Day 1 Ljubljana
We meet in Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital, with time to enjoy the magnificent buildings, bridges and pathways which give the city a unique and unequalled charm. Especially noteworthy are the enchanting Triple Bridge and Market Colonnade. We enjoy an aperitif before an Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner.

Day 2 Spodnij Idrija
An early start brings us to the Black Lake, home to two hundred species of birds such as corncrake, lapwing and field-lark. We walk along the shoreline and lunch at a family-run restaurant and museum. We visit the Postojna Caves, where a cave train takes us to the Great Mountain, Predjama Castle. It is as unforgettable as it is improbable, pressed into a huge cavern, hollowed out of the high, flat rock face…wondrously composed of tower-like structures.

Day 3 Spodnij Idrija
A beautiful meander with views to the Julian Alps. We pass hamlets and farms in an open landscape as the locals tend their gardens and cut the summer hay. After lunch in a small town we continue to attractive Idrija with its 16th-century Castle and famous lace school.

Day 4 Bohinjsko Jezero
We walk to the vivid blue-green Wild Lake admiring, enroute, Kamst, reputed to be Europe's largest waterwheel. We leave the Soca Valley and catch a local train into Bohinj in the National Park. Mostly a dairy farming community, the countryside is an abundance of wildflowers and hay meadows. We visit the Church of St John the Baptist, one of the most brilliantly frescoed churches in Europe.

Days 5 Bohinjsko Jezero
A ferry takes us to the western end of Lake Bohinj, where the 190-ft Savica Waterfall majestically tumbles into the water below. We walk beside the lake and on through delightful historic villages; we visit the museum of Alpine Cheese Making and a 17th-century farm-house. Hayracks, called toplars and unique to Slovenia, are scattered across the landscape.

Day 6 Bled

We walk from the picturesque hamlet of Kupljenik, enjoying grand views of Lake Bled and the surrounding countryside, through woods and fields to the pretty village of Na Peche. On to enchanting Lake Bled and our hotel situated on its shore. A walk around the lake to visit Bled Castle is followed by Afternoon Tea on the terrace.

Day 7 Bled
We walk to the stunning Vintgar Gorge, a 500-ft high defile accessible via a continuous chain ofgantries and bridges to a waterfall, and on to a village lunch. A local bee-keeper demonstrates the ancient art of honey production and we walk on through open country to Bled, in time to take a late afternoon cruise to Bled Island.

Day 8
After breakfast, we return to Ljubljana for our onward connections - or to spend more time in the capital.