asphalt | gravel |
This trail leaves the town of Tolmin at the area of the confluence of rivers Soča and Tolminka, which in summer turns into a popular festival stage, and continues along the cycling trail along the Lake Most na Soči. The town of Most na Soči is located on an uneven terrace between the rivers Soča and Idrijca and belongs among the most important archaeological sites, whilst the area around the lake offers well-arranged hiking trails. In the centre of the town the trail turns on a side road towards the village of Tolminski Lom and crosses the river Idrijca where the cycling trail along the river Idrijca also starts. After a steep ascend, you will come to the small village of Drobočnik where you will turn right onto a ledge above the lower part of the lake and continue towards the village of Gorenji Log. Here, you will be faced with somewhat more demanding part of the trail which leads through the ravine of the Vogršček brook, past the Babja jama cave, and along the up-and-down road or cart track all to the village of Avče from where you will descend into the central part of the Soča valley with the medieval town of Kanal with its stone square Kontrada fortified with tightly built houses above the river Soča.
Here, you will cross the stone bridge across the Soča gorge, which is the symbol of Kanal, and continue along the right bank of the river Soča. The trail then leads along the local road through the villages of Gorenja vas, Anhovo, Ložice, and Plave. At the bridge across the river Soča in Plave, you will turn left into the village of Prelesje and descend to the river Soča from where you will continue along the cycling trail, routed next to the accumulation lake all to the Solkan Bridge with a view of Mt. Sveta Gora. Before reaching the new Solkan Bridge, you will cycle past the old railroad bridge with the largest stone arch in the world, as this cycling trail, all from Most na Soči, follows the Bohinj railway which used to connect the cities of Vienna and Trieste. Just behind the town of Solkan, the clear river Soča flows into Italy and is renamed into river Isonzo. At the same time it leaves the Alpine and pre-alpine area. Just like the river Soča turns away from Slovenia, the trail turns away from it and only crosses it once again in the city of Gorizia when the trail turns to the Goriška Brda region.
Along the narrow streets of Solkan, which is, unlike Nova Gorica, one of the oldest settlements in the Soča river basin, the trail continues to a lively city of Nova Gorica which has a mild climate and was constructed as a substitute for the city of Gorizia which was left behind the Yugoslav-Italian border after the World War II. Through Nova Gorica, which was designed as a park, the trail follows one of the streets which lead to the railway station. The city of roses has a lot of green areas and includes a special Erjavčeva street which includes the Alley of the Famous Men and leads to the Europe Square and the railway station with Museum Collection Kolodvor. In the vicinity you can also visit the Kostanjevica Monastery with the resting place of the last heirs of the French royal family of Bourbons.
After crossing the former border on the Erjavčeva street, you can decide to visit the old city centre of Gorizia at the next junction as Gorizia can offer much more historical buildings than its younger sister. The mild climate and the numerous parks are the cause why the city was once also known as the Adriatic Nice. The trail then continues to the largest city square Piazza della Vittoria (Victory Square) and the most distinctive shopping street Via Rastello which leads to the important Cavour Square and to the Gorizia Castle above. When the trail leaves the city, it continues in the direction of the village of San Floriano del Collio in the Collio del Friuli region, crosses the Piuma Bridge over the river Isonzo, and continues past the Piuma-Isonzo Park located on both banks of the river.
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