Soča valley, a place for nature lovers, history lovers and a foodie paradise. 

We recently spent three days in the northwestern part of Slovenia, more specifically in Kobarid. I’ve been coming here since I was little and it is still one of my favourite places in Slovenia. If you ask me it is also one of the most beautiful parts of Slovenia, with the emerald Soča river running through the valley, surrounded by the mountains. Soča valley is probably most known because it was heavily marked with the cruelties of World War I and the battles of Isonzo. This whole area played an important part in history and is a place where one of the most mountainous battles took place. Today Kobarid has one of Europe’s best museums dedicated to WWI. There is also an outdoor museum on hill Kolovrat, and Walk of Peace commemorating the Isonzo battles. It runs all the way from  the Alps to the Adriatic. Today the region offers many things, from historical sights to the amazing unspoilt nature where you can really relax. Below you can find some things that you simply need to see and do.

Walk along Soča river

The scenery here is just breathtaking. Offering views to the highest peaks of Julian alps, to the emerald river running in the valley. Take a walk along the Soča river and enjoy its beauty. There is also a 5 kilometres circular trail that takes you around Kobarid to see all the important sights. If you are feeling more adventurous there are some really cool activities that you can do in the nature. The most popular in the area are: rafting on Soča river, kayaking, canyoning, paragliding, zip lining, etc. I haven’t tried any of these yet, but would like to! Have you? 🙂

Kozjak waterfall 

A magnificent waterfall that you need to see. It’s an easy 20 minutes walk on a scenic path that takes you through the forest along the river straight to the gorge. If you are feeling courageous enough you can even have a quick dip in the cold water. Kozjak waterfall is also one of the points on the circular trail around Kobarid.

Hiking

The most popular activity there is hiking. You can choose many of the easy walks or if you feel like really hiking head over to the one of the peaks of Julian Alps. We went hiking to Krn which is 2244m above the sea level. It’s a three hour walk from Kuhinja pasture and the views from the top are breathtaking. You can see the rest of the Julian Alps and even the Adriatic sea! Definitely worth the hike!

Nadiža river

The most pristine Alpine river where you can actually bathe and swim in. Its crystal clear water and the fact that it can get pretty warm (much warmer than Soča) makes it perfect for a quick swim to cool down from the hot sun.

Kobarid

The cutest little town full of life that offers something for everybody. If you’ve had enough exploring of the emerald Soča, Kobarid also has strong cultural heritage. It is the place where Ernest Hemingway got inspiration and wrote Farewell to arms. What is more Kobarid is also a place for food lovers as there are some really good restaurants. The best one and highly recognised is Hiša Franko, but serves mostly international food. For local specialties you can go to restaurants Hvala or Topli Val and the specialties you need to try are: Soča trout, Tolmin cheese and Kobarid dumplings. Oh, and if you feel like gambling there’s also a casino. Talk about offering everything.

Photos by: Jure Gačnik

Which activity would you love to do in Soča Valley?