SCD in Slovenia! Enjoy dancing and explore the mysterious underground world of Slovenia and the beautiful lagoons of Venice!
Scottish Country Dance Weekendfor advanced and intermediate dancers
19 – 21 August 2016
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Pat Houghton (teacher)
Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith (musicians)
Optional tourist programme
21 – 30 August 2016
Ljubljana, Bled, Postojna, Predjama, Skocjan, Idrija, Maribor, Piran, Portoroz, Lipica and Venice
You are welcome to join an optional tourist programme of 6+3 days following the weekend course.
Scottish Country Dance Weekend, 19 – 21 August 2016 All classes and evening dances
Accommodation for two nights at the selected 4-star hotel in standard room (two persons sharing a room). The hotels are situated in the heart of Ljubljana and they belong to the same hotel chain. The dance venue is in the Grand Union Hotel ****. The Union Business Hotel **** is connected with the Grand Union Hotel. The Central Hotel **** is in the same street as the Grand Union Hotel and the Union Business Hotel and it is about 5-minute walk from them. The Hotel Lev **** is about 10-minute walk from the venue.
Full board, including 2 breakfasts, 2 coffee breaks (coffee, tea, water) in the morning intervals, 2 light lunches and 2 dinners
Guided sightseeing tour in Ljubljana
Free use of the hotels’ pool, saunas and wellness facilities. The main wellness area is on the top floor of Union Business Hotel and it is free of charge for everybody, regardless which of the four hotels you are staying.
Hotels:
Grand:Business:Lev:Central:
Early prices, paid up to 31 January 2016:
370 € (265 £) / 450 € (325 £)360 € (260 £) / 435 € (315 £)345 € (250 £) / 405 € (295 £)325 € (235 £) / 375 € (270 £)
Normal prices,paid after 31 January 2016:
390 € (280 £) / 470 € (340 £)380 € (275 £) / 455 € (330 £)360 € (260 £) / 425 € (305 £)340 € (245 £) / 395 € (285 £)
Non-dancing price: - 45 € (30 £) (it can be deducted from any of the above listed prices)
*All prices are per person.**Red and black prices are on 2-share basis. Green prices are single room prices.
Grand Union Hotel, Ljubljana **** Triple Bridge, Ljubljana
Friday19th
Saturday20th
Sunday21st
Breakfast BreakfastArrival Class/ coffee
break / classClass/ coffee break / class
Arrival Lunch LunchRegistration Sightseeing in
Ljubljana2
Dinner DinnerWelcome dance Ball
Tourist programme 21 – 27 August 2016, Aaccommodation for 6 nights at the selected 4-star hotel in standard room (two persons
sharing a room)
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches (one lunchbox) and 4 dinners
Half-day trip to Lake Bled, including a pletna boat ride to the islet in the middle of the lake
One-day excursion to Idrija Mercury Mine, Idrija Museum and Franja Partisan Hospital
One-day excursion to Skocjan Cave and Lipica Horse Farm
One-day excursion to the Adriatic towns of Piran and Portoroz (salt pan spa in Portoroz)
One-day excursion to Postojna Cave and Predjama Cave Castle
One-day excursion to Maribor, including wine tasting and a unique rafting on the Drava River
Transfers and entrance fees to all programmes; treatments at Portoroz Salt Pan Spa to be paid separately (spa is weather permitting)
Guides and audio guides in Postojna Cave and in Predjama Cave Castle
Hotels:
Grand:Business:Lev:Central:
Early prices, paid up to 31 January 2016:
880 € (630 £) / 1.120 € (800 £)860 € (615 £) / 1.090 € (780 £)790 € (565 £) / 970 € (690 £)750 € (535 £) / 890 € (635 £)
Normal prices,paid after 31 January 2016:
900 € (645 £) / 1.140 € (815 £)880 € (630 £) / 1.110 € (795 £)810 € (580 £) / 990 € (705 £)770 € (550 £) / 910 € (650 £)
*All prices are per person.**Red and black prices are on 2-share basis. Green prices are single room prices.
Sunday21st
Monday22nd
Tuesday23rd
Wednesday
24th
Thursday25th
Friday26th
Saturday 27th
Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast BreakfastPiran sightseeing
Skocjan cave visit
Idrija Mercury mine + museum
Postojna cave visit
Maribor sightseeing + timber rafting
Travel to Venice orleaving for home
Lunch Lunch Lunch - Lunch Box lunchFree time +Lake Bled, pletna ride to islet
Portoroz beach or spa at salt pan
Lipica horse farm visit + horse show
Franja Partisan Hospital
Predjama cave castle visit
Maribor wine tasting
Dinner - Dinner - Dinner Dinner
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Tourist programme 27 – 30 August 2016, Accommodation for 3 nights at the 4-star Hotel Bonvecchiati**** in Venice, Italy, in
standard room (two persons sharing a room). The hotel is just behind St Mark’s square.
