Croatia & Slovenia: 10 Days of Historic Coastline, Waterfalls & Mountains

Monument

A monument in the heart of Old Town Dubrovnik. The column, erected in 1418, features the armored knight Orlando who according to the legend, helped the people of old Dubrovnik defeat invaders in the middle ages, therefore, helping Dubrovnik remain a free trade city-state. 

14th-century Gothic-Renaissance palace

14th-century Gothic-Renaissance palace featuring a museum

Monument

A monument in the heart of Old Town Dubrovnik. The column, erected in 1418, features the armored knight Orlando who according to the legend, helped the people of old Dubrovnik defeat invaders in the middle ages, therefore, helping Dubrovnik remain a free trade city-state. 

14th-century Gothic-Renaissance palace

14th-century Gothic-Renaissance palace featuring a museum

Check out this seaside monastery filled with several Renaissance art treasures.

The Monastery of Our Lady of the Snow contains some early Renaissance gems in its small church. There's also a wonderful Bukovac work above the entrance to the sanctuary, depicting the Madonna and Child gazing at the Cavtat skyline at sunset. If you don't know the legend, then it relates to a Roman patrician couple in the 14th century, who were without heirs, and who made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honor. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. The locals in Cavtat relate the story to an attack on the town by Venetians or pirates, and in response to their prayers to St Mary it began to snow despite the fact that it was also the middle of summer; the enemy fleet took fright at the sign of such a miracle and weighed anchor.

Take a relaxing walk up the hill to this interesting mausoleum in a cemetery overlooking the town.

This octagonal white dome with huge bronze doors decorated with gargoyles of dogs, eagles and winged lambs, was built high above Cavtat in the early 1920s by the ubiquitous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović for a wealthy local ship-owning family. Even if you prefer not to visit this marble folly, the walk to it is definitely worthwhile. At the hub of its quayside activity, Cavtat feels full of light and air but still a bit busy. But venture back from the harbourfront, following the signs for the mausoleum, and you discover another world altogether - a spacious rural idyll.

Check out this seaside monastery filled with several Renaissance art treasures.

The Monastery of Our Lady of the Snow contains some early Renaissance gems in its small church. There's also a wonderful Bukovac work above the entrance to the sanctuary, depicting the Madonna and Child gazing at the Cavtat skyline at sunset. If you don't know the legend, then it relates to a Roman patrician couple in the 14th century, who were without heirs, and who made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honor. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. The locals in Cavtat relate the story to an attack on the town by Venetians or pirates, and in response to their prayers to St Mary it began to snow despite the fact that it was also the middle of summer; the enemy fleet took fright at the sign of such a miracle and weighed anchor.

Take a relaxing walk up the hill to this interesting mausoleum in a cemetery overlooking the town.

This octagonal white dome with huge bronze doors decorated with gargoyles of dogs, eagles and winged lambs, was built high above Cavtat in the early 1920s by the ubiquitous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović for a wealthy local ship-owning family. Even if you prefer not to visit this marble folly, the walk to it is definitely worthwhile. At the hub of its quayside activity, Cavtat feels full of light and air but still a bit busy. But venture back from the harbourfront, following the signs for the mausoleum, and you discover another world altogether - a spacious rural idyll.

See the beautiful courtyard which was once the center of the palace, and is now the heart of Split.

The Peristyle was the central courtyard of the palace complex and the crossing point of its main streets. The columns around the courtyard were pillaged from Egypt, though the officer in charge of the operation must have forgotten to get some extras as four of the columns are clearly different from the others. There's also a black granite Egyptian sphinx on one side dating from 1500 BC which originally flanked the entrance to Diocletian's mausoleum (other sphinxes around the palace were decapitated by Diocletian to allay his superstition that they posed a threat to his rule). If you sit on one of the red cushions scattered around the Peristyle you'll be approached by a waiter with a menu of very expensive drinks, but it may be worth it just to sit and lap up the history and watch people go by. At the southern end of the Peristyle, steps lead up to a cone-shaped, roofless chamber which once served as the palace vestibule. Visitors would wait here before being summoned before the ex-emperor into his private apartments.

