MEDD

It may feel a bit like wandering through Venice on this walking tour of historic Koper that meanders through narrow alleys opening onto picturesque squares of Venetian Gothic architecture. Near the grandiose Praetorian Palace on Tito Square, stop at a café where locals have been gathering for coffee and conversation since the 1800s. After fueling up, you will be ready to visit landmarks such as the 12th-century Cathedral of Mary's Assumption, home to stunning artworks including a 15th-century sarcophagus of Koper's patron saint.

Drive through the picturesque Karst region of Slovenia to the renowned Lipica Stud Farm. Founded in 1580, the facility has nurtured the tradition of breeding thoroughbred Lipizzaner horses, established its own classical riding school and successfully performed with its horses at various equestrian events all over the world. You will experience the elegance of these majestic animals as you watch a training session or performance by white stallions and take a tour of the stables. You will also enjoy a carriage ride through the beautiful grounds, stopping in a scenic meadow for a picnic.

On this delightful tour, you will enjoy breathtaking views of leafy Ljubljana’s historic city center from a glass cable car that takes you to the city’s medieval hilltop fortress. Wander a maze of pedestrian-only cobblestone streets to admire spectacular 17th- and 18th-century buildings and churches and stop for photos on one of the beautiful bridges that cross the Ljubljana River, which intersects the city center. After lunch at a 19th-century inn, drive to the fairy-tale setting of Lake Bled.

Travel to the bucolic Slovenian countryside, one of the few places in the world where truffles grow, for an intriguing truffle hunt and wine tasting. On your picturesque drive, you will pass hilltop towns and verdant valleys before arriving at a family-owned winery perched on a hill overlooking slopes covered with 60,000 vines and surrounded by olive trees. After a welcome reception, join truffle experts and their hunting dogs and set off to explore this remarkable landscape on foot as you search for this precious ingredient.

After tendering from the yacht, you’ll board a zodiac right at the pier for an exhilarating exploration of the Bay of Kotor. The small boat will whisk you past the tall, dramatic cliffs for which the bay is so famous, and take you out to the open waters of the Adriatic. A series of sea caves are carved into the coast of the Lustica peninsula, the most famous of which is the Blue Cave. You’ll be able to swim from the boat into the formation to see how the rays of the sun illuminate its nine-meter-tall vaulted ceiling in blue hues.

This fascinating epicurean adventure takes you to a traditional bakery in Qormi, renowned on the island of Malta for its breadmaking using traditional wood-fired ovens. After learning about the unique ingredients and both modern and traditional tools used in the process, you will be ready to try the hobza tal-Malti – Maltese bread fresh from the oven – as well as delicious cakes and baked sweets. Then you will journey through the lovely countryside to Hemsija, where a farmer and a winemaker will discuss Maltese farming and viticulture and treat you to a tasting of island wine.

The possible sighting of an occasional automobile is the only reminder of the modern world as you stroll through Mdina, the Silent City of Malta. Exploring the churches and palazzos framing narrow alleyways, you will feel as if a moment has been frozen in time in this 8th-century walled town that once served as the nation's capital. Take a tour of Palazzo Falson, a 13th-century medieval palace modeled after Sicilian examples of its time. Then travel to Naxxar to visit Palazzo Parisio, situated across from the beautiful 17th-century Church of the Nativity of Mary.

Your guide meets you at the yacht pier for your informative walk around the clifftop city built in the 16th century by the Knights of St. John. Begin by taking the lift up to the Upper Barracca Gardens, whose high perch provides panoramic views of Malta’s two natural harbors and the trio of historic cities – Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa – that predate Valletta. Then follow your guide down the narrow streets that laid out in a neat, uniform grid by European military engineers.

At Malta’s megalithic temples, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, travel back in time more than 6,000 years as you explore these prehistoric monuments that are among the world’s earliest free-standing stone structures. Marvel at the diversity of architectural styles and the artistic and technological sophistication of an ancient culture exhibited in the Tarxien Temples and the Hypogeum in Paola.