Hello everyone,

I've been back for a month now but have been a bit lazy in posting a detailed report. Meanwhile just wanted to say that we had a great time and I am happy to answer any questions.

Brief outline of what we did -

Stayed for 2 nights at the Antiq Hotel in Ljubljana. Hotel was very nice and very well located but unfortunately the apartment we had booked was not appropriate since our kids are quite small. The room upstairs was connected by a very tricky staircase and had 2 beds but no bathroom. The room downstairs was large but had only a small bed. Allin all, we had to move to the only other double they had which was quite dark and small but still tastefully done. It was fine for us since we were out all day and the lounge next to the reception was quite nice to relax in the evenings.

The city is just perfect - it is small enough to not intimidate you given the jet lag etc. on the first few days - and large enough to give you enough o explore for 2 days. Lots of outdoors cafes and bars overlooking the river. The castle was a great walk up from behind our hotel. We didn't realise that it is very easily accessible from a funicular rail and also on a little road train to the centre of town. On the weekend, we enjoyed the outdoors food and crafts markets. Lots and lots of stalls selling very fresh and interesting products. Since it was asparagus season, there was a stall (which was our favorite) that sold only asparagus products - freshly grilled asparagus, asp. soup, 2 types of asp. salads.

The castle itself was very pleasant and has a nice outdoor restaurant and an interesting souveneir shop.

On day three, we picked up our car, which incidently was brought to our hotel by the avis guys and we signed the papers in the hotel lounge. Very nice and definitely a first!

Nest, we drove to the Predjama castle and the caves next to it and then drove to our next destination - a farm in the Pohorje mountains.

sounds wonderful-we have 6 days here in October and are looking forward to it.

Looking forward to the rest of your report. I am looking for an interesting venue for a winter vacation to combine some skiing and some sightseeing?

Continuing...

The Postonja caves are truely spectacular. The train in itself was an experience. The caves are massive and you must budget at leasta couple of hours to do them. I few things that might be useful to know are that it is very cold inside and the enitre trip involves a fair bit of walking and is not stroller friendly for those with small children. I did see a lady who was a bit sick and was unable to walk the complete way.

The Predjama castle was a very special place to visit. The castle is built into massive natural caves. My son was absolutely taken with the place. The area outside is also very pleasant - gentle hills, wildflowers - wooden benches to sit on and not too many people around. We didn't have the time, but I would have liked to have had half an hour to sit outside the castle taking in the views and the peace. There is a very nice resaturant just outside. I would budget a whole day for both the castle and the caves with lunch at the restaurant outside Predjama.

Next, we drove to the Pohore hills to Farm Stern - the best part of our holiday. This was our first ever farm stay and I truely did not know what to expect. I certainly did not expect the roms to be as clean and well appointed as they were. We had two connected rooms with vey nice pine beds - great mattresses and pillows and fluffy quilts trimmed with hand made lace. The bathroom was clean and newly renovated. We had a nice balcony overlooking the property. There are a total of 5 rooms - 2 of which are for families . There is a great TV and toy room just outside our room and a computer corner with internet facility. The rate include a very good breakfast with fresh cottage and other cheeses from the farm, local hams, home made bread, juice, several cereal and fruits on the table and something warm as well- eggs or pancakes and of course tea or coffee. Dinner was always great - fresh salad from the garden with local pumpkin oil, fabulous soup, a great meat based main course (which can be discussed in the morning if there are not too many guests since they can tailor things according towhat you like) and some yummy home made dessert.

This stay was much more than we expected and the best part of our holiday. The family is very warm and friendly. Barbara- the daughter-in-law and the main person in charge speaks english very well and is a lovely, lovely person. The place is very informal - there is a large fridge stocked with milk, drinks and wine that you can help yourself to at any time. She makes great nut cookies which we enjoyed with tea (from her local herbs)and her famous turkish coffee.

The kids didn't want to go anywhere else. They enjoyed the playground and all the toys and animals around and the very lively and friendly Muri - the young resident farm labrador! Barbara was also happy to take them with her for walks around, to pick vegetables, to make strawberry ice cream, have them watch how bread is made etc..

