You will have an opportunity to explore this interesting land, where traces of Jewish history can be found, also discovering Austro-Hungarian traditions and specialities.
Slovenia is a small country bordering on Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary, enriched by astonishing landscapes and by many small towns, each of them hiding a special own history. Jewish presence in these lands is documented since the 12th century, when many Jewish communities arrived there from Germanic and Italian areas, searching refuge from crusaders. The Jewish community of Maribor was the largest and the most developed one, and some of the members were also owners of mills and vineyards, which was quite unusual at that time. From this community, we can still see today the Medieval synagogue, one of the oldest existing in Europe.
Even if the Jewsh were repeatedly expelled from Slovenian territories up to the second half of th 19th century, the strongest Jewish communities until the II World War were in Lendava and Murska Sobota (the latest was, from 1929 on, the main community for Slovenia), but small groups could be also found in Istria coast towns.
During the Nazi persecution many Jews became Shoah victims, and those who saved from concentration camps joined the partisan units, as in other parts of Europe.
Unfortunately, there are not many members left from the Slovenian Jewish community, because the majority of them moved abroad, mainly to Israel, after the II World War. The largest Jewish presence can be found in Ljubljana, the beautiful capital city of Slovenia.
A tour through lands yet not much explored allows to combine the discovery of important historical memories with a peculiar culture derived from mixing and melting of Slav, German and Hungarian worlds, and offers a journey through landscapes enriched by woods, hills, and wide antique charming country sides.
TOUR PROGRAM
DAY 1 – LJUBLJANA
Morning departure from Trieste to Lubiana; on the way, visit to the beautiful Postojna Caves. Lunch. In Ljubljana, guided tour through the historical centre, with particular attention to the Židovska cesta (Jewish street) and Židovska steza (Jewish path), where the Medieval ghetto once stood.Dinner. Overnight in Ljubljana.
DAY 2 – PTUJ – LENDAVA
Breakfast. Transfer to Ptuj for a guided tour through the beautiful town, where Jewish traces yet from th 14th century can be found. Lunch. Transfer to Lendava, small town near the Hungarian border, where still can be seen a synagogue, the building where once the school was located, and the Jewish cemetery. Dinner. Overnight in Lendava.
DAY 3 – MURSKA SOBOTA – MARIBOR
Breakfast. Transfer for guided tour to Murska Sabota, where the largest Jewish community of Slovenia existed between 1st and 2nd World Wars, and evidences can be found in the Jewish museum. Transfer to Maribor. Lunch. Guided tour through the city, where can be seen the medieval synagogue, one of most important Jewish monuments of Slovenia. Dinner. Overnight in Maribor.
DAY 4 – KLAGENFURT – BLED
Breakfast. Transfer to Klagenfurt (Austria) for a guided tour of city center. Transfer to Bled. Lunch. During the afternoon, visit to Bled lake. Dinner. Overnighgt in Bled.
DAY 5 – CIVIDALE – GORIZIA
Breakfast. Transfer to Cividale (Italy), old location of the first Longobard duchy in Italy, visit of the area where ghetto was located, and visit of the National Archaeological Museum where gravestones recovered from the ancient Jewish cemetery are preserved. Lunch. Transfer toGorizia, where visits will be organized to the synagogue and to the Jewish cemetery of Rožna Dolina (located in Slovenian territory). Transfer to Trieste; on the way, stop in the Carso area for tasting wine and typical farm products. Dinner. Overnight in Trieste.
DAY 6 –
Breakfast. Departure
This is suggested itinerary for individuals and groups, prices are on request, please email number of people, dates and we will provide you a quote. These are very popular for synagogue groups and can be combined as a stopover on the way to/from Israel. We can also arrange a shabbat with Jewish community on request of the group.