Excursions
| Excursion | Date | Time |
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 | 7.40 - 17.00 | |
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 | 9.35 - 18.00 | |
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 |
5.30 - 21.00 | |
| Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 9.45 - 18.00 | |
| LJUBLJANA SIGHTSEEING TOUR (2 hours) |
Monday, June 30, 2008 | 9.00 - 11.00 |
| Monday, June 30, 2008 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 Thursday, July 3, 2008 |
8.25 - 14.00 8.25 - 14.00 13.10 - 18.30 |
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| Monday, June 30, 2008 | 7.45 - 18.00 | |
| Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | 8.35 - 18.00 | |
| Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | 8.35 - 13.00 | |
| Thursday, July 3, 2008 | 9.45 - 15.00 |
Remarks
- Booking is possible by completing the IARC 2008 Registration Form.
- Book early to secure your participation in the tourist programme.
- Meeting point for all excursions is in front of Grand hotel Union - Executive.
- The tours are subject to change. Organiser reserves the right to cancel the optional excursions should the minimum number of participants not be reached and change the programme due to weather or traffic conditions.
MARIBOR & PTUJ (full day)
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Saturday, June 28, 2008 (7.40 - 17.00)
Maribor is the second biggest town in Slovenia and in character totally different from Ljubljana and the western parts of the country. It is situated on the banks of the Drava River, in the hilly countryside among the best vineyards. You will visit the city's famous wine cellar and taste excellent wines from the region. The oldest town in Slovenia, Ptuj is located just a short drive from Maribor. The writer Tacitus mentioned it for the first time already in the year 69. Numerous archaeological remains prove that the city experienced its first period of prosperity as the Roman town of Poetovio. The present much admired appearance of the city originates from the Middle Ages when Ptuj experienced its second rise to wealth and prominence. You will explore its beauty in a walking tour through the town and the visit of the Ptuj Castle. The castle, the Dominican and Minorite monasteries, the Provost church and the old city hall are some of the curiosities of the town, worth seeing. The heritage of past centuries will enchant even the most demanding visitor of this town. Price: 64 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Ptuj Castle, wine tasting with lunch in Maribor. Note: camera, walking shoes |
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LIPICA STUD FARM & ŠKOCJAN CAVES (full day)
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Saturday, June 28, 2008 (9.35 - 18.00)
In the southwestern part of Slovenia stretches a region called Kras (Karst). It is a land of rare beauty, secret underground waters and caves, special climate and scarce vegetation. And right there in a picturesque village of Lipica for more than 400 years beautiful, white horses called Lipizzaners have been bred. A local guide will take the visitors on a guided tour through the stables pointing out different methods of stages of breeding and training of these noble animals. A special feature is a show-program of a star Lipizzaner studs performing the excellence of what they have learnt in their school of training. The Škocjan caves have an extremely complex system of cave passages in a total length of 5.8 km. The caves are the biggest and best known natural phenomenon within the classical Karst area. With the shifting of sink holes in the geological past, numerous collapsed valleys have formed at the contact point where flysch meets limestone under the caverns. With their depth of 163 meters, Velika dolina and Mala dolina charm every visitor. The finest view of both valleys with the natural bridge and the cave that separates them is from an observation point. The caves, with an immense underground gorge and halls, are the beginning of the Škocjan underground system The caves probably have the biggest cave hall in Europe, measuring 12,000 square meters (1.2 hectares) in cross section. The Reka river runs underground for almost 40 kilometres, to the sources of the Timav in the Gulf of Trieste (Italy). Price: 60 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Škocjan Caves and Lipica Stud Farm. Note: camera, comfortable shoes |
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VENICE (full day)
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 (5.30 - 21.00) A day trip to the city of everyone’s dreams and desires, where magnificent palaces and churches rise from the water’s surface up to the sky. The vaporetto (water bus) will take you from Tronchetto along the canals to St. Mark’s square. Upon arrival, you will be taken to a Murano glass factory and afterwards have some free time to yourself. In Venice there is so much to see: the Doge’s palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge and hundreds of canals and bridges. As an option, we offer a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. Price: 115 € The price includes: bus transport, catamaran "Prince of Venice", English speaking guide. |
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BLED & BOHINJ (full day)
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Sunday, June 29, 2008 (9.45 - 18.00)
Bled is often mentioned as the pearl of the Alpine region due to its emerald- green lake, a church on the island in the middle of the lake and a medieval castle from the 11th century on a cliff above the lake. After a bus ride around the lake, a guided tour of the Bled castle will start. Then you will be taken by Bled’s typical “Pletna” boat to the island. The journey will continue to the largest glacier lake in Slovenia, situated in the region of the Julian Alps mountain range, with the highest Slovene peak (Mt. Triglav) rising above it. After a 15-minute walk, you will reach the source of the Sava Bohinjka River and later have enough time to relax by the shore of the peaceful Bohinj Lake. Don’t miss St. John’s Church beside the lake, adorned with 13th century frescoes. If you are a mountain-view fanatic, take a ride by cable car up to Mt. Vogel (1600m high), and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the valley with a view of the lake. Price: 52 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Bled castle and the “pletna” boat ride, entrance fee to the Savica waterfall Note: camera, walking shoes |
