Day 2: Portorož - Soča Valley - Bovec - Julian Alps - Predil Pass - Bled

Between the coast and Julian Alps flows Soča (Isonzo in Italian), the clear, greenish blue river that carved its way into the white limestone of the magnificent Julian Alps forming a valley of lavish colours.

One cannot imagine this fairy-tale valley was the scene of the bloodiest battles during the WW I, also described by Ernest Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms when he served here as a volunteer ambulance driver.

Stop for rafting and a snack in Bovec.

In the afternoon continue over Predil Pass into Italy only to return again to Slovenia within minutes. Pass by the world's highest ski jump and over Kranjska Gora ski resort where men's Alpine Skiing World Cup is held every year. Continue along Triglav National Park, a region of numerous valleys and plateaux covered by green forests and meadows and high mountain peaks rising above them.

In the vicinity is Slovenia's pearl, Bled, a tourist resort by a lake of tectonic origin. In the middle of the lake is a small island with a Pilgrimage Church and on top of a 130-metre cliff overlooking lake Bled lies an 11th century fortified castle. You will be taken to the island on the lake in a traditional wooden row boat Pletna.