Enter this ancient gateway to discover palace cellars used as film sets for Game of Thrones.

While today about 200 feet (60m) from the water, the Bronze Gate originally sat directly on the sea, allowing boats to pull directly up to the palace. As you enter the gate you will find a mass of souvenir and arts & crafts stalls, but just inside the entrance on either side are the substructures, or cellars of the palace. After the palace fell into disrepair, the cellars were used as rubbish pits. Families occupying the apartments above would simply create holes in the floor and voila, they had an instant trash dump with a seemingly unending supply of space. Of course centuries of trash did eventually them fill up and they were only rediscovered in 1956; the excavations continue to this very day. While entrance to the cellar is not free, it provides an excellent idea of what the palace must originally have looked like, as they're an exact mirror image of the imperial living quarters above. Game of Thrones fans will also be happy to learn that the cellar was used as a filming set, including as Daenerys Targaryen's grand Meereen throne room.

See the beautiful courtyard which was once the center of the palace, and is now the heart of Split.

The Peristyle was the central courtyard of the palace complex and the crossing point of its main streets. The columns around the courtyard were pillaged from Egypt, though the officer in charge of the operation must have forgotten to get some extras as four of the columns are clearly different from the others. There's also a black granite Egyptian sphinx on one side dating from 1500 BC which originally flanked the entrance to Diocletian's mausoleum (other sphinxes around the palace were decapitated by Diocletian to allay his superstition that they posed a threat to his rule). If you sit on one of the red cushions scattered around the Peristyle you'll be approached by a waiter with a menu of very expensive drinks, but it may be worth it just to sit and lap up the history and watch people go by. At the southern end of the Peristyle, steps lead up to a cone-shaped, roofless chamber which once served as the palace vestibule. Visitors would wait here before being summoned before the ex-emperor into his private apartments.

Enter this ancient gateway to discover palace cellars used as film sets for Game of Thrones.

While today about 200 feet (60m) from the water, the Bronze Gate originally sat directly on the sea, allowing boats to pull directly up to the palace. As you enter the gate you will find a mass of souvenir and arts & crafts stalls, but just inside the entrance on either side are the substructures, or cellars of the palace. After the palace fell into disrepair, the cellars were used as rubbish pits. Families occupying the apartments above would simply create holes in the floor and voila, they had an instant trash dump with a seemingly unending supply of space. Of course centuries of trash did eventually them fill up and they were only rediscovered in 1956; the excavations continue to this very day. While entrance to the cellar is not free, it provides an excellent idea of what the palace must originally have looked like, as they're an exact mirror image of the imperial living quarters above. Game of Thrones fans will also be happy to learn that the cellar was used as a filming set, including as Daenerys Targaryen's grand Meereen throne room.

Take a train deep inside a mountain to explore these wondrously beautiful caverns.

Postojna's wondrously vast complex of naturally formed underground chambers and an astonishing array of stalactite and stalagmite formations has been attracting open-mouthed visitors for two centuries already, thanks in no small way to the open-topped electric train that shuttles punters 1.2 mile (2km) inside the cave system before the guided tours begin.  As fascinating and multifarious as they are, the tour isn't all stalactites and stalagmites and how they've formed over the millennia. You also get a commentary on the alterations humans have made to the cave over the 200 years since it's discovery and you'll be shown how incipient stalactites have even started to form on concrete arches built over 90 years ago. Near the end of the tour, you will be introduced to the cave's 'baby dragons', or which people once believed were dragons - olms or 'Proteus anguinus'. With a length of 25 to 30 centimeters, the olm is the largest cave-dwelling animal and the only vertebrate in Europe that lives exclusively in subterranean areas. It is extremely well-adapted to life in darkness; its skin lacks any protective pigmentation, and the blood that shows through it makes it very pale and slightly pink in colour. The resemblance in colour to that of white-skinned humans is the reason why the olm is in some languages referred to as the human fish. It has a life expectancy of up to 100 years and can survive without food for several years.

