DAY 3 - MONDAY 14 MARCH - SKOFJA LOKA TO THE ADRIATIC COAST VIA PREDJAMA CASTLE

The 1274 gothic castle of Predjama was built under a natural rocky arch high in the stone wall, making access impossible.  to make access to it difficult. It's known as the seat of Erazem, a 15th century knight and robber baron, son of the Imperial Governor of Trieste, who had a bounty on his head.  He was beseiged in his fortress for a year and a day but, knowing a secret tunnel leading down from the castle, often nipped out for supplies so life wasn't so bad.  His enemies had the last laugh though as apparently he was finished off by a well-aimed cannon through the window as he sat on the loo.

The present-day castle is a reconstruction dating from 1570 (the seige was closely followed by a 1567 earthquake)
 

  
From there, it was not so far towards the Adriatic coastline.  Slovenia's tiny parcel, wedged between Italy and Croatia, is only 47km long, 

boasting three seaside towns – Koper, Izola and Piran, with winding cobbled streets and Venetian Gothic architecture.

 

Sadly the downside of ancient winding cobbled streets is that they're not car-friendly so it was park and ride from the outskirts and we didn't stay too long after all