Natur trifft Geschichte: Historischer Weg Kobarid

Route downloaded from the municipality website. You can visit Austrian and Italian trenches. Everything well marked, dirt road. Very shady.

The starting point of today's tour was again our campsite in Kobarid. In the south of the Julian Alps lies the small town of Kobarid, steeped in history. During the First World War, Karfreit (Kobarid) was heavily fought over during the costly Isonzo battles. Here Ernest Hemingway worked as a war correspondent and medical officer on the Italian side, describing the events in his novel "In Another Country". On our round we could still see some evidence from this time, such as the trenches. Another highlight was a 52 m long wooden suspension bridge, from which you can enjoy beautiful views of the Soca. And we also liked the detour to the Kozjak waterfalls. A very successful hiking day for us, but under difficult weather conditions: We had 35 degrees in the shade.

🌊Experience Slovenia & the Soča🌊 In the small, tranquil village of Kobarid, the "Historical Trail" leads through various historical sights around the magnificent Soča River.🌊 The hike begins in the center of Kobarid and first leads to the Church of St. Anthony, which sits perched on a hill above the village.⛪ From up here, you have a view of the village and the surrounding area.👀 After a short stop at the church, the path leads left into the forest.​🌳 It's still early in the morning, so the tranquility is palpable. The next highlight is "Tonocov grad" - an ancient settlement in the middle of the forest. Information panels in English give you an idea of ​​what life was like here in the past.⌛ The tour continues through the forest until you can hear the road. ⚠️When descending between the rocks, caution is advised, as they are quite slippery. We cross the road and THE highlight of the tour becomes visible - the Soča River.🤩​ With its turquoise color and power, it exudes an incredible magic.✨ A perfect opportunity for a break.🥪 The next stop is the "Slap Kozjak" waterfall. On the short uphill stretch, it becomes clear that this is a rather popular tourist attraction. We quickly head back, and just a few hundred meters further, we reach the next highlight - the former Italian defense line.🇮🇹 As we cross the area, the Soča River becomes visible again. 🌊 Part of the route now runs along the river on the right. A wide forest path continues through the valley, and eventually we reach the Napoleon Bridge.🌉 The view of the wild river amazes me! The final stage of the hike takes you back to the town center, past museums, small boutiques, and bars.🥾 💡If you want to save the best part for last, you should start the hike in the opposite direction. 👀 The nearby route is quite touristy and therefore less recommended. 💡 Part of the hike follows the "Peace Trail" - there is an information point about it in Kobarid. 💡Descriptions and a map are available at the tourist information office. ℹ️ Further information at: https://www.kobariski-muzej.si/en/guided-tours/the-kobarid-historical-trail/

This tour in Kobarid, the westernmost municipality in Slovenia, is simply fantastic. It contains everything a hiker's heart could desire. The most beautiful views of the mountains and the enchanting Soca, the impressive Kozja waterfall, the Napoleon Bridge, hiking through wild natural areas, heated bathing in the turquoise, ice-cold Soca on an enchanting beach. Coffee in a pretty café, a place steeped in history with an impressive monument and the best view. And last but not least, a sense of adventure 😅. One section was not accessible due to a construction site and we had to improvise a bit. What a wonderful day with lots of wow factors 😍

After 7 hours of driving we arrived at our destination. It won't be an ordinary hut hike. This time we decide to hike with a lightly packed backpack and go on two to three day hikes in Slovenia at three different destinations in order to find out a little more about this country. Triglav Park impresses with its turquoise waters and the beauty of the Eastern Alps. There are many camps along the Soča River. For the enthusiastic water sports enthusiast, this is an absolute dream. We climb the landscape on foot, but also have our bathing suits with us in case we get the courage to climb into the Alpine mountain water. Peter means well for us this time. Today we cross the rope bridge over Soča, reach the waterfall and later walk through the forest, where the remains of the fortifications from the First World War can still be seen. At that time the area was heavily contested between the Austrians and Italians. When the hike seems a bit too short for us, we decide to take another short detour - to the Tonovcov Grad, to the ancient culture/an archaeological site of one of the oldest settlements in the Eastern Alps with a wonderful view. We then reach the small town of Kobarit and the Italian Ossuary, where around 7,000 Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the Soča Valley during the First World War rest. The idyllic landscape of today was then a 90 km long front line from the Alps to the Adriatic. We took a journey through history. I remember the books by Erich Maria Remarque that I read as a teenager, the shocking images and scenes from World War I, which he describes very impressively in their cruelty. The spark of life. Every monument and every small reminder is a reminder against war. War begets war.