommended destination airports: Trieste & Venice Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Experience an authentic, unspoiled corner of rural Slovenia, where time seems to have stood still, on this leisurely discovery on foot which ends with a stay on the country's tiny but fascinating coastline. The Karst is a rolling limestone plateau dotted with farming villages and carpeted with mixed woodland and vivid green meadows. It boasts some astonishing geological sights, not least the amazing Skocjan Caves, one of the real highlights of any trip to Slovenia. There is so much variety on this walking holiday, with stays at a charming family-run coastal hotel, a working farm, an Italian country inn and a hotel that is next to the famous Lipica stud farm. Enjoy distinctive Teran wines, country cooking that blends Slovenian and Italian flavours, and, on the coast, fresh fish and seafood. 
Skocjan Caves 