3 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners
Guided sightseeing in Venice including visits to St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace
Transfer to the hotel by water taxis, entrance fees
One-hour gondola ride on the beautiful canals
“The Story of Venice” English language theatre performance in Teatro San Gallo (audio guides in 8 more languages are available)
Early price: 650 € (460 £) paid up to 31 January 2016Normal price: 670 € (475 £) paid after 31 January 2016Single room price: + 420 € (300 £)
*All prices are per person.**Red and black prices are on 2-share basis. Green prices are single room prices.
Optional programme on 28 August:
La Fenice Opera House: DONIZETTI - L’ELISIR D’AMORE (The Elixir of Love). For prices, please see: http://fenice.artacom.it/biglietteria/listaEventiPub.do?codice=elisir&data=20160827&lingua=eng
Prices: from 38.5 to 205 EUR depending on the seat. Subject to availability. Early booking is advised.
Venice, Rialto Bridge Venice, gondolas
Saturday27th
Sunday28th
Monday29th
Tuesday30th
Breakfast Breakfast BreakfastVenicesightseeing
Venicesightseeing
Leaving for home
Lunch -Gondola ride + free time
Free time Free time
Dinner - DinnerTeatro San Gallo: The Story of Venice
Optional opera performance
Free time
Application4
The event is organised by Katalin Konya. You can apply by completing and sending the attached application form to the following email address: [email protected]
Payment
Please send an email to the above email address for the payment details. Payment is possible in EUR and in GBP. All bank charges must be paid by the applicant.
Please note that the prices are fixed in EUR therefore payments made in GBP may be subject to adjustment to EUR - GBP exchange rate of the Bank of England applicable on 1 July 2016.
Cancellation
In the unfortunate event that you must withdraw, please note the cancellation policy:
90% of your total participation fee will be repaid if you cancel before 31 March 2016 or you can transfer your fee to a new applicant.
50% of the participation fee will be repaid if you cancel before 1 June 2016. We will not be able to repay participation fees if cancellation is received after this date.
Please make sure you have adequate insurance coverage for all eventualities.
Piran Lake Bled
Maribor, Old Vine Lipizzaner horses
APPLICATION FORM5
Please fill one application form per person or use one form for a group of applicants with the same requirements.
Name(s): …………………………………………………………………………………………
Email: ………………………………………………………………………………………….
Postal address: ………………………………………………………………………………………….
Telephone: …………………………………………………………………………………………..
Programmes of interest: Weekend Course, 19 – 21 August 2016
Tourist Programme , 21 – 27 August 2016
Tourist Programme , 27 – 30 August 2016
Hotel: Grand Business Lev Central
Room type: Double
Twin
Single
Share the room with: …………………………………………………………………………………………..
Meal type: Normal
Vegetarian
Other: (please specify) ………………………………………………………………..
T-shirt size: Lady: S M L XL XXL
Man: S M L XL XXL
Optional opera performance on 28 August: Yes (please indicate the price range) No
Comments:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Applications will be granted on a first come first served basis. We will confirm your application and send you the details on the payment of the fee.
I understand that the organiser is under no liability whatsoever in respect of any personal loss or injury which I may sustain and I agree to conform to any regulations which may be made.
Please send this application form to the following email address:
Slovenia belonged to the federation of the former Yugoslavia. While it was part of the central monarchy, Slovenians attained their own republic within the federation. This self-managing socialism
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was called “Titoism” after the Yugoslav leader Josip Tito. The system was based on social property and open borders and was a unique mixture of East and West. Tito was successful in preventing internal conflicts but after his death in 1980, the tensions grew and the federation was falling apart. Slovenia succeeded in achieving independence in 1990. Now, Slovenia is a member of the EU.
Slovenia has a population of 2 million. It is a Central European, as well as an Alpine, a Mediterranean, a Pannonian and a Karst country. Its transitional geographical position denotes its landscape and biodiversity. Torrential rivers cut deep and picturesque valleys in the Alps while karst lakes, rivers, caves interchange in the Dinaric Karst regions. Slovenia’s coastline along the warm Adriatic Sea is only 47 km (30 miles) long but it plays an important role in maritime traffic and tourism.
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and it is the heart of the country both geographically and economically. Ljubljana ranks among the smaller of European capitals with a population of 280.000 people. Ljubljana in Slovene means “beloved”.