However, we did do some day trips - Maribor is a nice town to spend a couple of hours, Celje was the best - very picturesque and charming, Ptuj was okay but the castle trip was enjoyed by the kids. The trip to Logarska Dolina was a long drive but worth it. The area is very beautiful

The farm also has nice areas to go for walks which we did twice. My husband added further to his cultural experience by getting a haircut from the local old lady hair dresser at the neighbouring farm!

Next, we leave for Vila Bled on Lake Bled.

oh good. We stayed there and loved it. Is Frank, the American from Minnesota's Iron Range still there with his baby blue Cadillac?

Sorry for the long gap. Yes Julie, the baby Cadillac is the still there at the farm. Continuing...

We started to drive to Lake Bled early morning on a cloudy day. Yes, it does indeed rain a lot in Slovenia. Probably explains why it is so green everywhere. The highway was great and we made great time and were at Lake Bled in less than 2 hours. Except that we reached in the middle of heavy rain.

The lake certianly looked magical even in the rain but there was no way that we could have actually walked around the lake in that weather. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to seeing what our hotel the famous Vila Lake Bled was like given its history, location and that fact that it is a Relais and Chateax property not to mention the fabulous photos on its web site. I have to say, I was dissapointed. It is a grey block building. I suppose in keeping with its history, it is very 'communist era' like but very cold, inside and outside and completely lacking in charm. Moreover, there is no real lobby or area to sit and sort of look around. There are some nice grounds outside with direct access to the lake but the rain marred that image as well. Interestingly though, our room which was supposed to be a suite, ended up being a series of four rooms! Complete with a waiting room with coaat hangers, a dining room with seating for 8, a study room followed by the bed room. My dad retired from the army and as soon as I entered I knew what this was! This was one of the chanbers a visiting general would have stayed at when visiting Tito. Anyway, the space came in handy with the kids and the rain. We also used the dining table for eating our take away chinese food on two nights! The hotel restaurant downstairs offers good quality food albeit it is pricey. Moreover, it was bit dull since we were the only ones eating there on those evenings.

We did manage to go up to the castle on the first day when the rain lessened. It is easy to drive up and park. The castle affords some splendid views and has a small museum. There is a small restaurant with outdoor seating which seemed just right to sit for a coffee or a beer and spend an hour taking in the views.

The breakfast was very elaborate and there are some wonderful views of the island in the lake from that room. The rain was a bit better and we took the boat from the lake to go up to the island. There are several steps to take up to the island but it is otherwise pretty small once you are up there. A nice church, small museum and a small cafe. The ride was the main enjoyable activity.

That afternoon we headed out to Lake Bohinj but encountered heavy rain again. Stopped on the way at a local restaurant which is supposed to have live music on some days of the week. No music that day but good fresh food and it was nice to sit all covered up and freezing in a covered terrace with heavy rain and greenery all around.

The next day we were off to the Vintgar Gorge and then to Mount Triglav and Kobarid.

bookmarking

I had read one other poster on fodors recommend the Vintar Gorge and so we decieded to do it. Moreover, it is barely a few minutes (10-15) drive from Lake Bled. What we did not realise was how actually 'gorge'ous it was and how very long the walk is.

The walk involves a series of really amazing wooden bridges hugging the mountain sides with a fast flowing river just below. It goes on for kilometers and made for a very exciting trip with the kids. A little bit tricky sometimes given that the bridges were quite slippery. We never made it to the end where the river apparantly becomes a huge waterfall. After we had walked for an hour we turned back.

We then headed towards Kranska Gora and made a stop just after the town ends at a lovely spot which has the most amazing scenery. The back drop has these enormous mountains with snow capped peaks and the in the front is a large grey coloured river bank with pebbles and little streams with light blue water. Just next to it is a beautiful lake with ducks swimming and to top it all there is also a wooden play ground.

Honestly, these two stops were more than enough for that day both in terms of 'things to do' and for the sensory appeal but we had started out on the loop up to the Vrisic pass and on to the Soca valley. So we went ahead.

The Triglav National Park is truely beautiful with some wonderful opportunities to walk, have picnics, collect wild flowers etc. We made another stop at the highest point and then headed down the mountains towards the Soca valley and towards Kobarid.

