All the Charms of Golden Slovenian Istria

Our first encounter with Slovenia was in Ljubljana, at the Four Points by Sheraton Mons hotel. After a cordial welcome and an aperitif, we went on a tour of the hotel. The hotel is modern and seems very pleasant to us, especially due to the fact that it is located outside the city, in a special forest oasis. After lunch in a beautiful restaurant with an "open kitchen" concept, we headed towards Izola.

Our next stop was Izola, a town right on the sea coast. After touring Hotel Cliff, quite appropriately named as it sits right on the edge, we took a break in the garden of the Kamin restaurant, with a beautiful view of the open sea. From the terrace, it seems to us, you can even see the Italian coast on a nice day. After a break, we headed towards Portorož.

In this fashionable small town, we were accommodated in the Grand Hotel Bernardin, which is known for having its reception on the tenth floor, while all the rooms are below, considering the hotel is located on a cliff. Every room, in addition to luxury, provides an incredibly beautiful view of the sea, so relaxing on the terrace is a very special experience. After the welcome and rest, we went to tour another famous hotel in Portorož.

We visited the Kempinski Palace hotel, which is located in the heart of the city. It should be noted that this hotel is locally known as "Vienna by the Sea" due to its history, architecture, and significance. After getting acquainted with the hotel's facilities, we had the honor of dining at the Sophia restaurant, whose top fine dining experience has also been recognized by the famous Michelin guide. This restaurant was named after the famous actress Sophia Loren.

In the morning, we continued touring the hotels in Portorož; next up were the LifeClass hotels, where colleagues from Serbia could get acquainted with their hotel offer. We continued on to Koper, where we spent a fantastic time touring the city in the company of a guide. We also visited the local Barba Sol shop, which produces unique sea salt with different flavors. We had lunch at the Kogo restaurant, after which we also visited the Vinokoper winery, which includes a restaurant. During the tour of the winery, we learned many interesting things from the guide, related not only to wine but also to the history of the region. The winery also houses an old wooden barrel for storing wine of over 40,000 liters, the largest in the former Yugoslavia.

We continued the day in the town of Mareznige, where we had the opportunity to taste wine from the famous wine fountain. With a glass of wine and a welcome prepared for us by the hosts, we continue towards the Herbal Paradise of Slovenian Istria located in the village of Trsek, where we spent a few hours talking with the hosts about bioenergy and plants. We end the day in the very beautiful Grand Koper hotel, a luxury hotel in the heart of the old town of Koper.

The next day was reserved for Portorož and Piran. The first stop was the Portorož Airport, where, in a pleasant conversation with the hosts, we learned that there is a possibility of a panoramic tour of the city by plane. Although this airport is not intended for the landing of larger commercial planes, it is an important infrastructure facility because it can greatly enrich the tourist offer of this area.

After the airport, we continued to the Fonda fish farm, where we learned firsthand everything about the organic farming of sea bass and sea bream, which we could also taste later. This activity was particularly interesting to the colleagues, because besides the educational part, you get the opportunity to experience all of it practically, from a boat.

From the Fonda fish farm, we continue by boat to beautiful Piran, a small town we were all impatiently waiting to see. After a tour of the city and a conversation with the guide, we refreshed ourselves on the Heavenly Terrace in Hotel Piran, a place that perhaps offers the best view of the heart of the old town and the coast. Our next stop was the Marina restaurant in the hotel of the same name, where we once again had the honor of tasting specialties that the Michelin guide has included in its selection.

After lunch, we visited the Izolana museum, toured the city, and visited the very beautiful DeGrassi boutique hotel, where the hosts welcomed us with refreshments. We spent the evening at the Grand Koper hotel, where the representatives welcomed us with new gastronomic magic. We had dinner in the hotel garden, right on the seashore in the old part of the city, which left a special impression on everyone.

On the last day of our stay in Slovenia, we leave the coast and head towards the continental part of Slovenia, towards the Predjama Castle and the Postojna Cave. We toured the Predjama Castle with a guide who was our host during the stay, learned everything this extraordinary castle offers to tourists, and headed towards the Postojna Cave. It is interesting to note that this cave system is among the most famous in Europe and that an endemic species of olm (human fish) lives in it, which we also had the opportunity to see. We heard that it is very cold in the cave itself, which we were very quickly convinced of.

Full of impressions, we continued to the Hotel Jama, which is located right next to the cave. The hotel is modern, discreetly tucked into nature and the ambiance, and there, over lunch, we had the opportunity to learn from our hosts everything interesting related to the locality and the hotel itself. After the conversation, we leave Postojna Cave and Slovenia, on the one hand with a heavy heart because we are leaving, and on the other hand richer for the fine, unique experiences provided to us by dear people and this wonderful country.