A hour-by-hour plan to guide your trip.
We'll meet you at your hotel or at a designated point where you will receive a warm welcome by your guide. The ride won't be too long as we "immerge" into this beautiful wine trip. From our air-conditioned van you will be able to admire the countryside while your driver guide discusses the wine making of the area, its history and evolution so you may have a general understanding of the region.
With slightly more than 15 minutes ride, we will start off the day with a visit to a winery where we'll learn about wine & about the ageing of wines.
Then we'll have a chance to visit the wine cellar and finally enjoy a tasting of the lovely wines in a cozy setting. The wine tasting will takes place in the old vaulted cellar – wine bar, which was build in the distant year 1861.
After the vinery and wine testing we visit the charming village of Hrastovlje and The marvelous 15th-century frescoes in Hrastovlje’s Romanesque Church of the Holy Trinity which ranks at the very top of Slovenia’s medieval mural artwork. The most remarkable among them is the Dance Macabre that illustrates the powerlessness of both poor and rich before Death.
From here you'll move to a boutique family estate where they will be expecting us with a localy produced Prosciutto Ham, home made salamy and a glass or two of white Hrastovlje muscat wine.
We'll continue our way to Socerb castle. Socerb offers breathtaking views of the Slovenian coast and the Gulf of Trieste and since it is not known as one of the top attractions, you can enjoy the scenery undisturbed. The castle ruin is placed high up above the coastline at the very edge of the Karst Plateau and has been dominating that cliff since the Illyrian times.
The Castle has an exceptionally rich and turbulent history that can be traced from the Early Middle Ages to 1780 when it was struck by lightning, rendering it uninhabitable.
The tour proceeds to the spectacular village where you will be amazed by a fairy tale medieval Predjama castle. There, we'll explore the castle rooms, corridors and learn about the history of the castle and its former owners. A view of the renovated castle rooms and their furnishings gives the visitor an idea of how people once lived and worked in the castle – and how well the castle has been preserved.
You will instantly get the picture why this castle was unconquerable and why so many failed in taking it over. There's also a legend of Erasmus – ‘Slovenian Robin Hood’ who lived in the castle and rebelled against the imperial autocracy in the 15th century.
After this beautiful medieval adventure you will then reach another highly rated local winery. Time for more wine! And you will certainly begin to fully appreciate the range of aromas and flavors that Karst wines have to offer. The wines of the winery will typically include at least one Teran, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay together.
After enjoying the vineyard views we will proceed to the winery restaurant for a typical Karst lunch consisting of cheese and localy produced Karst Prosciutto Ham - all accompanied by a wine tasting of the winery's wonderful selection of great wines.
We'll return home with full bellies, a happy heart and great memories, just in time for dinner. After a wonderful day of sightseeing, you will be dropped off at your hotel or at your pick up point.
Please Note: All scheduled times are an approximation and can vary slightly based on situations out of our control (traffic, weather, etc.)