Slovenia & Croatia. The Hottest Wine Regions in Europe!

Today your guide will welcome you with a sign on a board at the Venice port / Venice Airport and your new adventure will begin. First, we will discover Slovenia.

Thanks to acclaimed wine writers, the wine world today knows Slovenia as one of the smallest but most diverse wine regions in the world. This area produces Slovenia’s finest wines and we will enjoy wine tasting in a vineyard with one of the best winemakers in Goriska Brda.

After the tasting we will continue to Kobarid. The town of Kobarid played an important role during the WW1 period, that even the great Ernest Hemingway wrote about in his novel Farewell to Arms. Here we will stop at Hisa Franko, where Chef Ana Ros, who was named 'The World's Best Female Chef 2017' will prepare lunch.

We will explore the towns of Groznjan and Motovun, two very well-hidden gems of the Istrian region, bringing history and folk traditions of small narrow streets where locals still live as they used to back in the past. We will taste some local wines here as well.

Next we will continue to Buzet where we will go on a Truffle Hunt. After the truffle hunt, local cooks will help us use what we have hunted down to prepare a meal made by a special recipe.

Our last stop of the day will be Rovinj, on the western coast of Istria, the largest Croatian peninsula and also a wine region,.They are proud of the rich natural and cultural sites such as the old town, the luxurious Golden Cape place and also the sunniest place with the least clouds on the Adriatic.

After breakfast, we will walk the city wall of Piran, enjoying some free time in this medieval town. Then, we will be picked up by some special old-timer cars for a Vintage Gourmet Tour. This is an educational journey through the tracks of old varieties of olives, which grow beautiful viewing points of the Slovenian coast and Istrian countryside. Along the way, we will stop for a glass of house sparkling wine, continuing to the olive oil estate, where we will learn how to taste olive oil. We will be served a typical Istrian lunch, prepared according to the recipe of our grandmothers.

On to another winery, to enjoy more sparkling wine with food paired for each varietal. We’ll see stunning views and discover the hidden wine cellar. After the tasting we will continue to Ljubljana The rest of the day will be free.

Today we will discover the famous Alpine jewels of Vintgar Gorge and Bled and take a private boat ride to visit only true island in Slovenia.We will ascend to the old Bled castle and have lunch. After lunch, we will go to Tito's Cafeteria to sample the famous Bled cream cake.

Returning back to Ljubljana and take a city tour. We will finish our tour on Ljubljana Castle where we will discover Ljubljana as well from above. Rest of day is free time.

Today we will say goodbye to Slovenia and continue to Split, the capital of Croatian Dalmatia. We will begin in the watermill village of Rastoke. We will take a guided walk to the limestone plateau, where nature led to the formation of streams and waterfalls. After lunch, we will continue and discover Plitvice, one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. Arriving at Plitvice, we will walk through these ancient woodlands, first across Gornja Jezera (Upper Lakes), a system of 12 lakes separated by travertine barriers. We will finish in Split, where you will have the rest of the day to explore on your own.ext

We will take a city tour of Split, the second largest Croatian city. The historical center boasts the Diocletian’s Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Cathedral, the medieval fortifications, the Gothic palaces and many more. What makes Diocletian’s palace so special is the fact that it has always been inhabited! Even today, there are people living within the walls of the palace making it a unique attraction with lots of restaurants, museums and shops.

From Split we will go on a tour to Sibenik where we will take our time and visit an” Ethno Village.” We will be welcomed by a village family member and enjoy in a powerful and entertaining cultural performance. We will also sample famous Drnis 'prsut' (smoked ham) and superb local wine. Our lunch will be a family style 'peka' meal return back to Split, where you will have free time.

Today we will visit Ston and Mali Ston. Ston city is surrounded by a 7.5-mile-long city wall, which is the second longest wall in the world, built for protection of the famous Ston salt plants. The town is also known by oyster farming tradition, and we will experience that as well. We will travel by boat to a oysters and mussel farm, where we will get a presentation and taste everything.

We will continue to the second longest peninsula in Croatia, Peljesac, which is known for its top-quality red wines (Dingac, Postup). We will tour the vineyards and do a tasting. Last stop of the day will be Dubrovnik, where you will have some free time to explore the city.