Vipava Valley is the go-to-place to visit for leisure or business travel. The beautiful scenery is enough to make anyone forget about the stress of the office. Relax and enjoy a few sips of the world-renowned local wines. Whether you’re looking to treat your clients or yourself, Vipava Valley is the place to do it.
Business Travel in Paradise
The Vipava Valley (pronounced vi’pa va) is a beautiful valley in the heart of Europe that dates back to 8,000 BC. It is located roughly between the village of Podnanos in Slovenia to the east and stretching to Nova Gorica in the west.
This fertile, wine-rich land is an excellent place to tour by car. Here you will find gourmet treats, rural scenery, fine wineries, and a wide array of resort activities and attractions.
Want to make the experience even better?
The valley’s climate is mild sub-Mediterranean. Fruits grow well here, especially grapes, peaches, figs, apricots, and persimmons. In the spring, the fruit trees are covered in blossoms. By fall, the foliage is breathtaking. In Vipava Valley, you will find mountains, lakes, caves, cities, and rivers.
The Main Towns: Vipava and Ajdovscina
Town of Vipava:
Vipava, the principal town of the region, has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. Touring the historical streets of Vipava really helps to get a feel for the area.
Visitors will find:
- quaint white and pastel buildings with terracotta roofs,
- pavement cafes in the main square,
- the Vinoteca wine museum,
- gourmet food made with local produce,
- and, of course, many excellent wines.
To add to its beauty, Vipava has an incredible backdrop of rugged mountains, a green-blue forest with limestone formations, and vineyards heavy with grapes. There are seven springs, where water wells up from the ground all over the town and gorgeous tree-lined pathways along the river.
The Vinoteca wine museum offers wine tastings of over 160 wines, representing 45 different winemakers from all of the surrounding villages in the Vipava Valley.
Town of Ajdovscina:
This ancient village has a population of 6,700 and is located only 20 km from the Italian border. Ajdovscina dates back to 2,000 BC and was under Italy’s administration until 1947.
Following World War II, Ajdovscina became the economic and cultural center of the upper Vipava Valley, with major industries, including construction, textile fabrics, furniture, and food and beverages.
Discover the remains of the fortress of Castra, three historical churches, and the local railway station. In the near surrounding area stands the stone arch bridge of Dolenje Trilek Castle and the Otlica Window.
Touring the Wine Shops of Vipava Valley
Vipava Valley is renowned for their wineries and is one of the top 10 European destinations of 2018. Wine has been made in Vipava Valley since Roman times.
- Due to the climate, Vipava Valley enables wine producers to grow more than 25 different types of grapes. The Vipava wine road connects more than 30 different wine towns and wine cellars.
Touring the wine shops in the picturesque villages is a very special treat. To make tours even more safe and comfortable, luxury ground transportation, using a professional limousine service is paramount.
Visitors will experience the diversity of Vipava Valley wine and the beautiful views over the wine slopes of Vipava, home to the bora winds, premium wines, and Slovenian hospitality.
Many of the local Vipava Valley farms adorn their bottles with labels that tell the history of the land, as well as their own personal family legacies.
Learn all about winemaking while enjoying a variety of the indigenous wines of Vipava Valley. You may even pick up a few Slovenian national toast songs.
- The area is well known for its unique dry white wines, such as Zelen and Pinela grape varieties. They also produce red wines, such as pinot noir, merlot, and aromatic semi-sweet Muscat dessert wines.
A must-taste experience is their very unusual orange wine. This variety is made with white grapes, using the same method of making red wine, which creates a golden or pale apricot color. As most Slovenian wines are not exported, they are also very affordable.
The Must-Sip List:
Top Wine Shops of Vipava Valley
Contact:
Phone: +386 (0)40 232 987 or +386 (0)51 652 589
This charming wine bar and shop is conveniently located in the center of the city of Ajdovscina, in the restored ancient Roman tower by the marketplace.
- Here, visitors can choose from a large selection of Vipava Valley wines, the special and unique beers brewed by local farmers, and exquisite local foods.
Wine tastings are further enhanced by gourmet appetizers indigenous to the region. There is also a larger wine tasting room near the Youth Hostel in Ajdovscina, which can accommodate culinary events for larger groups of people.
Contact:
Phone: +386 (0)5 998 20 87 or +386 (0)41 655 789
The Vinoteka Solum Wine Shop, located near the border of Italy in downtown Nova Gorica, offers a wide selection of fine wines and local treats.
- This includes over 150 wines by over 50 renowned local winemakers from Karst, Slovene Istria, Brda, and Vipava Valley, as well as Italian winegrowers from nearby Collio, Isonzo, Carso, and the Province of Ravenna.
Enhance your wine-tasting experience with their showcase of local homemade cheese, dry meats, and spirits. Other offerings include teas and juices, honey and honey products, marmalades, dry fruit, olive oil, and herbs.
Contact:
Phone: +386 (0)5 368 70 41 or +386 (0)51 215 226
Vinotecka Wine Shop stands in Enoteca Vipava, the center of Vipava wines. This shop offers more than 170 types of wine from the entire Vipava Valley.
Vinotecka Wine Shop also features other world acclaimed wines, such as
- Chardonnay,
- Cabernet Sauvignon,
- Malvasia,
- Ribolla,
- Pinot Black, Gris, and Noir,
- Barbera,
- and Merlot.
