Croatia’s Istrian Riviera & Lake Bled

Enjoy elegance and grandeur on the blue Adriatic, Roman glories, stunning scenery and one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes.

Amphitheatre, Pula

Volosko Volonsko Day One – Fly to Croatia or Italy Upon arrival in Venice or Pula, transfer to your hotel, travelling briefly into Slovenia then on into Croatia if transferring from Italy and arriving in Lovran, set on the Kvarner Gulf, in a sun-kissed corner of the Adriatic Sea. Day Two – At leisure in Lovran Today is free to enjoy the facilities and explore the delights of Lovran. A popular destination for the nobility of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Lovran has a rich history dating back to the Roman era and is the perfect destination for peace and tranquillity. Sit and relax with a drink in St George’s square and people-watch.

Day Three – Included Istrian Peninsula

excursion The first of the included tours, taken in the company of our friendly tour manager, takes in some of the beauty of the adjacent Istrian peninsular. Highlights will include bustling Pula, the provincial capital famed for its vast Roman amphitheatre, the immense arches of which tower over the city’s port and ancient centre. You’ll also discover the remarkable Lim Fjord, a wooded natural gash in the coastline and legendary one-time hideaway of the pirate Captain Morgan. You’ll visit stunning Rovinj, which rises Venice-like out of the water and is topped by a beautiful Baroque church. Climb through the narrow streets, which lead ever upwards, to enjoy the tremendous view, before returning to the harbour front below, perhaps to enjoy a welldeserved ice-cream!

Day Four – Included Slovenia and Lake

Bled excursion Today’s long but memorable excursion journeys north through scenic countryside into Slovenia, past the country’s capital Ljubljana, to beautiful Lake Bled. Ringed by forested hills and looking out across the usually still waters to an off-shore island crowned by its Gothic church, Bled is a wonderfully appointed resort town surrounded by the delights of nature. You’ll have views of Bled Castle, which overlooks the town from a lofty perch on the opposite shore, before spending time enjoying the lakeside resort. Enjoy a pleasant lunch (payable locally), or

Available Apr to Jul, Sep & Oct 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Birmingham £1,225 • Bristol £1,139 • Glasgow £1,125 • Gatwick £1,109 • Luton £1,175 • Manchester £1,159 • Stansted £1,075

Personalise your holiday

• Two Islands Boat Cruise (full day) – from £75 • Postojna Caves & Predjama Castle (full day) – from £54 Room for Sole Use from £185

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour and 20 minutes from Pula airport and three hours from Venice airport. Italy

Lake Bled

Venice

Rovinj

Pula Slovenia

Lovran Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park

• Enjoy a weeks stay in elegant Lovran, former

Hapsburg dynasty retreat • Explore the beautiful Istrian Peninsula on an unforgettable included tour • Discover Roman Pula’s stunning amphitheatre • Visit picture-perfect Rovinj, with its old town perched on a picturesque headland • Visit exquisite Lake Bled, Slovenia’s most charming attraction • See the stunning waterfalls and breathtaking scenery in the Plitvice National Park • The chance to visit the beautiful islands of

Krk and Cres on an optional tour • Seven nights’ carefully chosen four-star dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation • Return flights to Venice or Pula, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

travel tips...

Climb the 99 steps of the pilgrimage church on the island in the middle of Lake Bled for a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

Gondolas on Lake Bled Lake Bled Rovinj

perhaps take a gondola across to the island with its Baroque church (payable locally). The energetic can row themselves! You’ll return to Lovran this evening in time for dinner.

Day Five – At leisure, or optional Krk and Cres

islands excursion Rest and relax in the hotel and its surroundings, or join today’s optional tour by boat to two contrasting islands lying off the beautiful Croatian coast. Board your vessel for the day in Opatija and head across the blue waters first to Krk, the largest of the Kvarner Gulf island group, where main Krk Town was once a Roman bastion. Across a narrow strait, slightly smaller Cres is less inhabited than its neighbour, with the fishing port and historic town Beli charmingly set on a hilltop overlooking its picturesque harbour. An enjoyable day is added to by the provision by the vessel’s crew of a traditional fish-picnic.

Day Six – Included Tour of Plitvice National

Park The last of the included excursions heads inland to what is justifiably Croatia’s most celebrated and most visited natural attraction. Sixteen separate bodies of water are backed by breathtaking scenery, and linked by a series of rushing waterfalls and rapids, which tumble down the ancient, time-weathered terraces. Journeying through the beautiful scenery of Croatia’s interior, you’ll spend time exploring the park on foot before returning to Lovran this evening.

Day Seven – At leisure, or optional Postojna

Caves and Predjama Castle excursion Spend a final day in the hotel or Lovran, or join a final tour, crossing the border once again into Slovenia and the rolling Karst region, which has lent its name to anywhere in the world where underground streams and caves are found. Today you’ll visit the giant chasm at Postojna, travelling by train some two miles underground, then walking with a personal ‘audio-guide’ through a wonderfully illuminated nether world of stalactites and stalagmites, where the strange ‘human fish’ – a tiny amphibian – lives out its sightless life. After a fascinating visit you’ll journey on to historic Predjama Castle, magically built into a sheer cliff face, with its upper floor stairwells carved from the bedrock. You’ll return to enjoy dinner and your last evening in Lovran, no doubt reflecting on a wonderful and relaxing break in one of Europe’s most scenic corners. Day Eight – Fly back to the UK Bid farewell to your warm and welcoming hosts this morning as you transfer to the airport for the return flight to the UK, after a wonderful stay in a delightful corner of the world.

your hotel

Hotel Excelsior, Lovran HHHH Half-Board

Ringed by trees and facing the Adriatic Sea, this sleek hotel encompasses an expansive outdoor saltwater swimming pool and offers access to the sea. There is an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, an on-site spa and tennis courts. Guests can enjoy cocktails on the bar’s outdoor terrace, which looks out over the Opatija Riviera. Air-conditioned, modern guestrooms, with views of the surrounding parklands or Lovran village, feature mini-bars, TVs, telephone, hairdryers, and free Wi-Fi.

Hotel Excelsior

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The Plitvice Lakes are Croatria’s most-visited attraction, and it’s easy to see why. With a host of waterfalls and rapids coupled with stunning scenery, you’ll marvel at the biodiversity at the heart of the country.

Hotel Excelsior Plitvice Lakes