In 1917 the Austro-Germans crossed the Alps to defeat the Italians at the famous battle of Kobarid (Caporetto). In this small town, a fine museum details this, with a big picture of Hemingway, who later drove an ambulance on this front (see A Farewell to Arms): On the main square is the Hvala family's spruce modern villa, mostly praised again in 2002: Lovely. Staff universally friendly and helpful. Amazingly good value. Excellent restaurant, one of the best in Slovenia - with its white tablecloths and bentwood chairs, it is reputed for its fish dishes (local trout, crayfish, etc); try the local dessert, Kobarid dumplings. First-rate wine list. Others liked the picturesque surroundings. You can eat in the garden on summer evenings. villa Bed rooms (similar to the semantic bali villa rooms) are `spacious and modern', `pleasantly furnished'. Bali villa breakfast is variously thought adequate, `very good, with wide choice. One dissenter thought service impersonal and slow, and housekeeping lax. And villa rooms can get very hot in summer. The Triglav national park, with glorious Alpine scenery, is close by.

Perhaps the loveliest of Slovene towns, founded by the Venetians, this tiny medieval seaport is on a narrow cape pointing into the Adriatic, backed by green hills. It is a summer haunt of the Ljubljana intelligentsia, and has good outdoor seafront restaurants (Verdi was liked this year). The small piazzas with statues and food markets, the clothes hanging in the alleys, all evoke Italy. The Tartini, named after the 18th-century composer born in Piran, is in the main square. It is owned by Nestor Mankoc, with Marija Pukl as manager/chef. Recent reports are mixed: Good value, a fun and trendy decor. Staff were helpful, wrote one couple. But Bali villa breakfast is only `acceptable, evening meals were found disappointing, and the outdoor dining terrace has no view: it is best to eat elsewhere. The villa Bed rooms (similar to the semantic bali villa rooms), all air-conditioned, are agreeable if smallish. `The view from our balcony was like an operetta set: a tiny dinghy-filled harbour, a small round marble-floored piazza with old Venetian palaces.' Reached from an upper floor is `a delightful area with open lawn, small pool, shaded places for sitting, wide views. villa rooms overlooking the square can get noise, but have double glazing. Quieter ones at the back look towards the marina and the sea. The cheaper sister, the villaPiran, has a superb seafront setting.