Karst Piran
5
Day Itinerary •
Slovenia
Five days across the Karst plateau and Piran coast gives you the complete extraordinary range of Slovenia's most distinctive southern landscape, from the deepest cave systems in Europe to the Lipizzan horses of Lipica, the finest Venetian coastal town on the Adriatic and the extraordinary Istrian peninsula just across the Croatian border. This route covers the full karst and coast. Postojna and Skocjan caves, Predjama Castle in its cliff face, the Lipica stud farm, the fortified village of Stanjel, the Vipava wine valley, Piran's extraordinary old town, the Secovlje salt pans and a day across the border into Croatian Istria for truffles, hilltop towns and Motovun.
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 THE KARST PLATEAU
MORNING
POSTOJNA CAVE, THE GREATEST CAVE SYSTEM IN SLOVENIA
Postojna cave is the most visited attraction in Slovenia, with 24km of passages and the extraordinary cave railway that has carried visitors 3.7km into the mountain since 1872. The guided walk passes through chambers of extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations including the famous Brilliant, the finest stalagmite in the system. The olm, the blind cave salamander called the human fish by Slovenians, lives in the underground streams. The cave is a constant 10 degrees year-round. Entry approx 28 euros, book online ahead. Drive: 15 min drive
MIDDAY
PREDJAMA CASTLE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASTLE IN SLOVENIA
Predjama Castle is built directly into the mouth of a cave in a 123-metre cliff face, the most extraordinary castle position in Europe. The castle was the stronghold of the outlaw knight Erazem Lueger who withstood a Habsburg siege for over a year in 1484, resupplied through a secret tunnel system in the limestone cliff behind the castle. The cave behind extends 13km into the karst. The view of the castle from the valley below is extraordinary. Entry approx 16 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
KARST PLATEAU VILLAGES AND TERAN WINE
The karst plateau between Postojna and the coast is a landscape of extraordinary grey limestone villages, dry stone walls and ancient oak forests. Several villages around Dutovlje and Komen produce Teran wine from the unique red terra rossa soil of the karst, a deeply coloured, tannic red wine made from Refosco that is completely unlike any other wine in Slovenia. Several farm cellars offer tastings of Teran with local Karst prsut ham directly from the producer.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Pivka intermittent lake near Postojna is one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena on the karst, a dry field that fills with water after heavy rain to become a lake several kilometres wide, then drains completely through sink holes in the limestone floor within days. The cycle repeats throughout the year. Free to visit.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Postojna Coffee before the cave opens. Bring a layer as the cave is 10 degrees throughout the year. | Lunch: Gostilna Proteus, Postojna Local Karst prsut ham, cheese and Teran wine just outside the cave entrance. | Dinner: Gostilna pri Danci Traditional karst farmhouse cooking. Local lamb, mushrooms and the finest Teran.
DAY 2
SKOCJAN CAVES AND LIPICA
MORNING
SKOCJAN CAVES, UNESCO UNDERGROUND CANYON
The Skocjan caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contain the largest known underground canyon in the world, where the Reka river disappears into the limestone and carves a canyon 163 metres deep before emerging on the Adriatic coast 35km away. The guided tour crosses the canyon on a bridge 45 metres above the underground river in an extraordinary darkness. Skocjan is less visited than Postojna, requires no booking in shoulder season, and is considerably more dramatic. Entry approx 20 euros, guided tours only. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
LIPICA STUD FARM, 440 YEARS OF THE LIPIZZAN HORSE
The Lipica Stud Farm was established by Habsburg Archduke Charles in 1580 as the breeding ground for the white stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. The stud has operated continuously on the same karst grassland for over 440 years, the longest continuously operating horse stud in the world. Guided tours visit the stables and paddocks where horses at all stages of training can be seen. Classical dressage performances in the extraordinary manege run spring and summer. Entry approx 16 euros. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
STANJEL, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE ON THE KARST
Stanjel is the finest fortified village on the Slovenian karst, its medieval stone streets and the extraordinary Ferrari Garden clinging to a limestone ridge with views from the Julian Alps to the Adriatic. The restored castle at the summit gives the finest panorama over the grey karst plateau stretching to the coast. The village is entirely built from local limestone and almost entirely car-free. The walk from the car park through the old gate and up to the castle takes 20 minutes. Castle entry approx 3 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Lipica horses are born dark and gradually turn white over several years. Foals are dark brown or black at birth and the whitening process takes up to seven years. A small number of Lipizzans remain dark grey throughout their lives, considered extraordinarily lucky by tradition. Ask the guides to show you the youngest foals.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe near Skocjan Early coffee before the first guided tour. Skocjan village has a small cafe by the entrance. | Lunch: Gostilna Skocjan Traditional karst farmhouse cooking near the caves. Local lamb and Teran wine. | Dinner: Gostilna Stanjel Local prsut ham, Karst cheese and Teran on the village terrace with views over the plateau.
