Karst Piran
3
Day Itinerary •
Slovenia
Three days across the Karst plateau and the Piran coast takes you through two of the most extraordinary and contrasting landscapes in Slovenia, from the deep limestone caves of Postojna and Skocjan to the extraordinary Venetian town of Piran on the Adriatic coast, one of the finest preserved medieval towns in the entire Mediterranean. This route covers the full Slovenian karst and coast. The extraordinary Postojna cave system with its cave railway, the UNESCO-listed Skocjan caves with the largest underground canyon in the world, the Lipica stud farm home of the Lipizzan horse, and Piran's extraordinary old town, salt pans and Adriatic seafood.
Best Time To Visit
April to October
Getting There
Fly into Ljubljana (LJU), drive 1 hour to Postojna
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 140 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
POSTOJNA AND SKOCJAN
MORNING
POSTOJNA CAVE, THE LARGEST CAVE SYSTEM IN SLOVENIA
Postojna cave is the most visited attraction in Slovenia and one of the largest cave systems in Europe, with 24km of passages explored since 1818. The extraordinary cave railway carries visitors 3.7km into the mountain before the guided walk begins through a sequence of chambers containing the finest stalactite and stalagmite formations in the world. The concert hall chamber is large enough to seat 10,000 people. The olm, the extraordinary blind cave salamander called the human fish by locals, lives only in these waters. Entry approx 28 euros, book online. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
PREDJAMA CASTLE, BUILT INTO A CLIFF FACE
Predjama Castle 9km from Postojna is the most extraordinary castle in Slovenia, a Renaissance fortress built directly into the mouth of a cave in a 123-metre cliff face. The castle was the home of the outlaw knight Erazem Lueger who held it against a Habsburg siege for a year in 1484, supplied through secret tunnels in the cliff. The cave system behind the castle extends for 13km. Entry approx 16 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
SKOCJAN CAVES, UNESCO UNDERGROUND CANYON
The Skocjan caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contain the largest known underground canyon in the world, the Murmuring Cave, where the Reka river drops 163 metres into an extraordinary abyss. The guided tour crosses a bridge 45 metres above the underground river in a darkness that is extraordinary. Skocjan is less visited than Postojna and considerably more dramatic. Entry approx 20 euros, guided tours only.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Pivka cave and Black cave near Postojna are two extraordinary lesser-known cave systems that can be visited on a separate guided tour from the main Postojna complex. The Pivka cave contains an underground lake and the Black cave has extraordinary ancient cave bear fossils in the walls. Entry approx 14 euros combined.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Postojna Coffee before the cave opens at 9am. The cave is a constant 10 degrees so bring a layer. | Lunch: Gostilna Proteus, Postojna Local Karst dishes including prsut ham and Teran red wine just outside the cave entrance. | Dinner: Gostilna Skocjan Traditional farmhouse cooking near the Skocjan caves. Local lamb and Karst wine.
DAY 2
LIPICA AND STANJEL
MORNING
LIPICA STUD FARM, THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THE LIPIZZAN HORSE
The Lipica Stud Farm is the original breeding ground of the Lipizzan horse, the famous white stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, established by the Habsburg Archduke Charles in 1580. The stud has operated continuously for over 440 years on the extraordinary karst grassland above the Adriatic. Guided tours of the stables and paddocks show the horses at all stages of training. The classical dressage performances in the manege are extraordinary. Entry approx 16 euros, performances extra. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
STANJEL, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE ON THE KARST
Stanjel is one of the most extraordinary fortified villages in Slovenia, its medieval stone streets and the remarkable Ferrari Garden clinging to a limestone ridge with views stretching from the Julian Alps to the Adriatic on clear days. The restored castle at the top of the village gives the finest panorama over the karst plateau. The village is almost entirely car-free, built entirely from local grey limestone and extraordinarily well preserved. Castle entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
VIPAVA VALLEY WINE TASTING
The Vipava Valley below the karst escarpment is one of the finest and least known wine regions in Central Europe, producing extraordinary indigenous white wines from the Zelen and Pinela grapes grown nowhere else in the world. Several small producers in the valley villages offer afternoon tastings of both white and red wines at extraordinary value. The medieval town of Vipava with its multiple springs emerging in the town centre is worth an hour.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Karst plateau produces Teran, one of the most extraordinary and distinctive red wines in Europe, made from the Refosco grape on the red iron-rich terra rossa soil of the limestone plateau. The wine is deeply coloured, high in natural acidity and quite unlike any other red in the world. Buy it directly from producers in the villages around Stanjel for the finest value.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe near Lipica Coffee before the stud farm tour. The karst villages around Lipica have good local cafes. | Lunch: Gostilna Stanjel Local Karst food in the village. Prsut ham, local cheese and Teran wine on the terrace. | Dinner: Guerila, Vipava Valley Outstanding natural wine restaurant in a converted farmhouse. Book ahead.