Step into the viewing space for a 15-minute introduction to Vipava Valley, where customers can taste different types of wine from the region and enjoy a cold plate of homemade cheeses and salamis.
Got A Party? This space accommodates up to 40 guests. During the winter, the wine shop organizes many special wine evenings for their patrons.
Contact:
Phone: +386 (0)5 364 55 95 or +386 (0)41 650 662
The vineyards, wine cellar, and wine shop of Dusan Bencina are situated in the pleasant country village of Loze in the Upper Vipava Valley. Master Dusan Bencin has received numerous honors and awards for his excellent winemaking.
- This unique winery offer a wide assortment of wines for your wine tasting pleasure.
Furthermore, the Dunsan offers guided tours of their vineyards and wine shop. Advance notice is required to accommodate large groups. The farm is included in the Vipava Valley Wine Road project.
Best Restaurants of Vipava Valley
In addition to the fabulous wine shops, visitors can experience the fine local cuisine at a large number of restaurants in the Vipava Valley region.
Airport Travel: Secrets To Fighting Jet Lag
Contact:
Phone: +386 5 368 70 07
Email: zemono@zemono.s
This 5-star restaurant set in the Dvorec Zemono mansion is charming and has spectacular views of the valley and surrounding mountains. Patrons will go on a culinary journey with memorable courses and carefully curated wine pairings.
Most Importantly the menu, well crafted including Mediterranean, European, and Slovenian cuisine. In addition to the beautiful location and incredible cuisine, the service is outstanding.
Contact Information:
Phone: +386 40 232 090
Dine with class at this wonderful restaurant, which serves traditional local foods as well as French and Italian cuisine. The family-owned Gostilna Theodosius is located in a peaceful setting below the hills of Vipava.
With delicious food and excellent service, this restaurant looks out of budget, however the Gostilna Theodosius offer fine dining affordably as well as elegantly.
Contact:
Phone: +386 41 208 345
Email: info@vinasaksida.com
This fabulous restaurant is owned and operated by the Saksida family, one of the many fine wine producers in Vipava Valley. It is located in the valley with beautiful views overlooking the vineyard.
Dine in the garden atmosphere under a delightful pergola of grape vines. The décor, delicious contemporary take on Slovenian cuisine, excellent wine pairings, and outstanding service add up to a lovely experience.
Activities In Vipava Valley
No trip to Vipava Valley is complete without visiting some of the area’s attractions. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, mountain climbing, kayaking, canoeing, and swimming.
Explore historical landmarks, such as gothic churches and castles, as well as caves and the surrounding forests and limestone formations.
Skocjan Caves
The impressive Skocjan Caves in Vipava is on the UNESCO’s list of national cultural treasures. It represents the most significant underground phenomena in Slovenia and ranks among the most important caves in the world.
With the underground stream of the Reka River, the Skocjan Caves are one of the longest karst underground wetlands in Europe.
Lipica Stud Farm
Home of the beautiful and unique Lipizzaner horses, this Vipava attraction is a must for visitors to the valley. Taking a walk on this estate is like taking a walk through history.
Otlica Natural Window
Hiking up to the Otlica Natural Window (Otlisko okno) will take you on a tour of some of the best views of the Vipava Valley, the Karst Plateau, Hubelj River, and the Adriatic Sea.
Following this well-marked trail with its very navigable terrain is a perfect choice for a beautiful hike. This natural wonder is a sight to behold and something visitors do not want to miss.
Mountain Climbing & More
If you are into mountain climbing, mountain and dirt biking, para-gliding/hang-gliding, bungee jumping, or hiking, this is the place to be. The Vipava Valley is surrounded by majestic mountains and plateaus perfect for all of the above.
The launch sites Lijak and Kovk present excellent launch sites for the para-glider/hang-glider enthusiast. The many trails are perfect for hiking and dirt biking and opportunities for mountain climbing are out of this world.
Water-Related Activities
With the many turquoise-blue lakes and the fast-flowing crystal clear rivers in Vipava Valley, visitors can enjoy all kinds of water-related activities. Breathe in the fresh mountain air while you relax on and about the waterfront with a backdrop of gothic churches, ancient castles, and snow-capped mountains.
See The Sights In Luxury
As any world traveler is aware, finding safe and dependable ground transportation can be complicated. Business event transportation and corporate travel can be difficult to arrange overseas.
Pleasure seekers and vacationers often rely on finding their own personal modes transportation. This can be expensive and headache-inducing, to say the least.
Need A Town Car?
Finding your way around in a foreign country or a new region of the country is more often than not confusing and daunting. A1A Limousine Service provides the most affordable, safe, and reliable worldwide luxury ground transportation available.
All of our chauffeurs are professionally trained and knowledgeable of their service areas. They arrive expertly dressed and well groomed to further demonstrate the quality of service we provide.
Enjoy your own personal concierge to assist you with your luggage and provide safe, comfortable transport to all of your ground destinations.
- A1A Limousine Service offers a wide variety of beautiful luxury sedans, including Town Cars, Cadillacs, and Mercedes, as well as stretch limousines and party buses and vans. So, no matter how many your have in your party, we’ve got you covered.
A1A Limousine Service provides airport shuttles, corporate travel and business event transportation, as well as private party ground transportation. We provide the best in safe, comfortable, and reliable ground transportation worldwide.
Contact us to book one of our first-class limousines today!
Written By: Ryan Lubin
