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Active recreation / The 3 best experiences in Portoroz and Piran

Experience Istria in its entirety. Two authentic Istrian families will introduce you to the heart of living in the Mediterranean and Istria. The Fonda family will take you to the center of the bay of Piran by boat: there you’ll be able to visit a shellfish and fish farm, where the most precious fish of the Mediterranean is harvested – the seabass of Piran. The Lisjak family will take you through olive tree groves with their old-timer Fiat and Zastava cars and show you how extra virgin olive oil is made, on the edge of the cliffs in the Nature park Strunjan, amongst Mediterranean olive tree groves and views of the open sea. Those of you who love to be active and enjoy pampering your taste buds, can’t miss the culinary trip with electric bicycles and a 5-course menu, where you’ll explore Istria and enjoy delicious dishes from Istria and from the sea.

1. Experience

An unforgettable day in the Fonda fish farm

This is an amazing experience if you love the sea and seafood. A boat will take you to the heart of the bay of Piran, where you will experience the incredible nature of Slovenian Istria in the heart of the fishing reserve and the Sečovlje Salina nature park. You will discover why the Fonda seabass of Piran is so special and why it has such high culinary value. You will be let in on all the secrets of the trade, from the selection of young fish spawns to the food, the manual feeding and the incredible care the Fonda family has of the environment and the raising of fish, thus ensuring many healthy generations of the seabass of Piran.  Moreover, you’ll find out the most important thing: the reason the seabass of Piran is so special and its taste so unique.

Who is the Fonda family?

It’s a family with a passion and a strong love for the sea; in their fish farm, they take great care in raising the seabass of Piran, a fish with a character that can be found only here, in the bay of Piran.

What will you experience in the fish and shellfish farm, Fonda?

  • You will sail out at sea to the fishing reserve. You will visit the fish and seashell farm.

  • You will find out how the young fish spawns are selected.
  • You will discover what kind of fish food is used and how the fish are fed.
  • You will learn how long it takes for seabass to grow and what they need to be raised with quality.
  • You will find out how mussels live and everything else about the shellfish farm.
  • You will be taught how to tell if a fish is really fresh.
  • You will conclude the trip with a tasting of the delicacies from the Fonda family.
  • The transportation to and from the boat is organized and included in the price.

The visit lasts from two to three hours.

Booking availability for a Day in the Fonda fish farm

  • Every Tuesday at 3 PM in English. 
  • Every Friday at 5 PM in Italian.
  • Every Saturday at 10:30 AM in German.

- Visits in Slovenian are arranged upon request. For more information on visits in Slovenian: +386 5677 90 44 / +386 51 605 605.

For more information on the Fonda fish farm, click here.

2. Experience

Culinary vintage experience Lisjak

The gourmet vintage experience is an educational journey that follows the traces of ancient autochthonous olive varieties, which grow on the loveliest viewpoints of the Slovenian coast and the Istrian hinterland. Your means of transport on this journey will be old-timer cars Fiat and Zastava, which are colorful, loud and with an interior lined with parquet made of olive tree wood. Driving in them will take you back to the 60s and 70s. The tourist guides are members of the Lisjak family, which produces olive oil, and they will tell you the tale of olive oil among olive tree grooves, on top of the cliffs of the Nature reserve Strunjan. You will also have a chance to visit the high-tech laboratory in their oil mill.

Who is the Lisjak family?

In 1960 the first generation of olive trees was planted and later father Franko opened one of the first olive oil mills in Slovenian Istria. These were the beginnings of the first extra virgin olive oil in Slovenia. In 2008 brother Gregor in Matej founded a line of olive oil: Lisjak extra virgin olive oil. Today it is the largest olive oil brand in Slovenia and it is sold also in numerous countries around the world. Lisjak olive oil is well-known in Croatia, Italy, Austria, China, USA, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Poland,…

What will you experience amongst olive tree grooves and vineyards with gorgeous views?

  • You will take a ride in old-timer cars through the loveliest corners of the Slovenian coast. Your journey will start in Koper and continue towards Izola, where you will see the center of this charming fishing town. Then you will go towards Belvedere, where you can enjoy a great view of Izola. From here you will continue towards Tartini square in Piran, then through Bernardin to Portorož and from there towards Šmarje and your final destination, the oil mill Lisjak.
  • A presentation of the Lisjak oil mill and their olive oils, wine tasting of local wineries’ samples, a small refreshment with local delicacies and then the journey back home.

 

Booking availability for the Culinary vintage experience Lisjak

Departures: every Wednesday or Saturday (at 10 AM from Koper, 10:20 AM from Izola, 10:35 AM from Strunjan, 10:50 AM from Piran, 11:00 AM from Bernardin and 11:15 AM from Portorož.)

The visit lasts from three to four hours.  

For more information on Lisjak Premium extra virgin olive oil, you can check here.

3. Experience

Culinary trip with electric bicycles and a 5-course menu

Go on a guided trip with electric bicycles and enjoy a 5-course menu of authentic Istrian dishes in two amazing restaurants and a patisserie among five attractions of Slovenian Istria.

Your first stop will be among the stone sculptures of Forma viva and the nature parks of Sečovlje Salina and Strunjan, where you’ll find a unique sea lagoon and magnificent cliffs. Istria would not be what it is without truffles and prosciutto, thus you’ll stop for a warm and cold starter in an authentic Istrian village: homemade bread, prosciutto, sheep cheese, fuži (homemade pasta) with truffles and a glass of local refosco. Then you’ll hop on the electric bicycles and leave the Istrian hinterland for the coast, where you will have a chance to try delicacies from the sea. At the end of the trip awaits a sweet surprise, which will be served in an excellent patisserie with views of the sea.

The trip will cover a distance of approximately 40 km, the difference in altitude is 500 m, whereas the terrain is 90% asphalt and 10% gravel roads. The route is of medium difficulty but you will have the help of excellent electric bicycles with motor assistance up to 250%.

What will you experience on the trip with electric bicycles?

  • You will ride your electric bicycle through the gorgeous towns of Slovenian Istria, wander through villages and their squares and narrow streets, follow the old railway line Parenzana – the Path of health and friendship, among olive tree groves and vineyards with amazing panoramic views stretching from Italy to the Alps and from Slovenia to Croatia. 
  • 5-course menu/lunch.
  • A local guide who will provide professional guidance and present the paths of Slovenian Istria.
  • Transport from and to the hotel.
  • Electric bicycle and helmet rental.

The trip with the tasting lasts from five to six hours. 

For more information on the operator of the trip, Mareatour tourist agency, you can visit their website.

Book your vacation just a step to the sea

Spring, summer or autumn. All the Bernardin Resorts are located in the Mediterranean Oasis, just a step away from the sea. There is nothing better than a morning view of the open sea from your room.

Vacation according your needs

To discover more recommendations for the best experiences on the Slovenian coast, click here.

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