Soča: Gorges, Trails and Village History

The village brings together several distinct themes for a stay: the Soča Trail, river gorges, village history and local food. When planning, you can choose between a longer route, individual sights and visits with a specific time requirement.

Gorges on the Soča

The Great Soča Gorge lies below the village of Soča. It is 750 metres long and 10 to 15 metres deep. The Small Soča Gorges are 100 metres long and 6 metres deep; you can view them from a bridge below Turistična kmetija Jelinčič. The Soča River has carved out the Great and Small Soča Gorges, as well as the gorge at Kršovec.

You can explore sections of the Great Soča Gorge on foot along a marked forest trail on the left bank; it is not accessible in its entirety. Some sections are exposed and can be slippery when wet, in cold weather or in winter. Take these conditions into account if you plan to use the forest trail.

Trails and river access

The Triglav National Park Soča Trail follows the Soča from its source to Bovec and is 25 kilometres long in total. In the village of Soča, it reaches the left riverbank. Hikers can adjust the direction and length of their route to the time they have available and their purpose. Seasonal conditions may affect access; take this into account when planning.

The put-in point for a Soča river trip is at the end of the Great Soča Gorge. For safety reasons, river trips through the gorge itself are not permitted. Check the rules and conditions before planning a river trip.

The village of Soča can be reached from Bovec or via Vršič Pass. Check seasonal conditions before setting out.

Cemetery and church paintings

The Austro-Hungarian soldiers’ cemetery is behind St. Joseph’s Church and the civilian cemetery in the village. It was expanded from an Austro-Hungarian wartime hospital cemetery; today, more than 1,400 soldiers and prisoners of war are buried there. Allow 20 minutes to visit the cemetery.

A church in Soča features distinctive wall and ceiling paintings by the Slovenian painter, sculptor and printmaker Tone Kralj. They depict Slovenian and Slavic saints. One of the figures has the facial features of the fascist dictator Mussolini. The cemetery and the paintings offer different insights into the village’s history.

Local food

Turistična kmetija Jelinčič offers local food and homemade sheep’s cheese. Tastings and a tour of the cheese dairy are also possible. If you plan to take advantage of these offers, arrange your visit in advance. This makes it easy to combine a visit to the cheese dairy with an interest in regional food.

Discover more destinations: Dolenja Trebuša, Kal-Koritnica, Žaga, Volče, Tolmin, Idrija pri Bači, Hudajužna, Podmelec

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