Ljubljana sits on the banks of the Ljubljanica River. All roads in the city lead to the famous Triple Bridge over the river. The Triple Bridge is a merger of a 19th century road bridge with two 1930-s pedestrian bridges. Now, the city centre is closed from traffic so all the bridges are used by pedestrians. The famous bridge and the adjoining Preseren square is the heart of the city. The Grand Union Hotel and the Union Business Hotels are only about 50 metres from here.
The city’s mighty castle is one of its most important sights. Other sights include the Cathedral of St Nicholas, the Franciscan Church and the Dragon Bridge.
Bled, this charming resort town is famous for its beautiful lake which regularly makes the top 10 lakes of the world’s list. The reason is that the glacially formed Lake Bled is fed by pure Alpine water flows, and is, as a result wonderfully clear, bright turquoise, the moment the sun comes out. The lake has a fairy-tale-like island, the tiny site of the Church of the Assumption. The church was built in the 17th century and it is very popular for weddings. Ringing the wishing bell can help our most secret wishes come true.
Bled has Slovenia’s oldest castle, dating back to the 11th century. Perched atop a 130m (426ft) rock face, there is wonderful panorama of the lake and the Julian Alps from it. The castle is a museum now.
Idrija is known as a mining town lying above the second largest mercury mine in the world. Its history is inseparably linked to five centuries of extraction of the valued and precious metal.
Mercury – Hg (hydrargyrium) is the only metal in liquid state at room temperature on the globe and is capable of dissolving nearly all metals. Due to its exceptional density (1 litre of mercury weighs 13.56 kg), an iron ball easily floats in it. Mercury appears in two forms: as native mercury and as cinnabar ore which is typically red in colour.
The applicability of mercury was universal – it was used in the extraction of gold and silver, in medicine, cosmetics, dentistry, in the chemical and war industries and in agriculture. Its constant rate of extensibility was utilised in thermometers while its conductivity in the electricity industry.
Environmental awareness and the falling prices of mercury are the reasons why after five centuries of mining activity, the mine has been shut down. Around 10% of the world’s mercury stock has remained in the ore deposit in Idrija. Mercury was withdrawn from the industry and sales in EU member states in 2011. In 2012, the two largest mercury mines in the world (Almadén in Spain and Idrija), was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Dominating the old town is the Gewerkenegg Castle. It served as the seat of the mine’s administration and a storehouse. Today the castle houses the Idrija Municipal Museum and its permanent collection on the history of Idrija and the mercury mine. We take part at an interesting guided tour of the museum and then descend into the Anthony’s shaft of the mine.
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The Franja Partisan Hospital is a cluster of functionally arranged partisan hospital facilities located in a narrow, barely accessible gorge, which is itself a natural attraction. The hospital complex comprises 14 wooden buildings and several small auxiliary facilities which were gradually set up in the period from December 1943 to May 1945.
The Franja Partisan Hospital was one of the many field hospitals that operated in Slovenia during WWII. The hospital was among the best-equipped of clandestine partisan hospitals, with an operating room, an X-ray apparatus, an invalid care facility, and a small electric plant.
Skocjan is located in the Karst area. Its UNESCO World Heritage listed cave system consists of numerous individual chambers and channels, collapse dolines, natural and man-made bridges, sinkholes and an extraordinary underground canyon of the Reka River. The river flows 50km (31 mile) long on the surface and then sinks into the karst underground. It comes back to the surface again in Italy. The dimly illuminated footpath carved high in the side of the canyon, creates a Harry Potter-like atmosphere. The visit takes about 1.5 hours.
Lipica‘s karst village has the original stud farm of one of the oldest cultural horse breeds - the Lipizzaner. With a tradition of over 400 years, it is the oldest stud farm in the world breeding horses uninterruptedly since its establishment in 1580.
Karst horses are famous for their strength, flexibility, persistence and long lives. The beautiful white horses are born dark and due to a mutant gene, they become white at an age of 4 to 7 years.
In the 20th century, a riding school was established in the farm, resulting in successful performances at international equestrian events. We will see the performance of these elegant, noble, white horses.
Piran‘s impressive location on a narrow peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, makes it the most beautiful town of Slovenia. Piran is effectively an open air museum with its cobbled Venetian streets, tall terraced houses, medieval city wall, dramatically perched cathedral and picturesque harbour. The town is protected in its entirety as a monument of cultural heritage. Portoroz (Port of Roses) is the seaside capital of Slovenia. While not as historically beautiful as nearby Piran, it attracts many visitors by virtue of its modern, luxury hotels, casinos, fancy restaurants, a palm-tree lined promenade and a man-made sandy beach. Portoroz has a tradition of producing salt from the salt pans of its natural wetland, covering 650 ha. Sea salt has been extracted here for more than 700 years. As an optional programme in good weather, we can visit a spa at the salt pans.