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LJUBLJANA SIGHTSEEING TOUR (2 hours)
POSTOJNA CAVES & PREDJAMA CASTLE (half day)
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Monday, June 30, 2008 (8.25 - 14.00) Wednesday, July 2, 2008 (8.25 - 14.00) Thursday, July 3, 2008 (13.10 - 18.30) On this day we take you to the biggest and worldwide known Slovenian cave system - the Postojna caves. A two million years old and 27 km long system of subterranean caves is one of the most easily accessible network of underground caves in the world. A ride by electrical train will be followed by a guided walk through a series of cave halls with drop stones, pillars and translucent curtains that create unforgettable impressions. The underworld system is a home of the mysterious, unique and rare amphibian Proteus Anguinus, or human fish as it is popularly called here. Only 9 km away stands one of the most interesting baroque castles of Slovenia, the Predjama castle. It hangs dramatically in the middle of 123 m high rocky cliff. Price: 48 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to the Caves and the Castle. Note: warm clothing, camera, walking shoes. |
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JULIAN ALPS (full day)
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Monday, June 30, 2008 (7.45 - 18.00)
Excursion to the Julian Alps will show you our unique and unspoilt Alpine world. Passing through Kranjska gora, a famous winter sports centre, the coach will take to the highest Slovene mountain pass Vršič (1611 m), along the serpentine like road. A stop at the Vrsic pass will give you the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery of amazing Julian Alps. You will have the time for refreshments and for a short walk. The journey will take us down to the Trenta Valley, one of the most beautiful and untouched Alpine valleys. This is the valley of the most beautiful Slovene river Soča, known by its turquoise water. In the valley you will visit the museum where you will get to know the cultural and natural heritage of the Triglav National Park. In the small town of Bovec, winter and summer tourist resort, you will stop for a lunch break. Afterwards the road will take you further via the Italian Alps, passing Tarvisio, back to Slovenia. Price: 50 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Trenta Museum. |
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PORTOROŽ & PIRAN (full day)
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Tuesday, July 1, 2008 (8.35 - 18.00)
When staying in capital, take some time to visit the Mediterranean world of the coastal region of Slovenia. We invite you to join us to visit the most beautiful and the oldest Slovenian coastal town Piran, where you can admire its charming Venetian architecture. Our first stop will be in a small fishing town of Izola, where we board a boat to take us along the coast to Piran. A walking tour through the medieval town of Piran will take place and afterwards you will have plenty of time to take a swim in the Adriatic or have lunch in one of the numerous fresh fish restaurants. A contrast to the historic Piran represents Portorož, the most popular Slovene coastal resort, which you can discover during your free time. Price: 55 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, boat ride along the Slovenian coast. Note: camera, swimsuit, sunglasses |
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ARBORETUM VOLČJI POTOK (half day)
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Tuesday, July 1, 2008 (8.35 - 13.00)
Volčji Potok Arboretum is the most visited horticultural amenity in Slovenia. In the last few years it became famous for its spring flower shows. Visitors from all parts of the country and from abroad came to the place to be fascinated by millions of daffodil, tulip and other spring flowers. In Arboretum, 80 hectare of ecologically very diversified ground is occupied by about 2.500 taxons of trees and shrubs. The plant collection has been thoughtfully designed as a landscape park, including well-conserved rare natural biocoenosis. In peaceful and aesthetic scenery visitors are given an opportunity to experience beauty and uniqueness of man modified environment. People come here for walks in early spring to enjoy the nature's colorful waking; when horse chestnuts and the whole park blossom to admire the vitality of young life; on hot days to find delight in charming gaily colored flower beds offering a proof of summer strengths; in autumn when dry leaves rustle under their feet to find peace and solitude and make use of the last warm sunshine rays; they come in winter to pay attention to things not noticed earlier. This excursion is half day excursion. Price: 29 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Volčji potok. |
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BLED (half day)
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Thursday, July 3, 2008 (9.45 - 15.00)
We recommend to visitors, who are interested in learning something more about Bled, to take a sightseeing tour around this resort. Bled was discovered by the tourists in the middle of the 19th century, after a Swiss doctor, Mr.Arnold Rikli, had built a climactic health centre there. Bled is often mentioned as the pearl of the Alpine region. It is unique with its emerald-green lake, a church on the island in the middle of the lake and a medieval castle from the 11th century, perched on a cliff above the lake. After a bus ride around the lake a guided tour of Bled castle will start. Then you will be taken by Bled's typical "pletna" boat to the island. Price: 46 € The price includes: bus transport, English-speaking guide, entrancee fee to Bled Castle nad "pletna" boat ride to the island. |
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