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KOBARID TOLMIN Nadi∞a 1 2 3 5 4 1 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 4 5 6 Breginjski Kot and the Nadiæa River IN WESTERNMOST SLOVENIA lies the valley of BREGINJSKI KOT (literaly “the Corner of Breginj”). Bounded by the plains of Friuli, the peaks of the Julian Alps and the emerald waters of the Soča river, it is an integral part of BENE©KA SLOVENIJA (VENETIAN SLOVENIA). The mountainous terrain, threaded by a network of river valleys and caressed by the gentle sea winds from the south, hides the pristine NADIÆA RIVER, ancient villages, limestone ridges and more. The stone houses of the Beneška Slovenia hill country each have their story to tell and mark a point where true harmony between man the natural environment has been developed and nurtured. The mystical beauty of the landscape is the valley’s greatest treasure and worth preserving for future generations. The Nadiæa River ITS TURQOISE WATERS, TORRENTIAL DURING THE FREQUENT STORMS, originate under the massive STOL range. At the foot of mount MATAJUR it turns south, crosses the border into Italy and concludes it’s 60 kilometer journey when it joins the river Ter (Torre). The Nadiža has carved out pools and gorges, as well as depositing numerous shingle beaches. It is one of the cleanest and warmest Alpine rivers, home to the marble trout, rainbow trout and the local crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes italicus. As such it is a natural PARADISE FOR BATHERS and FLY FISHERMEN. According to local folklore, the waters of the Nadiža also possesses healing properties. Napoleon’s bridge across the River Nadiæa THE STONE BRIDGE crossing the Nadiža gorge dates to around 1812 and stands mute testament to the routes crossing the area since at least the time of Ancient Rome. The bridge used to form part of the ANCIENT ROUTE from Pradol and Robidišče along the Nadiža river. According to folk memory the current bridge was constructed by a builder from the village of Čenebola in Beneška Slovenija. It was built at the time of the French emperor’s conquests, hence its name. Its uniqueness and technical accomplishment make it a precious ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENT and a memorial to times past. Breginj museum collections Above the Nadiža river, between KOBARID and BREGINJ, THIRTEEN VILLAGES are scattered along the sunny terraces at the foot of mount Stol’s southern face. Today only some 250 villagers remain in Breginj, the largest village of Breginjski Kot and the only to still have a school, post office and community health centre. Before the great 1976 earthquake BREGINJ was a precious, living memorial to the unique ARCHITECTURE OF BENE≥KA SLOVENIJA. The circular streets and the stone houses with their roofed galleries (known as »ganki«), connected to their stables and barns, stood in oval clusters. They were a witness to the remarkable cultural landscape and heritage of these parts. Now, the sole remnant of the original layout is the OLD VILLAGE CENTRE WITH ITS MUSEUM and the St. Nicholas church and rectory; they are classified as national cultural monuments. Two private collections are on display in Breginj: THE ETHNO-MILITARY COLLECTION and THE STOL MUSEUM COLLECTION. Robidi≤Ëe Ž a smoke kitchen The westernmost Slovenian village ROBIDI≥∏E lies surrounded by pastures on a remote little plateau 650 metres above sea level. The transition between the Mediterranean and the Subalpine cultural areas is most evident from the appearance of the villages, with their Venetian-Slovenian architectural style. Homestead number 14: More than 300 years old, VAN»EVA HI©A (VAN»’S HOUSE) has an almost perfectly preserved interior, a characteristic floor plan and a low hearth kitchen. This type of SMOKE KITCHEN, with a low, freestanding Mediterranean-style hearth and the associated equipment, is today a rarity in Slovenia, although it was once quite common in western and southwestern Slovenia, Istria and Bela Krajina (White Carniola). Stol (1673 m) This 30-kilometer limestone ridge rising ABOVE BREGINJSKI KOT is a true PARADISE FOR PARAGLIDERS, HANG GLIDERS, HIKERS and CYCLISTS. The Stol mountain stands at the rim of the high Julian Alps and offers a splendid view of the sea. Visitors interested in mountain flora will be excited to find the charming spirea shrub (Spiraea decumbens) which blossoms in the spring and its only habitat in Slovenia is Breginjski Kot. At the foot of the mountain, in the humid forests by the Bela river, visitors can enjoy the alluring fragrance of the cyclamen.