Take a train deep inside a mountain to explore these wondrously beautiful caverns.

Postojna's wondrously vast complex of naturally formed underground chambers and an astonishing array of stalactite and stalagmite formations has been attracting open-mouthed visitors for two centuries already, thanks in no small way to the open-topped electric train that shuttles punters 1.2 mile (2km) inside the cave system before the guided tours begin.  As fascinating and multifarious as they are, the tour isn't all stalactites and stalagmites and how they've formed over the millennia. You also get a commentary on the alterations humans have made to the cave over the 200 years since it's discovery and you'll be shown how incipient stalactites have even started to form on concrete arches built over 90 years ago. Near the end of the tour, you will be introduced to the cave's 'baby dragons', or which people once believed were dragons - olms or 'Proteus anguinus'. With a length of 25 to 30 centimeters, the olm is the largest cave-dwelling animal and the only vertebrate in Europe that lives exclusively in subterranean areas. It is extremely well-adapted to life in darkness; its skin lacks any protective pigmentation, and the blood that shows through it makes it very pale and slightly pink in colour. The resemblance in colour to that of white-skinned humans is the reason why the olm is in some languages referred to as the human fish. It has a life expectancy of up to 100 years and can survive without food for several years.

Take a train deep inside a mountain to explore these wondrously beautiful caverns.

Postojna's wondrously vast complex of naturally formed underground chambers and an astonishing array of stalactite and stalagmite formations has been attracting open-mouthed visitors for two centuries already, thanks in no small way to the open-topped electric train that shuttles punters 1.2 mile (2km) inside the cave system before the guided tours begin.  As fascinating and multifarious as they are, the tour isn't all stalactites and stalagmites and how they've formed over the millennia. You also get a commentary on the alterations humans have made to the cave over the 200 years since it's discovery and you'll be shown how incipient stalactites have even started to form on concrete arches built over 90 years ago. Near the end of the tour, you will be introduced to the cave's 'baby dragons', or which people once believed were dragons - olms or 'Proteus anguinus'. With a length of 25 to 30 centimeters, the olm is the largest cave-dwelling animal and the only vertebrate in Europe that lives exclusively in subterranean areas. It is extremely well-adapted to life in darkness; its skin lacks any protective pigmentation, and the blood that shows through it makes it very pale and slightly pink in colour. The resemblance in colour to that of white-skinned humans is the reason why the olm is in some languages referred to as the human fish. It has a life expectancy of up to 100 years and can survive without food for several years.

Take a train deep inside a mountain to explore these wondrously beautiful caverns.

Postojna's wondrously vast complex of naturally formed underground chambers and an astonishing array of stalactite and stalagmite formations has been attracting open-mouthed visitors for two centuries already, thanks in no small way to the open-topped electric train that shuttles punters 1.2 mile (2km) inside the cave system before the guided tours begin.  As fascinating and multifarious as they are, the tour isn't all stalactites and stalagmites and how they've formed over the millennia. You also get a commentary on the alterations humans have made to the cave over the 200 years since it's discovery and you'll be shown how incipient stalactites have even started to form on concrete arches built over 90 years ago. Near the end of the tour, you will be introduced to the cave's 'baby dragons', or which people once believed were dragons - olms or 'Proteus anguinus'. With a length of 25 to 30 centimeters, the olm is the largest cave-dwelling animal and the only vertebrate in Europe that lives exclusively in subterranean areas. It is extremely well-adapted to life in darkness; its skin lacks any protective pigmentation, and the blood that shows through it makes it very pale and slightly pink in colour. The resemblance in colour to that of white-skinned humans is the reason why the olm is in some languages referred to as the human fish. It has a life expectancy of up to 100 years and can survive without food for several years.