The WW1 museum in Kobarid is certainly a must for those with interest since this area was a important stronghold during the war. We were not too interested and our kids are still young to understand it. There is a small movie hall in there as well and if you request the person on the reception on the first floor they will put on the english version for you. The town otherwise was quite sleepy and we couldn't see any interesting restaurnat. I then recalled the recommendation for the Hisa Franko restaurant in the area. It was about a 10-15 drive from Kobarid. The setting is very pleasant next to a natural stream and the home made breads were outstanding but we were dissapointed in the food. The home made pasta was over and they served packaged pasta, the salad was wilted and the meats just okay. The coffee was not good at all but my husband thought the wine was excellent. We then headed back but it was a long drive abck. We really should have stayed a night in the area or should have just skipped the Soca part which to us was not as interesting as the earlier part of the day.

Next, we drive through the Julian Alps into the Dolomites through Austria to Cortina.

Nice trip and very interesting report---thanks Deepa.

Thanks for the kind words Bob. Forgot to mention in the title that we finished the trip with 3 nights at your favourite Italian city - Bassano Del Grappa and loved it! In fact the plan to include it was based on you and Steve recommending it so highly and the fact that it was the ideal area to spend the last few days before taking our flight back from Venice.

The drive to Cortina through the Alps was very long but the scenery is drop dead gorgeous. It was also an area that we had not visited before. I was also starting to feel quite unwell by this time of the trip and had no idea that what I was dealing with was a very drug resistant Strep throat bug. It also led to some very interesting and unforgettable trips to a local doctor in Cortina who spoke no english at all.

We reached our hotel The Menardi which is about a kilometer from the town centre and is a family run place. It is recommended by Karen Brown. It had been raining all the way to Cortina and we were told on arrival that no one had seen the sun in over 10 days! It was also really cold. The Hotel has a very nice sitting area/ lounge with a bar and an adjoining TV room. In the evenings, they have a lovely fire going and the place is cozy and filled with many of the guests who sit around playing cards or reading while enjoying some great local wines and snacks. Having this place to sit in and the large garden outside was very helpful given how ill I was starting to feel. Our room (a triple) was quite small although it had a small balcony. The bathroom was especially small and did look in need of some renovations. The restaurant serves a set dinner every night on half board basis which was ranged between good to okay. The breakfast was not bad at all and included freshly made scrambled eggs along with the usual. My need for a great cup of coffee had still so far not been met and I was in Italy!

Unfortunately due to how sick I was feeling and the incessant rain, we could only do one day trip to Lago Braries. As Steve rightly said 'it is the most beautiful lake in Italy'. It is picture postcard perfect with the mountains at the back. We started the walk around the lake which I was told on this site takes about an hour but with a few very small stops, it took us over 3 hours and involved some reasonably serious walking up and down some mountain slopes.

We atually loved the town centre in Cortina. There are some nice shops, restaurants and a nice church. Lots of locals around in the evenings with dogs and kids etc. There is some great shopping to be done at the La Cooperativa (3 floors of it) and finally I had the perfect cup of coffee Italian style, standing at the coffee bar inside the Cooperativa. And by day 3 we got some sunlight as well! And to our amazement we saw how beautifully located Cortina is!

For three days we had been staying there and had no idea of the beautiful mountians all around Cortina since they were all covered by the clouds. So with cameras clicking from the car, we started to drive down to the Veneto area to Bassano Del Grappa with a definite decision to be back again some day to be able to do all that we had actually planned to do.

Hi Deepa - I'm so glad you discovered Lake Braies . I've recommended it several times to Dolomites visitors - but you're my first 'taker,' I think.

I actually think it's the most beautiful lake in Europe - a real gem! But don't tell anyone - it's our little secret . I'd hate it to be discovered by the herd ...

I'm glad the weather finally cleared for you to appreciate the setting of Cortina. I must admit it's not a resort I've ever really warmed to - but the location is hard to beat, isn't it?

Steve

Hi Steve, I really have used your recommendations well including your driving itineraries in the Dolomites on 3 different trips to the Dolomites but all those were based out of Castlerotto . We were also to do the prato (sp?) plateau near Lago Braries but unfortunately I was just not feeling very well during that time. The good part is that it means another trip to the area!

DeepaSingapore, Great report, we hit many of those same spots last year. Farm Stern was the highlight of our trip as well. Beautiful place and simply wonderful hosts. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great bed and breakfast experience. We also found it to be a nice base spot as we day tripped around the area. Our countdown to Croatia is now at 4 days. Shirley, Waukesha

Shirley, it is so nice to know that others from this forum have stayed at Farm Stern and found it to be outstanding as well. Croatia sounds great. We will also likely combine another trip to Farm Stern with Croatia in 2 years time. Have a great trip.