Postojna cave is the “queen of the caves” and it is one of the biggest karst natural monuments of the world. It is also the most visited show caves of Europe. Nowhere else in the world there are so many karst features within a single cave system. The cave is home to about 150 species of cave animals; its most prominent member being the olm (human fish), a blind amphibian animal. Postojna cave is the only cave in the world featuring a two-track railway which gives visitors the opportunity to experience an exciting train ride through an enchanting underground landscape. During our visit, we make our way through the most spectacular parts of the cave, at first by the cave train and then on foot. The cave visit takes about 1.5 hours.
Predjama‘s cave castle is the only preserved cave castle in Europe and has been listed among the 10 most astonishing castles in the world.
Perched under a natural archway 123m (403ft) up a sheer cliff, the castle has gained a well-deserved reputation for being virtually impregnable. The fact was most popularly demonstrated in the 15th century in a more than one-year long siege, when Erasmus, a defiant knight (and a proficient robber baron) defended the castle. Thanks to a secret cave leading to the nearby village, Erasmus was able to secure a steady supply of fresh food and water. Unfortunately, for Erasmus, his luck ran out when he was betrayed by one of his servants and killed by the shot of a cannon ball while on the toilet. Nowadays, the castle serves as a museum and has been completely restored to its original grandeur.
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Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest town sits on the banks of the Drava River. Maribor has rich history and heritage and it is the regional capital of wine making and viticulture. The town was the European Capital of Culture in 2012. The people of Maribor proudly keep and nurture the Old Vine, the oldest living vine in the world, which has been growing in the city centre for more than 400 years. The vine’s exceptional age is noted in the Guiness Book of World Records as a world attraction. Besides the premium wines, Maribor has another drink worth tasting; it is its specially brewed green beer. We will have the opportunity to taste both drinks; strictly beer before wine. Maribor holds an interesting adventure for us; it is timber rafting on the Drava River. The ride is safe and calm in a pleasant atmosphere on the traditional “floating bar-like” raft with live folk music on board.
Venice is only a 2.5-hour drive from Ljubljana. Venice is built on 117 small islands, connected by some 400 bridges over 150 canals. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artwork. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. The city historically was the capital of the Republic of Venice. The Republic controlled a vast sea-empire and was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as an important centre of commerce (silk, grain, spice) and art. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history. Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic, opera music and literature. It is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi. Two of the most famous Venetian writers were Marco Polo, a merchant who voyaged to the Orient and Giacomo Casanova, the famous adventurer.
In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads and almost every form of transport is on water or on foot. The classical Venetian boat is the gondola. The main public transportation means the waterbuses (vaporetto) which ply regular routes along the Grand Canal and between the city's islands.There are numerous attractions in Venice, such as the St Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, the St Mark’s square, the La Fenice Opera House and the Doge's Palace – just to mention a few.
The Venice Film Festival starts on 31 August. We may see some film stars, too.
UNESCO World Heritage sites included in the tour:
1. City of Ljubljana – remains of prehistoric pile dwelling (2011)2. Skocjan Cave (1986)3. Idrija Mercury Mine (2012)4. Venice (1987)
Travel information:The programme starts in Ljubljana in Slovenia and Tour ends in Venice in Italy.
To Ljubljana: Adria Airlines (the airlines of Slovenia) connects Ljubljana with major European cities. Easyjet flies from London; Wizzair from London and Brussels; Air France from Paris and Swiss from Zurich.
*All major and many low cost airlines fly to Budapest which is a 4-hour drive from Ljubljana. A scheduled transfer from Budapest can be arranged.
From Venice: Venice’s Marco Polo Airport serves many airlines, including BA, Air France, Easyjet, Jet2, Alitalia, Gemanwings, KLM and Swiss connecting Venice with many cities. Treviso Airport (40 km from Venice with frequent bus services from Venice) serves Ryanair and Wizzair flights to a lot of destinations.
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SCD weekend and tour in 2017
Scottish Country Dance Weekendfor advanced and intermediate dancers
with the cooperation of the Cape Town SCD dancers
19 - 22 October 2017
Cape Town, South Africa
Pat Houghton (teacher)
James Gray and George Meikle (musicians)
Optional tourist programme15 - 19 and 22 - 30 October 2017
form northern hemisphere autumn to southern hemisphere spring
Cape Town, Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point, Cape Agulhas – the southernmost tip of Africa, Garden Route, Hermanus,
Knysna, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine estates
+ many interesting activities such as an overnight stay at a game lodge, game drives to meet lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, leopards (big five), walk with elephants, visit
to an ostrich farm, visit to Monkeyland and to Birds of Eden, visits to penguin beaches, optional whale watching, enjoying hot water spa in the desert, African show,
wine tasting, etc…
You are welcome to join an optional tourist programme of 13 days before and after the weekend course.
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