DAY 3
VIPAVA VALLEY AND PIRAN
MORNING
VIPAVA VALLEY, THE HIDDEN WINE COUNTRY OF SLOVENIA
The Vipava Valley below the karst escarpment is one of the most extraordinary and least known wine regions in Central Europe. The indigenous Zelen and Pinela white wines are grown nowhere else in the world and are almost entirely unknown outside Slovenia. Several outstanding small producers in the valley villages offer morning tastings at extraordinary value. The town of Vipava with its multiple springs emerging in the town centre and the medieval streets above is worth 45 minutes. Drive: 45 min drive to coast
MIDDAY
PIRAN OLD TOWN, THE JEWEL OF THE SLOVENIAN COAST
Piran is the most extraordinary town in Slovenia, a perfectly preserved Venetian old town on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Adriatic. The composer Giuseppe Tartini, one of the finest Baroque violinists in history, was born here in 1692 and the oval Tartini Square on the seafront is named in his honour. The Church of St George above the square has an extraordinary 15th-century campanile and views over the entire Adriatic coast. Wander the medieval lanes before the day visitors arrive from Portoroz. Drive: 30 min walk
AFTERNOON
SECOVLJE SALT PANS AND THE LIVING MUSEUM OF SALT
The Secovlje salt pans south of Piran are a protected nature reserve where salt has been harvested since the 14th century using traditional hand methods. The Museum of Salt in a restored salt worker's cottage shows the extraordinary tools and traditions of the harvest. The fleur de sel produced here is sold directly from the pans and is among the finest in the Mediterranean. The pans are also a remarkable bird watching site with extraordinary species diversity. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Forma Viva outdoor sculpture park at Portoroz is an extraordinary open-air museum of monumental stone sculpture carved by international artists directly from Karst limestone. Over 100 sculptures stand in a pine forest above the sea. Almost entirely unvisited by tourists and completely free to enter.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Vipava Coffee by the extraordinary springs in the town square before driving to the coast. | Lunch: Restaurant Neptune, Piran Fresh Adriatic fish on the harbour. Local sea bass, squid and local Malvazija wine. | Dinner: Pri Mari, Piran The finest restaurant in Piran. Adriatic seafood, Istrian truffles and an extraordinary wine list.
DAY 4
PIRAN COAST
MORNING
PIRAN TOWN WALLS AND THE MEDIEVAL OLD TOWN
The medieval town walls of Piran date from the 7th century, extended by Venice in the 13th century to protect the extraordinary peninsula. The remaining wall section above the town gives the finest aerial view of the terracotta rooftops, the campanile and the Adriatic beyond. The morning is the best time to explore the old town lanes before the day visitors arrive from the resort of Portoroz 3km down the coast. Entry to wall section approx 2 euros. Drive: 30 min walk
MIDDAY
PUNTA AND THE WESTERN SHORE
The western tip of the Piran peninsula beyond the Church of St Clement is the finest swimming and relaxation spot on the Slovenian coast, a series of rocky platforms above the open Adriatic with the extraordinary view back to the campanile and old town. The Church of St Clement on the promontory is the oldest church in Piran, built in the 9th century. Almost no tourists reach the western tip. The swimming from the rocks is extraordinary in calm weather. Drive: 15 min drive
AFTERNOON
PORTOROZ AND THE ADRIATIC BEACHES
Portoroz is the main resort on the Slovenian coast, 3km from Piran, with the finest sandy beaches on Slovenia's 47km coastline. The name means Port of Roses and the extraordinary salt air and warm Adriatic combine to make the beaches some of the finest in the northern Mediterranean. The afternoon is ideal for swimming, relaxing and watching the extraordinary light fall on the Piran campanile across the bay.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The border between Slovenia and Croatia runs through Piran Bay in the extraordinary Dragonja river mouth south of Portoroz. The dispute over the bay was one of the most contentious border issues between two EU members in history. The view across the bay from Portoroz to the Croatian coast is extraordinary and the two coastlines are virtually indistinguishable.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe on Tartini Square Final Piran breakfast on the extraordinary oval seafront piazza in the morning quiet. | Lunch: Staro Sidro, Piran Local seafood on the old town harbour. Grilled fish, mussels and local white wine. | Dinner: Riva, Portoroz Seafood restaurant on the Portoroz waterfront. Fresh Adriatic catch and Slovenian wine.
