ACCOMPANYING PERSONS

The Accompanying Persons Programme includes tours and visits to four popular tourist places. All official social events are also included in the accompanying persons registration fee.

Visit 1: Skofja Loka
The lovely town of Skofja Loka, located at the confluence of the two Sora rivers with its imposing castle, attests to the rich and turbulent history of this area.
Archaeological discoveries in the region bear witness to a pre-Christian settlement.
In the Late Middle Ages Skofja Loka was a strong handicrafts centre and an important station on the road between the Adriatic coast and the Carinthian and Bavarian towns.
The castle, which overlooks the town, is today a museum and the site of permanent exhibitions and cultural events. Also many other buildings in the town bear witness to a thousand years of religious faith and the cultural and artistic endeavors. The old town centre still offers numerous sights of interest, now restored to their former brilliance. The visitor will also be attracted to the many works of art in the local churches as well as by the diversity of the unspoiled natural scenery.

Visit 2: Kranjska gora and Planica (optional)
Kranjska gora and Planica lie in one of our most beautiful alpine valleys, the Valley of the Upper Sava river, in the utmost Northwestern part of Slovenia, close to our borders with both Austria and Italy. This narrow valley, mysterious and romantic, lying between magnificent mountain peaks of the Julian Alps, gave rise to numerous legends and fairy tales. Nowadays Kranjska gora represents an important winter sports centre renowned for the World Alpine Ski Championships. At Planica ski jump Ski Jumping Championships are held every year. Nevertheless, the secretive forests and fresh mountain air attract lovers of sport and recreation all year round. Some nearby folkloristic villages, like Podkoren with beautifully preserved, typical Alpine houses, could be a starting point for excursions into nature.

Visit 3: Bohinj (Lake and surroundings)
With its lake and surroundings, Bohinj is one of those natural wonders with which Slovenia has been generously endowed. There is so much beauty to be found between the pools of the Sava down in the valley and the mountain peaks above. Among Bohinj's greatest riches are its waters. They enchant us as they tumble and race into the great Lake Bohinj. The journey will take us along its shores to the waterfall Savica, that can be reached by foot in about twenty minutes.
The way of life of the people of Bohinj is in many ways still tied to traditions that stretch back hundreds of years.The architectural heritage of old Bohinj is still visible in some of the well-preserved homesteads - alpine cottages with balconies and shingle roofs.

The rural churches are an essential element of the cultural landscape of Slovenia, and they adorn many villages. The most precious sacred building is the Church of St John, which stands in the heart of Bohinj. Together with the bridge at the head of the lake this church is Bohinj's most famous and celebrated symbol. The Gothic church dates from the 15th century, while the belfry and altars are Baroque.

Visit 4: Kropa (optional)
Kropa is an old iron-forging place with a 500-year-old tradition, where hundreds of types of nails were hand made for centuries until the modern technology was introduced.
In fact, the oldest forge in Europe was found at Kropa, situated in the foothills of Slovenia's Julian Alps. Possibly all decorative ironwork could be traced back to this small, picturesque hamlet. The first ironworking had begun under the auspices of the German/Austrian Habsburg rulers and ironworking flourished for centuries under the protection of the Habsburg Empire.
The little town kept its original appearance and you’ll be able to visit the small
museum showing the very particular nail production and the way of life of
the past.