Will complete my trip report with the visit to Bassano tomorrow.

The drive from Cortina to Bassano was less than two hours but it was amazing how the weather changed completely. It went from about 10 degrees celcius to 35 degrees! We started out late that moring and decieded to stop for a late lunch at Feltre which I had come to undersatnd was a charming small town. But there is something about reaching a quaint Italian town late in the afternoon that kills all the charm, especailly if it also happens to be a hot afternoon. Not a soul in sight, every shop and cafe was closed and the sun was blazing. Quite depressing really. We did manage to find a small modern cafe that provided some basic sandwiches to keep us going. We also crossed Belluno which is supposed to be nice to visit but it seemed like a big town and we didn't have that much time.

We arrived at our hotel Vila Cassette which is recommended by Karen Brown and is mentioned quite often on this forum for its restaurant. The place is a villa converted into a very modern boutique type hotel with just 5 rooms. Our room was basic but smart and had its own entry into the garden which was big but quite overgrown. The bathroom was superb. Bigger than the room, bathed in sunlight through a large window above the sink, with all slick fixtures, and had a hip tub that was built below the floor level and was accompanied by an enormous shower stall. Breakfast was a bit boring and coffee dissapointing. But the town is wonderful. It is everything a small to medium sized Italian town should be - beautiful buildings around 3 large piazzas, several small streets with small shops and designer boutiques and cafes leading to the piazzas, lots of outdoor cafes with loud, well dressed Italians sipping their wines and cappucinos. It is a wonderful combination of old world charm and modern buzz. Very Italian. The only problem was that given that we were already full swing into summer (although it was only mid June), the activity and buzz in the town did not really pick up till about 6-7 in the evenings and most restaurants did not even open until 7.30 or so which for us was a problem since with small children we are usually done and dusted for the day, dinner and all by that time. So on one day, we ate at our hotel. Food was very good indeed. The next day we managed to find a nice pizzeria in town that opened at 6.30.

We did one day trip to Asolo which is so charming. Small but lovely, on a small hill. Ate the best meal since Barbara's farm at a restaurant near the main piazza.

The next day we drove and dropped our car off at the Venice airport before getting on our flight. We got some bonus shopping on the way when we passed the Geox facory outlet. It is huge and we did well.

Now on to planning next summer with London + Devon to visit some family and then off to France? Scandanavia?...don't know yet...

Sounds like a great trip. I am sorry that your dining experience at Hisa Franko wasn´t up to snuff. I wonder if they had a chef change. We used to live in Slovenia and would go often (well, as much as possible) and always had a great experience.

Hi SloJan, Thanks a lot for all the useful information that you post on this site on Slovenia. A large part of my planning was based on your posts. Definitely the hotel in Lubljana. I think the Hisa Franco experience could also have been due to the fact that we were there quite late for lunch and they seemed to out of a lot of the stuff.

We are now thinking of combining Croatia with another trip to Slovenia but don't like the weather to be hot (given that we live in tropical Singapore where it is summer all year long!) Do you think it would be too hot there in early June? Slovenia was perfect then but the Veneto area of Italy was really too warm for us to enjoy during our few days there.

We also spent time in Cortina last September; had excellent weather, loved the town center, restaurants, hiking and area lakes. I highly recommend it...but at the same time hope that it doesn't get too overrun with tourists! Our room looked right across at the mountain range and at a sharp angle, we could see the old olympic stadium. it was awesome...

June could be 30 degrees. Is that too hot? Generally, the coast will have a fresh breeze (in June) so will be nicer. Don´t wait too much longer though b/c July is far too crowded.

Hi Slojan, Yes I think 30 degrees celcius is hotter than we'd like. Given that it is always summer here (we only moved to S'pore a year ago), we quite look forward to cooler weather when we are on holiday. Let me see if I can work out a trip at a different time of year.

Also,I have to say getting into Slovenia was not easy from here. So that is another thing that needs to be done better before the next trip. We flew BA and the only flight to L'jana from London is from Gatwick. So we had to after a 13 hour flight, pick up our checked in bags, take a train first, then a bus to Gatwick. It was quite tough with the kids and all the suitcases. Lots of plan...