Kolovrat

Begin your journey in Kobarid this time around. However, don’t stop at Kobarid, even though you can find many beautiful spots here. Drive towards Tolmin and after a few kilometers, at Idrijsko, diverge from the main road towards Livek. In the spring, the entire Livek is dressed in lilac colour.

When reaching the centre of the Livek village, turn right towards Avsa. Stop just above the picturesque village of Perati, as views like the ones of the Krn mountains don’t come often. Continue your journey towards the centre of the village to visit the Medveševi homestead (all the way to the house numbered 22) that got its name from the Jelenov breg (Deer Hill) under Matajur. This is also the reason you should stop at this exact spot – you can visit a mini zoo at the back of the house and mingle with the deer, bucks, pigs, ducks and other adorable animals. If you’re feeling peckish, the owners will be happy to serve you homemade culinary delights. Ever tried čompe – cooked potato halves with curd cheese? Treat yourself to this delicious traditional dish! But that’s not all they offer! You can also call it a night and sleep in one of their rooms or even your own tent that you can set up in their backyard. As you continue your trip, head towards the valley but only down to Livek. Drive through the village, stopping at an interesting monument in the centre, then continue towards the Solarij pass.

Slowly ascend the hill as the views of the Matajur and Avsa, as well as the valley, are breathtaking. Continue over Livške Ravne and take your time here as well. You will be driving on the sunny right side of the mountain Kuk for some time, before crossing the ridge to the northern side. Here views of half the Soča Valley and the Krn mountains will open up in front of you.   Soon after passing by the lookout balcony, you will notice WWI remains on the left side of the road. 100 years ago today some fools lost their minds – instead of working, they started a massacre across Europe. Our men and the innocent locals were victims of this as well and these exact hills that you will be driving over and overlooking from afar were the object of greed and needed their every square meter defended from the attackers.   Step out of your vehicle and explore the well-preserved remains from these unfortunate, ignorant times. The mountains have more holes than the Tolmin cheese. Drive a bit further and you will arrive at a well-kept parking lot at Kolovrat. If you are able to walk, climb the hills, explore the tunnels, taverns, fighting points and observatories of the valley below. The location is perfect as you will be able to take in even better views than you did a while ago. The Trnovski gozd plateau is to the east and the Veneto region and the Po Valley to the south and on a clear day, you should be able to see all the way to the sea with the Krn mountain chain and its brothers and sisters to the Škofja Loka hills. You can rest your eyes on the pastures, a large part of the Soča River, as well as Kobarid, Tolmin, Voče, Most na Soči, Modrej and the villages under Krn. Oh, you can also see Vrsno, the birthplace of the Slovene poet Gregorčič. Above it is the ideal starting point – a mountain with a quirky name: Kuhinja (Kitchen). You can see Koseč, Drežnica, Drežniške Ravne, Magozd and the villages in both Slovenia, as well as Italy. The parking platform is outfitted with information boards, taking you through the history and stories of the area. You can learn many interesting facts here.

On your way back, descend onto the Solarij pass, where you will be joined by the roads coming in from the direction of Venice. Don’t rush as you can find a resting platform just a bit lower. If there is anything you had not yet seen today, you will see it from here. With Tolmin below you and Kozlov rob, Volče, the valley stretching out towards Idrija and plenty more above it. All that is left to do now is to descend into Volče and choose your direction – take the exit towards Tolmin at the roundabout if heading towards Ljubljana. You could also take the next exit and drive along the main road along the Soča River back to Kobarid or towards Predel or Vršič in the other direction or to Nova Gorica if that was your starting point.