NATURAL SIGHTS
Explore and follow the footsteps of past heritage, which has forever marked the space next to the fast emerald green beauty. Allow museums, churches, forts and the museum train ride to impress you.
The diverse history, the specifics of dwelling, the dwelling space and the first world war left a permanent mark on the Soča Valley. Many museums, among which the world renowned Kobarid Museum, the rich sacral heritage with the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca of European importance, and mighty forts, such as the picturesque Kluže Fort, stand out, are all well visited tourist points, which tell the harsh stories of the past.
From time immemorial, the Soča Valley has always been dedicated to the heritage of the mountain pastures, dairying and cheesemaking. Visit the Od planine do Planike collection (From pastures to Planika). Planika is the name of the factory that fills the shelves of Slovenian shops with milk from domestic pastures of incredibly high quality. However, if you would prefer to ride on a museum train, you can go on an interesting trip on the Bohinj railway.
Take a peek of the birth house of the famous Slovenian poet Simon Gregorčič and visit the homestead of writer Ciril Kosmač.
The Soča Valley will not only enthuse you with many active experiences, but will leave you amazed at how much cultural and historical contents are hidden in these divine places.
The Soča River
This pristine gorge is one of the most beautiful natural sights on the Soča River and an important natural treasure of the Triglav National Park.
The emerald green pools are intertwined into a 750-metre-long meticulously smoothed out gorge that is only a few metres wide and 15 metres deep.
The Source of River Soča
It is one of the most beautiful springs in the Alps. The water gushes to the surface through a deep fissure below the mountain of Šnita and in the past it was therefore called the Šnita up to its convergence with the Zadnjica. Around the source grow beautiful mountain flowers and one can also find Trentarski rjavcek (Trenta Brown) and Mountain Apollo butterflies.
The Great Soča Gorge
This pristine gorge is one of the most beautiful natural sights on the Soča River and an important natural treasure of the Triglav National Park.
The emerald green pools are intertwined into a 750-metre-long meticulously smoothed out gorge that is only a few metres wide and 15 metres deep.
The Small Soča Gorge
Directly before the confluence with the Vrsnica stream, the Soča River carved the approximately 100 metres long Small Soča Gorge, which is up to 6 metres deep and only 1 meter wide in the narrowest part.
The Boka waterfall
The most water-rich and mightiest waterfall in Slovenia, with a total height of 144 metres and width of 18 metres, is also one of the most majestic waterfalls in Europe.
The view of the vertical rocky walls with the Boka Waterfall in the centre is truly eye-catching. Waters that accumulate in the high mountains of the Kanin mountain chain thus come to light on a rocky shelf, over which they free-fall for 106 metres and, directly afterwards, another 30 metres deep. Due to the fact that the waters hit the ground hard and the resulting erosion, the depth is increasing.
In spring and autumn, when the snow melts and larger quantities of rainfall, the Boka Waterfall becomes particularly loud and photogenic because it achieves the greatest flow – even up to 100 m³/s. In droughty summer months, the flow falls to as little as 2 m³/s. The average water temperature is 4.5 °C.
Triglav National Park
Situated along the Soča river in the Bovec area, the Soča Trail leads into the heart of the Triglav National Park (TNP). Trenta Lodge, the main information centre of the park in the Soča Valley, offers visitors its museum collection, thematic and artistic exhibitions and various social events.
The main natural and cultural sights in the TNP:
- the Soča river, the source of the Soča and the Velika korita gorge,
- the Alpinum Juliana botanical garden,
- the Trenta Museum,
- the Krnska jezera lakes,
- Kriški podi,
- the Kluže fort,
- Mangartsko sedlo
- Javorca, memorial Church of the Holy Spirit,
- Tolmin Gorges
- Mountain pastures.