DAY 3
PIRAN
MORNING
PIRAN OLD TOWN, THE FINEST VENETIAN TOWN ON THE ADRIATIC
Piran is the most extraordinary town in Slovenia and one of the finest Venetian towns in the entire Adriatic, its medieval streets and campanile almost indistinguishable from the towns of the Istrian and Venetian coast. The Tartini Square on the seafront, named for the extraordinary Baroque composer Giuseppe Tartini who was born here in 1692, is one of the finest oval piazzas in the region. The Church of St George above the square with its extraordinary views over the Adriatic is one of the finest in Slovenia. Church entry free. Drive: 30 min walk
MIDDAY
THE TOWN WALLS AND THE ADRIATIC VIEW
The medieval town walls above Piran give the finest aerial view of the extraordinary peninsula on which the old town sits, surrounded on three sides by the Adriatic. The walls date from the 7th century and were extended by Venice in the 13th century. The walk along the remaining wall section takes 20 minutes and gives extraordinary views over the terracotta rooftops to the sea. Entry approx 2 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
SECOVLJE SALT PANS, LIVING SALT MUSEUM
The Secovlje salt pans south of Piran are the largest salt pans in Slovenia and a protected nature reserve where salt has been harvested since the 14th century using the same traditional methods. The Museo del Sale in a restored salt worker's house shows the extraordinary history of the harvest. The fleur de sel produced here is sold directly from the pans and is among the finest in the Mediterranean. Nature reserve entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Church of St Clement on the western tip of the Piran peninsula is the smallest and oldest church in the town, built in the 9th century on a rocky promontory above the sea. Almost no tourists visit. The view from the rocky shore below the church over the open Adriatic at sunset is the finest in Piran. Entry free, open irregularly.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe on Tartini Square Coffee on the extraordinary oval seafront square before the day visitors arrive. | Lunch: Restaurant Neptune, Piran Fresh Adriatic fish and seafood on the harbour. Local sea bass, squid and Malvazija wine. | Dinner: Pri Mari, Piran The finest restaurant in Piran. Local seafood, truffles from Istria and extraordinary wine list.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Postojna, Night 1 Hotel Jama or guesthouses near the cave. Approx 70 to 120 euros per night. Piran, Nights 2 to 3 Hotel Piran or apartments in the old town. Approx 80 to 160 euros per night. Budget option Portoroz has many hotels 3km from Piran from approx 60 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Postojna cave tickets online at least one day ahead in summer. The cave railway fills up fast and queues are extraordinary.
2. Skocjan caves are UNESCO-listed and less visited than Postojna. The underground canyon is larger and more extraordinary than Postojna.
3. Piran is best experienced in the early morning before the day trippers arrive from Portoroz. The old town at 7am is extraordinary.
4. The Secovlje salt pans south of Piran are a nature reserve producing fleur de sel. Buy directly from the salt workers at the pans.
5. The Bora wind on the karst can reach 200km/h in winter. If it blows during your visit the landscape and the locals are extraordinary.
6. Predjama Castle built into a cliff face near Postojna is one of the most extraordinary castles in Europe. Entry approx 16 euros.
Total Budget
80 to 140 euros/day