Follow along the cliffsides deep into this incredibly scenic gorge.

Another outstanding sight near Lake Bled is Vintgar Gorge, an impressively deep one mile (1.6km) ravine about 2.5 miles (4km) north of town. It was not officially discovered until 1891, but now it's easily accessible via a continuous chain of wooden gantries and bridges, suspended from the precipitous rock face, and running the entire length of the gorge. There are a number of ways to get there, including on foot, by bike, train (take one from Jezero Bled station one stop to Podhom and follow the signs to the gorge), bus (they run frequently during the summer months from Bled bus station), or taxi. Also, ask for a map from the information center so you don't get lost. You should take into consideration, however, that the gorge is rather wet and a little bit slippery, and bottlenecks form on the narrow gantries during the height of the tourist season as people stop to take photos.

If you like honey, chocolate, and gingerbread, make time for the small but exquisitely preserved medieval town of Radovljica, just 4 miles (6km) south-east of Bled.

Built on an outcrop above the River Sava and the beautiful Sava Valley, everything of interest in the town is centered around the wonderfully quiet Linhartov trg (Linhart Square), which is framed by Gothic and Renaissance buildings. The highlight is Thurn Mansion, clearly recognizable by its thickly stuccoed facade and vast spread of coats of arms. Inside, a magnificent double stairway leads up to the truly splendid Beekeeping Museum. Don't be fooled into thinking that it must invariably be a dull topic, as beekeeping is one of Slovenia's oldest and most celebrated traditions. After going over the history of beekeeping and examples of pioneering apiculture the undoubted high point of the museum is its collection of over 200 beehive panels - wooden end panels painted with religious, satirical or humorous motifs and scenes.  Otherwise check out the Parish Church of St Peter just to the east of the museum, and the best-preserved houses on the square: no.3 Vidic House and no.22, the muralled Šiveč House. Radovljica also has a long chocolate and gingerbread-making tradition, so don't miss the live gingerbread workshop and museum at no.2 Pension Lectar.

Row (or be rowed) to this beautiful island in the center of Lake Bled.

The most recognizable symbol of Bled Island  is the Church of the Assumption, although there are a handful of other buildings on the islet. The church dates from 1689 and its most outstanding features are the well-preserved frescoes. A wishing bell, which keeps many visitors amused, was installed in 1534, though a larger bell hangs in the enormous free-standing belfry. Weddings are held regularly in the church and traditionally it is considered good luck for a groom to carry his bride up the 99 stone steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.  Numerous pletna boats take passengers to the island. A pletna looks sort of like a Venetian gondola, but wider. You'll pay about 15 EUR for a return journey, which includes 25min there, 40min on the island itself, and another 25min back, i.e. an hour-and-a-half altogether. The pletna oarsmen will be happy to answer your questions as you make your way across the lake. Only locals are permitted to operate a pletna. The tradition has been passed from generation to generation for the past few centuries. The pletna operate all year round depending on the weather. If you want to expend your own energy to get across the lake, then there a number of places around the lakeshore where you can rent a rowboat and get to the island under your own steam. There's also a motorized ferry that runs regularly from the main tourist information office for around 12 EUR.

Stare down at the lake from this dramatic castle precariously perched on a cliff.

Perched up high on a precipitous craggy bluff near the town center is Bled Castle, enclosed by a Romanesque wall and studded with stout parapets, towers and ramparts, just as any medieval castle should be. Originally constructed in the 11th century, the castle's present appearance dates from the 17th century, and is characterized by a lower and upper courtyard. Probably its best feature is the beautiful chapel. There are outstanding views from the castle terrace of the lake and island below, while the castle restaurant has a reputation as one of the best in Lake Bled. Close by at the start of one of the tracks leading up to the castle you'll also find the photogenic Parish Church of St Martin.