DAY 5
ISTRIAN DAY TRIP
MORNING
MOTOVUN, THE FINEST HILLTOP TOWN IN ISTRIA
Motovun in Croatian Istria is one of the finest hilltop towns in the entire Mediterranean, its extraordinary Venetian walls and campanile rising above the Mirna valley and the surrounding truffle forest. The town is the centre of the extraordinary Istrian truffle industry, the finest truffle territory in Europe outside Perigord and Alba. The walk around the town walls gives extraordinary views over the valley and the Ucka mountains beyond. Entry to town free, wall walk approx 3 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
TRUFFLE TASTING AND THE MOTOVUN FOREST
The Motovun forest along the Mirna river below the town is the finest truffle territory in Croatia, producing both white and black truffles throughout the year. Several truffle hunting families in the town offer tastings of truffle products from their own finds, including the extraordinary fresh white truffle shaved over pasta that is the finest way to eat it. The Zigante family discovered the world's largest white truffle here in 1999, weighing 1.31 kilograms. Drive: 45 min drive to Rovinj area
AFTERNOON
ROVINJ VIEWPOINT AND RETURN TO PIRAN
The drive south from Motovun passes through the extraordinary Istrian interior before the coast road above Rovinj gives views over the finest town on the Croatian Adriatic. Rovinj itself deserves a full day but the view from the road above the bay, with the extraordinary campanile of St Euphemia rising from the peninsula, gives a fine impression before returning to Piran for the final night. The drive from Rovinj back to Piran takes one hour.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Baredine cave near Porec in Croatian Istria is one of the finest show caves in the Adriatic region, with extraordinary stalactite formations and an underground lake. A 45-minute drive from Motovun and far less visited than Postojna. The olm also lives in the Baredine waters. Entry approx 15 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Piran Final Piran breakfast before the drive to Istria. Pack water for the Motovun walls walk. | Lunch: Konoba Mondo, Motovun The finest truffle restaurant in Motovun. Fresh truffle pasta and Malvazija wine. Book ahead. | Dinner: Pri Mari, Piran Final dinner in Piran. Extraordinary Adriatic seafood and the finest Slovenian wine list.
Where To Stay
Postojna, Night 1 Hotel Jama or guesthouses near the cave. Approx 70 to 120 euros per night. Piran, Nights 2 to 4 Hotel Piran or old town apartments. Approx 80 to 160 euros per night. Portoroz, Night 5 Larger hotel options 3km from Piran. Approx 70 to 130 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Postojna cave online at least a day ahead in summer. The cave railway fills fast and the queue without a ticket is extraordinary.
2. Skocjan is more dramatic than Postojna. The underground canyon crossing on the bridge above the river is one of the finest experiences in Slovenia.
3. Piran at 7am before the day trippers arrive from Portoroz is extraordinary. The old town in early morning light is the finest version of itself.
4. Teran wine from the karst is sold in village shops for under 8 euros a bottle. It is one of the finest undervalued wines in Europe.
5. Motovun in Croatian Istria is 1.5 hours from Piran and worth every minute. The truffle market, hilltop walls and Malvazija wine are extraordinary.
6. The Secovlje fleur de sel is among the finest in the Mediterranean. Buy a bag directly from the salt workers for an extraordinary souvenir.
Total Budget
80 to 140 euros/day