Idrija

A UNESCO protected town due to its mercury and lace making heritage

Idrija

Idrija is a lovely town situated in western Slovenia that comes highly recommended. But what’s more, it’s also the location of a UNESCO protected ancient mercury mine. Back in 1490, a tub maker soaking his tub in a creek discovered droplets of strange shiny material, which turned out to be mercury. Idrija soon became the oldest Slovenian mining town, which used to supply Europe with this valuable liquid metal. Today, this hidden gem is a museum where visitors can descend into the subterranean world along the trail of Idrija’s miners and marvel at the town’s precious mining tradition. Legend has it, a mine elf called Perkmandlc (if you can pronounce it) still resides deep in the underground. Idrija’s mercury mine museum is exceptionally educational and fun and should definitely be visited when in the area. Besides the mercury heritage, Idrija is famous for its exceptional lace making, which has also been listed under UNESCO’s protection.It’s also a superb basecamp for exploring the wider area.

Ivana

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R Spencer

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The service provided by this company is first class. Our agent, Marusa was superb in terms of her communication, her suggestions and recommendations and brilliant organisation of our trip. Had we tied to organise for ourselves we would almost certainly have missed things out through lack of knowledge. Everything worked so well that we were able to make the most of our first wonderful visit to this beautiful, friendly and hospitable country. We loved it.

Jorrit van Gelder

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Very helpful travel agency. Great contact who always replied swiftly and adequately. They deliver as promised!

Harrie Boonen

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Slovenia Holidays / World Discovery ( travel agent Grega) arranged a one week travel program for us in Slovenia, combining our own wishes of some hiking and nature experiences, some sea-, city- and country-side visits and his own suggestions (Ljubljana food tour, Planina cave spelunking with personal guide, etc.). The process around customising the itinerary and perfecting it went very smooth. He arranged tickets, guides and a rental car, all accessible through a neat app, and the plan turned out to fit very well, including a rental car upgrade to accommodate larger then anticipated suitcases. We had not heard so much about Slovenia beforehand, but it is amazing, as are its people, food, culture and not least its diverse nature, its exceptional gorges and caves.

Chris Jukes

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Slovenia Holidays did a fantastic job in putting together an eight-day, tailor-made tour for our small group. We had an amazing time and highly enjoyed all elements of our trip – including tour of Ljubljana, gorge hiking, visiting Slovenia’s famous caves, alpine views, hot air balloon ride, beautiful coastal town of Piran and, of course, delicious food and wine 😊. Our holiday agent – Grega - was a pleasure to work with and ensured our holiday covered the key locations and experiences Slovenia has to offer. The tour was a perfect introduction of Slovenia – beautiful and diverse country. We enjoyed everything, well organised and felt in safe hands. Our guide – Sanda - was a good match for us and tuned into our relaxed attitude. We would highly recommend Slovenia Holidays to anyone wishing to discover and explore real Slovenia.

Susan Mulready

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Our private Hike and Bike tour was nothing short of amazing! We had a fantastic holiday, and Tomaz, our guide, went out of his way to ensure everything went smoothly. He was knowledgeable, punctual, entertaining, reliable, experienced... the perfect guide! It was a pleasure to indulge in such a breathtakingly beautiful country. Thank you, Ivana and Grega, for arranging our trip professionally and efficiently.

Carol Thomson

Verified Customer

Slovenia Holidays provided a great experience for us. There was a good balance between planned activity and free time. Our guide Ivana was not only knowledgeable but very friendly and helpful as well. We fell in love with Slovenia and look forward to going back. When we do we will use Slovenia Holidays again!