Hello. My wife and I are in the process of planning a 7 week trip to Europe for us and our two children (ages 10 and 13) as part of a sabbatical next summer. We are in full scale planning mode and things seem to be coming together pretty well, except that we are having a difficult time planning the week in Slovenia.

This will be our first visit to Slovenia. We will be driving and will arrive from the south (Rovinj) after spending two weeks in Croatia. After Slovenia we'll head to Berchtesgaden.

We tend to prefer rural areas and villages (rather than crowds), historic architecture, new sights and sounds, a somewhat relaxed pace and not changing lodging too frequently.

We're planning to visit the Skojcan Caves as our first stop in Slovenia on our drive north from Rovinj. From there we are considering two basic alternatives.

Option 1 would be to spend 3 or 4 nights in or near Kobarid. I am interested in the WWI museum there and some of the hikes, the entire family is interested in rafting or canyoning and exploring local villages or sights. The scenery looks amazing.

We would then leave Kobarid, drive the scenic route over the Julian Alps to Bled, spend a few hours there, and then spend 3 or 4 nights near Skofja Loka, with a day trip to Lubljana and other short day trips. Leave from there for Berchtesgaden.

Option 2 would be to stay in Cerkno area for 7 nights and take day trips to Kobarid, Ljubljana, Skofja Loka, and spend balance of time in Cerkno area hiking and relaxing. We would take the Julian Alps drive on our way out of the country.

I'm hoping for any practical advice as to the suitability of Cerkno as a base (too much driving back and forth?) vs. breaking our trip into separate stops at Kobarid/Skofja Loka.

Thoughts on these towns and whether there are other communities that we should consider staying instead would be helpful. Any other tips on structuring our stay in Slovenia would also be much appreciated. Thank you.