May Day Holidays by the Soča River

Ljubljana–Most na Soči–Tolmin Gorges

We left Ljubljana in the morning and switched the comfort of the motorway for the green plains, forests and occasional nucleated villages and drove through places we otherwise probably wouldn’t have visited. We drove through Železniki and Most na Soči and arrived at Tolmin, our first destination, where we visited the Tolmin Gorges. Wow! The view from 60 metres above the river, which carved its way through the rocks, was wonderful. When we descended the forest steps all the way down to the river, we were dazzled by the view. It was so nice crossing the footbridges right above the clear water and listening to it flowing.

Kobarid

We continued towards Kobarid. Our first stop was the Italian ossuary and the church on top of the hill overlooking the town. A steep paved road leads there with stations of the Cross. The ossuary is very interesting, since it’s so unusual, and the church of St. Anthony sits on top. It has the shape of an octagon and there are niches placed in two concentric circles with names and ranks of more than 7,000 Italian soldiers who died during war. The entrance to the church is closed with metal bars, but you can still look through to take a glimpse of the interior.

We drove on to the Napoleon Bridge, a stone bridge spanning above the turquoise Soča gorge. We took the route to a narrow dirt road towards Camp Lazar where we parked our car and then continued on foot past the camp and went down the steps to the footbridge above the Soča River. The scene was marvellous. We were surrounded by breath-taking, pristine nature and the clear Soča River flowed below us. We turned left and headed into the forest. There were a few catacombs along the way and in less than 15 minutes of walking moderately through the forest we finally arrived at Mali Kozjak. From there, we continued a little deeper into the forest and soon spotted a signpost. We followed the ever-narrower walls, crossed little bridges over streams and went down a wooden path where we “entered” a cave with a wonderful waterfall – Veliki Kozjak. It flows over jagged rocks and into a beautiful pool in the middle of a rocky amphitheatre.

We stopped in the camp for a drink and some traditional “čompe”. It’s basically boiled unpeeled potatoes with salty sheep cottage cheese. A simple and popular dish in the Bovec area.

In the heart of the town is the Kobarid Museum where we went 100 years back into the past, were taught about the horrors of war, watched a film about fighting in the Julian Alps and the 12th Battle of the Isonzo, listened to the story of a partisan and made sure of the bravery of courageous partisans.

We then headed to Bovec where we had a reservation at HI Hostel Bovec, which is located in the very centre of the town. You can read more about the hostel in the article.

Bovec

We woke up into an overcast Saturday and treated ourselves to some breakfast at the hostel. Looking through the window, we observed the nearby forests that were covered in fog, but that didn’t hinder our plans. First, we had our essential morning coffee in the heart of Bovec and then went to see the Boka Waterfall. We parked our car in a surfaced car park by the road and followed the signposts to the vantage point from where you can also see the waterfall. The latter is 106 metres high and is the mightiest waterfall in Slovenia taking into account both its width and volume. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the waterfall in all its glory despite the morning rain and the fact that we went there in spring, but just looking at the enormous cliff and the Soča River, which flowed through the rocks, was marvellous.

However, we were completely charmed by another wonderful waterfall. Just when we thought we got lost and would end up in someone’s courtyard a singpost directed us to the left. Asphalt suddenly gave way to dirt and we could see a large car park. So, we did come to the right spot after all. We followed the sound of trickling water and arrived at Virje Waterfall after a 15-minute walk. The Glijun Stream flows down a 20m wide and 12m high “rocky fan” covered by moss and algae creating a basin underneath. It’s a perfect place to relax and probably also excellent if you want to freshen up on a hot summer day.

We then headed to Lepena Valley. You can see the turquoise Soča River along most of the way, since it flows just a few metres from the paved road and forms emerald pools. Driving past the Little Soča Gorges and the Great Soča Gorges, carved out by the river, we arrived at the Šunik Water Grove, regarded as nature’s treasure by many. The path lead underneath conifers and we had our umbrellas, but we were still soaking wet, yet impressed by the power of nature and its creations, so we headed back to the hostel to warm up by the fireplace.

The next day we visited the glacial Trenta Valley, which is located in the Triglav National Park. Trenta had been on my travel bucket list ever since high school. Photos are one thing, but when you actually visit the valley it touches your soul and it’s not easy to let it slip your memory. This is a land where a grey paved road runs along the clearest river and sparsely populated Alpine homesteads overlooked by nearby twothousanders and their white and barren peaks. It’s a land of cool mornings and clean air. It’s an idyllic and tranquil place where you can find peace and where it seems as if time has stopped, since it’s a long way from all the hustle and bustle of towns and cities. We also visited the Alpine Botanical Garden Juliana, climbed all the way up to the spring of the Soča River and paid a visit to the Kekec Homestead.

Bovec–Log pod Mangartom–Ljubljana

We went back the way we came and turned right towards Kluže, Mangart and Italy when the road forked. We also wanted to make a brief stop at the church of St. Lenart. When we spotted something grey among the treetops, it became clear that there was no road leading to the church. There wasn’t even a car park. So, we turned on the hazard warning lights and parked our car by the road. The gothic church of St. Lenart is mystical and yet so simple; there’s nothing inside, except the altar and the tokens, which are probably gifts from people. The church’s modesty is probably the reason why it’s so close to people and that’s what makes it so special.

We continued our journey to the Kluže Fortress, a monument dedicated to the defence against the Turkish invasions, Napoleon’s army and the attacks during World War I. Full of wonderful memories, we drove towards Mangart and caught a glimpse of the Soča Valley one last time in the rear-view mirror. We drove back to Ljubljana passing Lake Predil in Italy and Kranjska Gora.