Welcome to Opatija dear women

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Accommodation in 5* Milenij hotel in Opatija

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Day 1 - PICK-UP IN ZAGREB

• arrival and pick up from the airport, shuttle to Milenij Hotel in Opatija, 

• Check-in at the stunning period hotel, on the waterfront.

• Get to know Jana, your personal tour leader and learn more about our 10-day cultural and culinary vacation.

• Walk to a traditional restaurant to enjoy a welcome group dinner in the heart of Volosko

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Day 2 EXPLORING OPATIJA AND ITS SURROUNDS

• After breakfast we’ll stroll through Opatija’s colorful market to shop for fresh seasonal food and you’ll have the opportunity to practice a little bit of Croatian.

• Next, we walk a part of a costal promenade, lungomare, to the neighboring Lovran, dotted with elegant villas from the Austro-Hungarian period to Ucka nature park (taxies) for a late lunch

• We’ll indulge in a leisurely lunch of the scrumptious dishes of wild game the region is famous for

• We walk back through beautiful nature of the region with vistas of the Kvarner bay, to burn off the calories and to fill our lungs with crisp, fresh air

• The late afternoon and evening of wellness and leisure Hotel Milenij is famous for. Solitude, wellness or music, the choice is yours. Or perhaps, all of it! Why not?

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Day 3 DISCOVER THE FASCINATING ISLAND CRES, AND A LOCAL WOOL DESIGNER VESNA JAKIC ( from the fleece of the sheep to felt)

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• After breakfast we visit a beautiful island Cres (a short ferry ride) with our private driver, and visit the port dotted with wooden boats. We spend the morning in Vesna's workshop, learning about felting process from the very beginning and the importance of sustainability and the preservation of traditional practices.

•    We continue to Lubenice  for an afternoon of stepping back to the past and an extraordinary meal with wine, in a rustic restaurant serving local gastronomical specialties with an outstanding view of the Adriatic.

• A beer in my friend's Bruna  Konoba, overlooking the Adriatic is a must! You can relax or wander around this magnificent coastal area -a popular location for taking photographs, by both professionals and amateurs alike.

 Return to Opatija and overnight

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Day 4 A DAY AT LEISURE

• after breakfast, you spend a day at leisure, doing what your heart desires, using the facilities of our extraordinary Milenij hotel, or getting lost in company of your new founded friends.

• For dinner, we walk a promenade  to a nearby seafood restaurant of neighboring Volosko for a night of fabulous food, friendship and vistas. 

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Day 5 MEDEIVAL ISTRIA AND SAN CENSIAN

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• After breakfast, we’re off to San Censian, located in the centre of Istria, a small town called Buje (BOOYE) and on our way we stop in Kotli and  Hum, the smallest town on the planet.

• We visit quaint, little shops and galleries and try some organic wine, enjoy aperitivos as we sample cheeses, salami, and local extra virgin olive oil.

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• We have lunch in a traditional Konoba/Tavern, sampling local dishes of pasta with truffles (plentiful), cheese, prosciutto as well as dare to sample a local dish/drink called  Supica (wine soaked with bread)

• After our big lunch In Hum we are on our way to Buje, stopping in Oprtalj, a medieval town perched on a hill overlooking a valley to wonder its streets, bask in the view and to shop or just admire unique souvenirs all made locally.

•  Upon settling in our accommodation in San Censian, you may choose to enjoy dinner or an aperitif at one of the many authentic restaurants and wine bars in Buje

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Day 6 TRADITIONAL COOKING COURSE

• After leisurely breakfast and early morning guided walks around the gardens we embark on a traditional cooking course and a guided walk around the gardens of San Censian

• Guided by Jana's friend Dana, a licensed tour guide of Istria we visit the most famous and beloved spot in upper Istria, Motovun, a large fortified village with a population of roughly 500, and which is home to an annual film festival that pulls in movie lovers from across the world. 

• Ancient Slavic gods, prehistoric monuments, energy lines, giants, witches, and vampires are just some of the stories you will hear from Dana while taking our time to explore the  medieval hillside hamlets with cobbled streets; Motovun, Grožnjan, Opatalj, Pazin, Pičan, and Kringa.

• dinner in one of the traditional, local restaurants

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Day 7 SPECTACULAR SLOVENIA

• After breakfast, we leave for our last destination, heading for Slovenia, magnificent and spectacular, Lake Bled.

• On our way, we stop in Ljubljana, a capital of Slovenia for lunch with my friend Tamara, my former fellow Wellingtonian, on a guided tour of the city centre.

• In the afternoon, we continue our drive to our last stopover, magnificent Lake Bled.

• dinner and overnight in Old Lake Bled House.

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Day 8,9 WINDING DOWN IN OUR BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDS

In our last two days days together, we enjoy the magnificent scenery and the hospitality of Slovenians

Glorious food, stunning accommodation, wine tasting, guided tours and a couple of surprises...

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Day 10 Our Istrian Tour concludes. Depart for Zagreb airport.

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